Thursday January 16th

Last night was hot, but I couldn't throw off any bedclothes as they are all frozen to the wall! This evening I managed to tear the eiderdown from the wall and now it has large pieces of ice attached to it. If only the bedroom remains cold it will remain ice and all will be well. There will be a mess if it thaws.

I caught Ayo this morning; all efforts at catching him have hitherto failed, and in the end he fell to the wastepaper basket. I put it on the ground and he joined in the general rush to investigate, and the wily old man got wedged and I managed to grab his harness and avoid his teeth till Andrew came. They are mighty strong, though, these dogs.

Euphemia is frightfully affectionate now and rushes up when she sees you. Andrew and Brownie went for a walk to look for Dupelik and the others; in this they were unsuccessful, but they found a slope for learning skiing on.

Frightfully hot to-day; maximum temperature at the absurd figure +30℉. Shirtsleeves or less; no ice visible in Bay.

Finished to-day making a pair of trousers out of a blanket for Andrew. He seems very pleased with them and they look most athletic. It's a grand sport making clothes with the Singer.

Again did Bear Island at night. David as usual bicycled - I wish my knee would get better soon as one feels a beast merely tapping while others sweat, and to-day it was worse than usual for David felt the pedal coming off in the middle, and he and John carried on turning the thing by hand - a most strenuous job, in a stooping position. The met. report went off in patches as David and John took it in turns to turn. I added "Generator breaking" at the end in case he hadn't got it and we couldn't send better next time, but he sent "R. OK OM. GN." (received ok old man, good night.)

At night we settled the thorny question of the morning met. The others think they should take their turn as - they say - it involves all the dirty work of getting breakfast etc., but they can't see my point of view, viz that it is only reasonable that I should do it entirely and also help the others by doing more than my share of the work about the house, for it is my own work and through my own carelessness in breaking things I have practically no other scientific work to do. For the sake of peace I had to give in. I now do it 4 mornings a week, the other three once a week, and Brownie not at all as he always must be up at 7.30 for sending off the report.

Friday January 17th

The hot weather continues; some of the others have taken to wearing boots again. Komagers do not seem to be generally popular, but I find that if you take trouble over them (and no more than is necessary to shoes in England) they are really admirable; their warmth can be varied by putting in more or less saennegras, they are comfortable and light so that you can move quickly and neatly in them, and they are so easy to slip on and off. Their only drawback is the infernal turn up toe that catches on literally everything and is entirely pointless.

I was up late this morning, but was entranced on going out soon after 9am. to find a perfectly clear sky with signs of the coming spring in the South. Here above the ice-cap was a band of rose-coloured pink, a beautifully clean and clear colour such as I have never seen before, and above it a pale green strip, bright low down and becoming fainter up towards zenith. Quite high in the sky Daneb and Vega seemed to remind us that we are still in the Arctic winter, but half way down to the horizon Altair shining apparently more brightly and more steadily than usual reminded you of Venus suggesting the advent of dawn. High to the E. and W. were a few rays of aurora, whose green colour far excelled in beauty the beauty of the sunrise green. An hour later, nearly at local noon the rose tint had disappeared, above it shone brighter with a silver green, shining on the lapping waters of the bay, with one white streak of ice far away, but a few clouds settled on the ice-cap made the picture more startling; the worst months are still to come, and though the sun will be up soon it will be months before spring weather begins.

Saturday January 18th

Old Ayo is wonderful. For months we have been trying to get near him, but he never came within reach. Now that he has got a harness and trace on, he knows he can be caught easily and is affection itself, and comes up to you to be petted.

Helped Andrew with dog harnesses this afternoon. While he wrestled with the big machine joining the various bits together, I sewed up the canvas forming the long strips - an easy job with a machine as easy to handle as the little Singer. She really is a little beauty, and simplicity itself to work; such a well finished off piece of work too, and we find it great fun watching it wind the bobbins. I've now made two pairs of trousers, 14 harness strips and mended Brownie's sleeping bag and enjoy it so much that I'm looking out for more employment.

Andrew Croft sewing dog harnesses

Sunday January 12th

Andrew allowed me to do the met. this morning for the first time since I hurt my knee. It has really been alright for some days, strengthened by a bandage, but Andrew says it must be rested; he certainly has taken a great deal of care and trouble over it.

Made best bread up to date today, and also some mince-pies which were "marvellous" - they were so hot that no one can have tasted them, but the pastry certainly did come out well.

Monday January 13th

The Nansen sledges which were brought in yesterday had their runners painted with linseed oil and tar.

Tuesday January 14th

Euphemia returned to her family yesterday, fit and well. Now the "oarks" have been brought in to be tamed and fattened, but they are incredibly shy and though you can pat their heads, if you make any noise they rush into a corner and cower. Upik was brought in to be fed up too - poor affectionate little thing she is frightfully thin. We had a heated discussion about the merits of the bitches today. David, almost alone, like s Hansigne (shy, aristocratic) best. She is a beautiful bitch and mother of the "oarks", but you can't get anywhere near her. Most of us like Upik (middle-class) best, a pretty little black with an enormous tail, always active and rushes up to you affectionately and is mother of the nine "little blacks." Then there is Merratark (woman of the streets) who is very good natured when she gets to know you and is mother of the late Annadark.

It is very warm and the ice has nearly all cleared out of the bay. The black team have always been fighting the Dupeliks, and a day or two ago Dupelik went away taking with him Hansigne, Dreng and Wolle, and now that the ice has gone Andrew is even more anxious about them. The only member of the team left is Amalortok, a cowardly beast and very out of condition, so now he has all the attacks of the black murderers concentrated on him, and he spends most of his time on the engine room roof.

Wednesday January 15th

The "oarks" after being filled up with reindeer till they could no longer stand, were turned outside, so now the asylum is empty. Brownie and John went up the glacier to-day, and John has made more moves in the fixing of Northeastland. Bay almost free of ice. Exquisite aurorae at night.

Did the evening met. to Bear Island and got through all right; his morse in reply was so slow and irregular that I could hardly read it. The bicycle broke down when we were sending to Robert - the pedal came off.

Thursday 9th January

Was a bit tired by the end of the international day today - the weather was colder and my knee not sound and this probably accounted for it. Brownie and I carried on in the morning and the others didn't get up till lunch time - and were then asleep mostly. Was bullied into bed (extremely cold) just after supper, but was so cold couldn't get to sleep soundly. Hoar frost is covering all the walls and parts of the bedclothes and it's most unpleasant when tossing about if you find your nose sticking in the snow! All my bedclothes used to fall on the floor but now they are frozen on to the wall. We have an oil-stove in the bedroom sometimes.

Friday January 10th

Black dogs and puppies let loose today. One of Upik's nine puppies died some days ago, we think she was choked by a bone as she looked well. Another has not been looking well and was brought into the hall to be fed on bread and milk etc. Euphemia, she has been named, and a sweet restless little thing she is. When you go into the hall she is invariably wandering about near the reindeer meat, but rushes to her box when she hears you coming and tries to look innocent.

The Petter wouldn't work this morning. Brownie tried hard and failed. In the afternoon it was a bit warmer and after many vain attempts at starting, and a few false starts she at last got going. She is now to be kept going - if possible - till it gets warm again - in April? Poor thing.

I've been making a pair of windproof trousers for Andrew as his second pair were eaten by the dogs. They were finished this evening - an incredible sight but serviceable, I think. Andrew calls them a 'work of art,' and if art consists of making lines crooked that should be straight, he is certainly right, for the seams run not at all parallel and even cross one another. I made them too small round the waist at first, and had to fit in a V-piece in front which added complication. With the Singer machine it was great fun, though I took an extremely long time over it.

Saturday Jan 11th

A washing day, but not so successful. Andrew threw in two pairs of pyjamas that were perfectly clean. He said that one pair had been worn all the time we were in tents and the other pair all the time at the Advanced Base, as if time of wearing were the criterion by which the washing question should be settled. It is the thickness of dirt that matters. I'm glad to record that they came out dirtier than when they went in owing to some honourably dirty shirts and underclothing of David's.

This is a veritable literary den nowadays; composition of the expedition is proceeding apace. John is really an excellent writer, amusing and able to pick out what is not important, and David is a valuable critic and also types at express speed using only the middle finger of each hand. Their combined chapter on the Boat Journey is more realistic and interesting than any chapter in any of the Polar books I have been reading recently. Andrew has been engaged with his earlier chapters, but writes too much about himself and fails rather in discriminating between the vital and the trivial.

January 1st

Brownie got through to Johnson splendidly this evening, and between 10.30pm and 2am got through all the messages that were to be sent. The most sensational message was one to Brownie from Martin Lindsay asking him to join a winter station at the North Pole 1937-38, taken there by the Graf Zeppelin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graf_Zeppelin

January 8th

There is another International day round and some time to write at last. Life is so different now with Andrew John and David here, they are absolutely ideal people to live with for though I like Brownie we have so little in common that in December I was really beginning to get bored with the life here. But so human and unselfish and amusing are the three new arrivals that these days since Christmas have been by far the best on the expedition, even though we are indoors all the time. It's the general conversation and mutual help that makes existence in such conditions so pleasant. Andrew and David have gone off to the advanced Base today and it's already beginning to be a bit dull!

On the other hand it's been an uninteresting series of days up to now; David concluded his developing by printing some of the better photos, and that ended the photographic week. It was grand for us to see the photos taken on the boat journey and on the ice-cap etc.

We've started betting too, tho' why I cannot tell, but "I'll put 8 squares (chocolate) on it" is a saying liable to come out at any time. There's so much chocolate that it's just dull to eat one's own ration, so that if at lunch you have neither gainings nor losings, you advertise "who'll put something on anything?" I won 32 squares over Christmas, but have generally lost since then.

On Jan 4th we went along to the local traps, as usual one was blown down and neither had caught anything. After that we thought we would run about on the bay ice and were running along - what a treat - when suddenly I put my foot down and didn't find the ice just where I expected to - like when you run downstairs and think there's one more step than there really is - and jolted my leg and fell over. I never thought it was at all bad, but when I had limped home Andrew said I had torn a ligament (or some such nonsense) and must be careful of water on the knee. So I have been firmly repressed these last few days and haven't been allowed to do lots of things that I easily could have managed. You feel such a beast when you do nothing in the way of collecting snow or coal etc. and I haven't taken meteorological readings since then - tho' this is perhaps justifiable for it's rather difficult uneven walking round the instruments.

The weather on all these days had been gradually improving though usually with poor visibility, and the others were constantly wondering whether they should go off to the Lady Franklin glacier to do some meteorology and glaciology. Nobody wanted to go: Sandy instructed John to do it, but as usual he gave no idea why the measurements were to be made, or how, and never considered where the instruments were to come from. I feel these days meteorological readings are not worth much, and general opinion was that it was just one of Sandy's ?things?

Moreover John was anxious for fine days so that he could 'fix' Northeastland astronomically. So Andrew decided that he and David should go, as David had done that sort of thing at A- station. Poor David, he has had an unsettled time and an extended stay at A, and evidently doesn't enjoy the thought of camping out at this time of the year, and was beginning to enjoy the luxury of the base, and certainly didn't want to go; every time it became clearer you could see his anxiety growing, and when it became cloudier and it was decided to postpone departure temporarily his whole face lit up!

Everybody has been very busy all this time - John and Andrew especially. Andrew at first had a lot of work with the dog harnesses and is now generally preparing for the Northern Journey, and is also writing part of the expedition book. He is an extremely hard but slow worker. John is wonderful the way he gets down to work and goes on with it quietly (but untidily) all the time with his tongue out. He did a lot of the dog harnesses at first, then with his upper air instruments in bad weather, and when fine he has built a fine observatory of packing cases with a 5in. theodolite on a pillar in the middle; in the last few days he has been making star observations and is settling the longitude of N.E. land as this is uncertain - the longitude of Spitzbergen is uncertain to an extent of a few seconds. John spent a long time worrying last night because he calculated we were 4 minutes, ie. 1ºE of where we thought we were; he could find no mistake in the calculation and concluded that we must have got the date wrong, as that would put things exactly right, but there was too much evidence against that theory. Finally he solved the problem during his sleep. David worked hard and continuously at the photographs for some time, and since then has been helping everybody else so that now Brownie and I have little to do.

On Monday Brownie and David went and visited the Zeipel Bay traps along the ice and were late home so I had to do the morse to Bear Island. I hardly distinguished myself, for though I got our report through I couldn't get the receiver to work, and only just heard him and couldn't read it. However it broke the ice; he sent very slowly so perhaps I'll be able to do it more in the future.

Andrew and David have just returned from the Advanced Base, having got there in 2½ hours and finding Sandy was full of no end of wild goose schemes, which Andrew quietly had to prove impossible to carry out. A leader with ideas and schemes and imagination is absolutely essential, but we would be wasting time and trying the impossible if it were not for Andrew's good sense. Sandy didn't mind a bit about the postponement of the Lady Franklin glacier trip.

Fun watching the dogs pull off the sledges for the first time. A very distinct glow in the South at noon.

Thursday 26th December

A day of reaction after Christmas. Practically no breakfast. Resolutions were made but not carried out. It was not till the evening that anything occurred to break the lethargy. At the end of the news bulletin it was announced that the BBC had received a telegram from the Oxford University Arctic Expedition, Brandy Bay, Northeastland ''Thank you for your messages, greatly appreciated and perfectly received. We send you all our best wishes for New Year." At 10pm we turned to the Regional Program and I won 4 squares when we heard the message repeated. Afterwards we got on to the news bulletin in Welsh and I lost the 4 squares again when we were not mentioned!

Friday December 27 - Monday December 30th

There has been great activity in the photographic line. Andrew and David have been going hard at negatives first, and then some printing.

Tuesday December 31st

We sat up for the wireless program but were profoundly disappointed. The idea of the bells was distinctly good, but went on too long, and the dinner in Carlisle was just absurd. However we were given the idea of the black stranger bringing luck: we went out (it was cloudy but the temp. -6℉ - our coldest up to now) and John, who is dark, visited the observatory and ionosphere hut, and then we brought indoors one of Upik's puppies - they all have black tips to their tails, and we were lucky enough to pick up the odd one out of the jumble. We had great fun with the little fellow running over the table. Brownie unfortunately had been in bed all this time, as his England communication began at 2am on New Year's Day.

Wednesday December 25th Christmas Day

Up at the usual time for we were not let off out meteorological report. Then we had an extra good breakfast, first porridge then a big plate of fried sausages, ham and eggs, so there was not much room left for bread and marmalade. After that while the others were unpacking parcels of presents, cakes, plum puddings etc brought from England I made some mince pies which turned out remarkably well. Then much of the morning was spent in the usual routine, so I was hardly able to listen to the service from Leicester Cathedral, but the reception was so poor that I never heard a word when I could listen.

Special piece of reindeer meat for Leonidas!

We had a sort of Christmas tea - lunch about 1pm. - cold reindeer meat and mince pies and Christmas cake (John's) followed by crystallised fruits, raisins, almonds chocolates etc. We finished just about in time for the Empire broadcast. It's the first time I have ever enjoyed this, and away from home was very moved when we called up Canada and New Zealand and I thought of Emily and Freddy. If only I knew where Esther and Cicely and J & A were, and who was at home. It's many months since I've felt at all home-sick, but I almost broke down when greetings were sent to the British Greenland expedition, the East-Greenland expedition and the Oxford University Arctic Expedition. It was wonderful - if somewhat egotistical - to think of so many people at home who would be listening and would be thinking of you: so absorbed was I thinking over all at home that I hardly listened to the King's speech, though actually it faded away at the end so that it was only just audible. We were not expecting a greeting at this time and were on tenterhooks when the first two expeditions were mentioned.

We spent a longer time than usual sending messages and greetings up to the ice-cap by radio-telephone. Afterwards it was a case of preparing the Christmas dinner; John and David skinned the ducks that Karl had shot for us, and I got John's plum pudding going, and John and David made some superb rum-butter. Andrew photographed Brownie's marvellous cake (which we did not begin till the next day) and we decorated the cake and table with candles and then Andrew started taking a photo of the whole table by flashlight, but there were many false alarms and I used up almost a whole bottle of rum keeping the pudding flaming. The duck was delicious, and we had with it green peas and potato- crisps (we got potatoes skinned and ready but in the excitement we forgot to cook them). Then the plum pudding, and many toasts were drunk and we got through six of our nine bottles of champagne.

We finished in time for 9.30. We had had a telegram from Binney telling us to listen in at 9.30, but some of the others were doubtful as to whether we would hear anything after the afternoon greeting, but my faith in Binney won me a bet of eight squares of chocolate. Wonderful to get a special message at the end of the news bulletin: "The BBC joins with the parents and friends of the Oxford University Arctic Expedition, Brandy Bay, Northeastland, in wishing them a merry Christmas, a happy New Year, and a safe return in Autumn." This was better than the afternoon greeting. Then a lot of photographing.