Margot: Note that in the crisis, Shackleton has ordered the ship rearranged to prepare for winter. In Orde-Lees' journal entry, we see that he is busy and looking forward to being "very comfortable" during the frigid winter months.
Orde-Lees was considered the worst pessimist on board Endurance but he sounds remarkably content in this journal entry.
Orde-Lees' Journal
A beautiful fine day but, as usual, very cold. Captain Worsley, Hurley and Wordie, (our verbose geologist) set off on a trip to a fine crevassed iceberg which stands in the floe about a couple of miles off apparently, but which to their cost they ascertained to be no less than 7 1/2 miles. Optical effects and the absence of light and shade render distances very deceptive.
They were away all day and returned very tired and hungry. They were unable to ascend the berg; they found open water around parts of it and Wordie collected a few specimens of rock fragments embedded in it.
I had an exceedingly busy day, taking down James's and my bunks from the "Rookery" to our new quarters in the hold. I think we shall certainly be very comfortable down there. We shall all sleep there tonight. Everything is in an awful muddle at present. Our antarctic kit has swelled our kit bags to bursting point.
It is really wonderful how we have managed to live at all for so long with any receptacle to keep our clothes, etc., in except our suitcases etc.
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