The Home of the Blizzard / Being the Story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914

Cape Denison. The only shelter was a cluster of four tents and the Benzine

of work on the morrow, a few of us discussed the preliminary deta

r and to a good sledging surface; the ice of the glacier extending to the "front door" on the western side. Several large rocks had to be shifted, and difficulty was anticipated in the firm setting of the stumps. The latter were blocks of wood, three

living-room; the former serving as a vestibule, a workshop and an engine-room for the wireless plant. Slight modifications were made in the construction of both huts, but these did

stations. As the subject is important, and we had expended much thought ther

unt of timber used. The final type was designed at the expense of floor-space, which would have been of little use because of the low roof in the parts thus eliminated. In this form, the pyramid extended to within five feet of the ground on the three windward sides so as to inc

ue the roof-slope to the ground. Thus, the wind striking the hut met no vertical face, but

arkroom and my own room. This rough idea I had handed over to Hodgeman, leaving him to complete the details and to draw up the plans. The frame timbers he employed were stronger than usual in a building of the size, and were all securely bolted together. The walls and roof, both inside and

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he hut, A

astonishing strength during the winter hurricanes. The smallest was purchased

es. As we were securely isolated from a trades hall

he end of the day a good deal of damage had been done to the rock, at the expense of a few sore fingers and wrists caused by the sledge-hammers missing the drills. The work was tedious, for water introduced into the holes had a habit

This was overcome by carrying the sticks inside one's pocket until the last moment. In the absence of earth or clay

is doubtful if any good came of it, for the low temperature did not encourage it to set well. By the evening, th

in the whole space between the stumps. These were eventually embedded in a mass of boulders, as much as three feet deep in places. By the

sually busy selecting timber, patrolling among the workmen, and searching f

ds and hues from the great confusion. However remote their source or diverse their colour, experience taught us that only one preparation would emerge from the tent-kitchen. It was a multifarious stew. Its good quality was undoubted, for a few minutes after the "dinner-bell rang" there was not a particle left. The "dinner-bell" was a lusty shout from the master cook, which was re-

to inspect the building operations; seals basked in torpid slumber on the shore; out on the sapphire bay the milk-white bergs floated

from a cold breeze, at times reaching the velocity of a gale. This came directly down from the plateau, and to sit with exposed fingers handling hammer and nails was not an enviable job. To a

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oss the hut,

lter. Already Hannam had unpacked the large range and put the parts together in the kitchen. He

stage, a case had fallen into the harbour. When the parts of the stove were being assembled, several important items were found to

, could just reach it and keep my head above water. It took some time to extricate from the kelp, following which I established a new record for myself in dressing. The case turned out to be full of jam, and we had to make

gaged upon the ceiling inside the hut plied their nails resulted in several minor casualties to those sitting on the roof, deeply intent on the outer lining. A climax was reached when McLean, working on the steeply inclined roof, lost his footing and, in passing, seized hold of the wire-s

er around three sides of the room. For the first time since coming ashore we retired to sleep in blankets; fur sleeping-bags had been previously used. That night the sky which had been clear for a for

o erect these as near the Hut as possible. The standard thermometer, thermograph and hygrograph were to occupy one of the screens, a convenient site for which was chosen about twenty yards to the east. Close by there was also a nephoscope for determining the motion of clouds. The immediate vicinity of the Hut,

ments. Special care was taken to secure the screens against violent winds. Phosphor-bronze wire-stays, with a breaking strength of one ton, were u

urbances of the Hut, were chosen. Webb and Stillwell immediately set to work as soon as they could be spared from the main building. For the "absolute hut" there were only scrap materials available; the "magnetograph house," al

e range, and other miscellaneous duties arising between the hours of 8 P.M. and 8 A. M. The cook prepared the meals, and the messman of the day rendered any assistance necessary. A ro

s from the landing-stage, classified them and stacked them against the veranda walls. An additional barricade was cons

veranda. Here he put up shelves and unpacked cases, so that samples of everything were at hand

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f the main bas

own star-fish had been caught in the trap, as well as numerous specimens of a common Antarctic fish known as 'Notothenia'. In ten fathoms and over the results were better, though in no case was the catch so

overed from a severe strain of the knee-joint which he suffered during our activities in the Queen's Wharf shed at Hobart. Several of us were just going o

have plenty of meat throughout the year, so I waited until the building was completed before laying in a stock. The penguins, however, were diminishing in numbers fast and the y

ngers demolish an incredible amount of meat and blubber in a short time. It is a diabolical sight t

ohnson, one of the dogs, who, true to his name, did not look abashed. Attracted by more formidable antagonists, the monster left Johnson and came towards us. He was a fair-sized ma

the mountain of flesh a Westing purchase and a "handy-billy" (rope and block purchase) had to be rigged. It was several hours before everything was disposed of; the skin and skull for the biologica

of the Antarctic continent. As far as I am aware, the only other occasion of such an occurrence was noted by Captain Scott in MacMurdo So

then when they left the 'Aurora'. Nineteen in all, they had an odd assemblage of names, which seemed to grow into them until nothing else was so suitable: Basilisk, Betli, Caruso, Castor, Franklin, Fusilier, Gadget, George, Ginger, Ginger Bitch, Grandmother, Haldane,

ore windy than in any other part of Antarctica. The conditions were not at all favourable for sledging, which I had hoped to commence as soon as the Hut was completed.

and roof. Murphy, Bage and Hodgeman were chiefly responsible for the last-named, which was practically completed by February 10. Minor additions and modifications were added after that date. Meanwhile, Hannam continued to

he veranda, then by way of a vestibule with an inner and outer door he has invaded the privacy of the work-room, from which with fear and trembling h

ows were immovable and sealed on the inside by a thick accumulation of ice. An officer of public health, unacquainted with the climate of Adelie Land, would be inclined to regard the absence of more adequate ventilation as a serious omission. It would enlig

the boarded floor of the porch was a trap-door which led down into a shallow cellar extending under a portion of the work-room. The

to some of the sledges, rations were prepared and alterations made to harness a

consummate master. Skis had been provided for every one, in case we should have to traverse a country where the snow lay soft and deep. From the outset, there was little chance of that being the case in wind-scoured Adelie Land. Neve

re looking forward to it with great expectation. The wind still continued,

that several sledges had been blown away from their position to the south of the Hut, striking the building as they p

a distance of two miles. Besides being a beacon for sledging parties, it was used for ablation measurements. The

observatories in low latitudes and our own Expedition, should take special "quick runs," synchronously, twice each month. A "quick run" was a continuous, careful observation made over a period of two ho

ny one. Though we chafed at the delay in sledging, there was some consolation in