In this image, Londener Leonard Hussey, at twenty-three
years old, the expedition's meteorologist and smallest
man, is hoisting Samson, the largest sled dog. The
full-grown pup to the left is Nell, one of Crean's
pups born aboard the Endurance.
Hussey's
banjo playing was a life saving mental tonic for
many of the crew members, especially as the going
got tougher and tougher. The banjo was the only
large personal item Shackleton allowed to be taken
with the men when they were forced to abandon ship.
Orde-Lees
wrote of Hussey in his Diary, "He is a lean
joist of unusual merit and it is very pleasant to
have music of any kind down here; his banjo repertoire
is sufficient to prevent his tunes becoming too
monotonous...Hussey is one of our smalles members
but he makes up in energy what he lacks in stature."