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to nap off her big night. I wasn't sleepy so migrated to lounge. It is a sociable place. Eventually John Schutt came in & we started a conversation joined by Bob & gh. both fresh from naps. After dinner we went to liquor store -- 2 bottles of champagne for our homecoming & 1 more Wild Turkey. Then we all 4 went to officer club - opened it, in fact. Ping pong, hand shuffleboard, and a movie "The Main Event" Barbra Streisand. Great fun - 3 reels w time between. By the time it ended gh & Bob had long since gone home to shower & pack in anticipation of going tomorrow. After a long talk w. and about 2 women on the sunken German ship - we turned in ~ 11:30.

The Gottland II was crushed in the ice and went down. All hands evac. by its own helicopter. It was called "the German ship" & was to be used for exploration by Zeller & Dreschaff. First off the ship were at least 2 young women. One winsome brunette, now 22 years old, who has been the accompanero of a German man for the past 5 years. He is grayed, w an upturned mustache & a dapper bearing (from a distance). Age indeterminate but he looks old to [[Fudali]] (47) who is much perturbed by the relationship. "The old one"

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as the German is called was 2nd in command of ship & a consultant. Previously was captain of similar ships. But when the Gotland II changed hands, command was changed by new owners.

Also on board was an enchanting young (17) N.Z. woman. She answered an ad in the N.Z. paper & was hired next day for this cruise. Gloriously young & healthy, vital, and unaffected. Radiant brown eyes, high color, full black wavy hair -- a great start in life. Her parents willing to let her go, but then faced w. news accounts of the sinking and erroneously reported casualties.

[[underlined]] Tuesday, December 22 [[/underlined]]: The day half of us got to the Allan Hills.

All morning we were packing, stowing our last-used street clothes in our cage, and loading goods & chattels on the truck to go to the helo pad. We were scheduled for 2 lifts to our camp site. John, Ghislaine, and half our gear at 11:30--Bob & me w the other half ~ 4 hours later. We had an incredible mass of things and Bob was saying "No way can all of this fit in a helo." But he had not seen a loadmaster in action. Once the baggage section was full, and our truck also full, the loadmaster asked for 'those wooden boxes, mate.' He stacked boxes & bags to the ceiling. Then began on the middle seat leaving squeezing room for Ghislaine and John.