one of the more common species. We saw Sibbald's whale; Rorquals, and
many killer whales, but no Right whales were properly identified this
trip.

I very much wanted to show Scott the island we had discovered in the
first Antarctic Relief Expedition and named after him, but when in its
vicinity snow squalls and low visibility prevented this.

On the 22nd Bowers, Wright, Griffith Taylor and myself chased a lot of
young penguins on the ice and secured nine for our Christmas dinner. We
spent a very pleasant Christmas this year, devoting great attention to
food. We commenced the day with kidneys from our frozen meat store.
Captain Scott conducted the Christmas church service and all hands
attended since we had no steam up and were fast held in the pack. The
ward-room was decorated with our sledge flags and a new blue tablecloth
generally brightened up our Mess. We had fresh mutton for lunch and the
seamen had their Christmas dinner at this time. The afterguard dined at
6.30 on fresh penguin, roast beef, plum pudding, mince pies, and
asparagus, while we had champagne, port, and liqueurs to drink and an
enormous box of Fry's fancy chocolates for dessert. This "mortal gorge"
was followed by a sing-song lasting until midnight, nearly every one,
even the most modest, contributing. Around the Christmas days we made but
insignificant headway, only achieving thirty-one miles in the best part
of the week, but on the 29th the floes became thin and the ice showed
signs of recent formation, though intermingled with heavier floes of old
and rotten ice. There was much diatomacea in the rotten floes. About 2.40
a.m. the ship broke through into a lead of open water six miles in
length.

I spent the middle watch in the crow's-nest, Bowers being up there with