Clissold
had realised that the continuous ringing of the bell would not be
soothing to the nerves of our party, nor the continuous burning of
the lamp calculated to prolong its life, and he had therefore added
the clockwork mechanism which automatically broke the circuit after
a short interval of time; further, this clockwork mechanism could be
made to control the emersion of the same warning signals at intervals
of time varied according to the desire of the operator;--thus because,
when in bed, he would desire a signal at short periods, but if absent
from the hut he would wish to know at a glance what had happened
when he returned. Judged by any standard it was a remarkably pretty
little device, but when I learnt that it had been made from odds and
ends, such as a cog-wheel or spring here and a cell or magnet there,
begged from other departments, I began to realise that we had a very
exceptional cook. Later when I found that Clissold was called in to
consult on the ailments of Simpson's motor and that he was capable of
constructing a dog sledge out of packing cases, I was less surprised,
because I knew by this time that he had had considerable training in
mechanical work before he turned his attention to pots and pans.
My first impressions include matters to which I was naturally eager to
give an early half-hour, namely the housing of our animals. I found
herein that praise was as justly due to our Russian boys as to my
fellow Englishmen.
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