As an aside, I recently came across this great little poem by Herbert Ponting (Scott's photogrpaher in the Antarctic) called 'The Sleeping Bag' - that essential Antarctic item. I presume that sleeping bags in those days were made out of animal fur (seal fur?)...


The Sleeping Bag

On the outside grows the furside, on the inside grows the skinside;
So the furside is the outside, and the skinside is the inside.

As the skinside is the inside and the furside is the outside;
One Side likes the skinside inside, and the furside on the outside.

Others like the skinside outside and the furside on the inside;
As the skinside is the hardside , and the furside is the soft side.

If you turn the SKINSIDE outside, thinking you will side with THAT side
Then the soft side, furside's inside, which some argue is the wrong side.

If you turn the FURSIDE outside, as you say it GROWS on that side,
Then your outside's next the skinside, which for comfort's not the right side.

For the skinside is the cold side, and your outside's not your warm side,
And two cold sides coming side-by-side are not right sides one Side decides.

If you decide to side with THAT Side, turn the outside, furside inside;
Then the hard side, cold side, skinside's, beyond all question, INSIDE-OUTSIDE.