During this day the cook, who had worked well on the floe and throughout the boat journey, suddenly collapsed.

I happened to be at the galley at the moment and saw him fall.

I pulled him down the slope to his tent and pushed him into its shelter with orders to his tent-mates to keep him in his sleeping-bag until I allowed him to come out or the doctors said he was fit enough.

Then I took out to replace the cook one of the men who had expressed a desire to lie down and die.

The task of keeping the galley fire alight was both difficult and strenuous, and it took his thoughts away from the chances of immediate dissolution.