Orde-Lees' Journal - 11 November, 1915
Temperature maximum 27.
A pleasant day with a high temperature & some N.E. wind which has drifted us 3 miles to the south again, worse luck.
These high temperatures do not always represent the warmth which might be assumed from the thermometer readings for the increase in moisture in the air with any northerly wind increases the sensibility of one's body to the effect of cold at the same time so comparatively high a temperature is bound to feel mild to us now for we are all pretty thoroughly hardened to cold & open air Antarctic life.
I have been putting down a floor in my rabbit hutch all day, and although we are not likely to remain here many weeks I like to have it done solidly & thoroughly & have laid down joists for the planking as I now have Sir Ernest's permission to sleep in it. This will greatly relieve our large tent for when we are all laid out in it full length in our sleeping bags, head to tail like so many sardines, we exactly cover the entire area of the floor & it becomes impossible to get in or out without stepping on one or more of the sleepers. My absence will exactly leave a gangway at the door.
(In the following 4 paragraphs inserted by Orde-Lees later, he refers to himself - the snorer - in the third person. ) NOTE: When he returned to London, Orde-Lees rewrote passages of his journal for Shackleton to use in his account of the Endurance expedition. With the help of a professional writer, Shackleton wrote South primarily on his travels to rescue the Ross Sea party and relied almost exclusively on Worsley's expedition journal.
The crowd in the 8 man pole tent were so congested and his snoring so intolerable that the order has gone forth and the noisy night-jar has been successfully evicted.
We have enough troubles of our own to be kept awake half the night by another member's raucous nocturnal nasal efforts.
When all hands were turned in they so exactly filled the whole of the space that there was not room to turn and step out of the tent without treading on each other's bags and to lie down at all they were packed literally like sardines head to tail.
The removal of one member therefore makes a little gangway in this crowded tent so that ingress & egress is not impeded.
The eight sailors all occupy the 8 man hoop tent and although also much overcrowded seem very satisfied with their accommodation and possibly the congestion appeals to them on warmth giving grounds.
The occupants of our tent besides myself, are Captain Worsley, Clark, our biologist, Greenstreet, the 1st officer of the ship, now made a dog driver, Dr. Macklin, Rickinson, chief and Kerr 2nd engineer and Blackborrow, our excellent stowaway. We really get on wonderfully well considering the way that we are constantly & literally treading upon one another's toes.
At first we had merely a very thin ground sheet between us and the snow but when so much wood came up from the wreck we constructed wooden floors and are now able to sleep on a dry level surface in considerable comfort.
The green translucent material of the tent affords a most agreeable eye resting light within. We have a good many books fortunately for reading is our chief delight.
The new stove made from the old ship's ash shoot is now rigged up in the "galley" and has already proved itself a great success, the cook finding that he can make bannocks on it, as we have a whole case of baking powder.
Breakfast - Fried seal steak, tea, milk & sugar.
Luncheon - Suet pudding & jam, cocoa, milk & sugar.
Supper - Ham & seals liver hoosh with desiccated potato & flour, cocoa, milk & sugar & Digestive biscuits.
Comments