Hussey went down and put out the fires at once; fortunately the cook had prepared the dinner & was keeping it hot & when the crash came had the presence of mind to sling the pot up, so one of the most important items of the day was saved.
By about 7 p.m. we had secured most of the loose gear and fitted battens on the decks & in the wardroom and I proceeded to lay the table but owing to the extreme angle, instead of placing the table on the trestles as usual, I laid the trestles on their side in this manner and laid the table top on them in that position.
Some sat on the floor with their feet against the battens others on the edge of the table & so on but we all had a well earned meal.
The effect was extraordinary. One could not adjust ones ideas to suit the situation. Although the table was perfectly level it appeared to be tilted at a quite impossible angle & everyone was ready to take bets that articles would slip off, but they didn't. An ordinary candle placed upright upon it remained erect! As each member came into the room he walked along the edge of one of the battens balancing with his arms out exactly as if he were trying to walk a tight rope.
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