Skinning penguins

“The cook & his firekeeper for the day turn out between 6 & 7 & light the bogie with penguin skins. Breakfast [of penguin steaks] was not usually ready till 9 or 10 according to the temper of the fire, or the ability of the fireman.” — Reginald James

“When things are cooked, Wild rouses all hands with a lusty “Lash up & stow!” We then take our places, moving on one place at each meal so that all may get a fair share of the heat in due course.” — Reginald James

“With the welcome cry of “Hoosh oh” the “peggy” from each mess (there are four) takes his pot to the galley, where Wild officiates in the “Whacking out.” The… “grub” is divided into individual portions as accurately as possible & “Whosed.” This method of [sharing was] instituted by Sir E. After the grub has been measured our by the mess “peggy,” one of the members turns his back & in reply to “Whose,” announces the name of the person for whom he intends the ration. His announcement is final. After breakfast… Wild allots various occupations.” — Frank Hurley

Lunch at 12:30. Then, unless there were penguins to be caught, afternoons were “spent round the fire talking & doing personal jobs. It gets dark too early to do too much.”

Evening meal 4:30.

Afterwards, the blubber lamp was lit for a bit. Reading, singing. Lights out.

“It was a weird sight. The light thrown up by the lamp illuminates the smoke colored faces like stage footlights. The sparkling eyes & glint on the aluminum mugs, the stream of flickering light thrown out from the open [stove] door, making weird dancing shadows on the inside of the boats makes me think of the council of brigands… after an escape in a chimney or a coalmine.” — Frank Hurley

“After Smoke oh the decks are again cleared by stowing the “box seats” to form the Cooks bunk, the tenants of the attic bunks swing into [them] with monkey-like agility & the “ground plan” is spread with sleeping bags into which the owners retreat.” — Frank Hurley