74 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Oct. 



seas, but the same lifting effect was also directed to throwing 

 the ship off her course, and consequently she was more 

 difficult to steer. Our helmsmen gradually became more 

 expert, but at first when some mountainous wave caught us 

 up, we narrowly escaped broaching-to, and on one occasion 

 we actually did so. I happened to be on the bridge at the 

 time, with some other officers, as our small vessel swerved 

 round and was immediately swept by a monstrous sea, which 

 made a clean breach over her ; we clutched instinctively at 

 the bridge rails, and for several moments were completely sub- 

 merged, whilst the spray dashed as high as our upper topsails. 

 A great deal of water found its way below, flooding the ward- 

 room and many of the cabins, from the decks of which people 

 were soon busily picking up books and garments in a more or 

 less sodden condition. Needless to say, we did our best to 

 avoid ' broaching-to ' again. 



On October 31 we accomplished our record run under sail 

 alone, driving before a very heavy gale. This amounted 

 to 223 miles in the twenty-four hours. We were now gradually 

 increasing our latitude, until on November 12 we were in 

 lat. 51 vS., long. 131 E., when we arrived in an extremely 

 interesting magnetic area, and I decided to steer to the south 

 to explore it more effectively. 



The exact reason for this decision is somewhat technical, 

 but I may briefly recall that amongst the elements that came 

 within the purview of our magnetic survey was that of mag- 

 netic force or the actual pull exercised by the earth at various 

 places. The only data previously available seemed to show 

 a curious inconsistency in the distribution of this force to the 

 northward of the Magnetic Pole, where we had now arrived, 

 and consequently it was desirable to make our survey in this 

 region as extensive as possible. This new course took us well 

 to the south, far out of the track of ships and towards the 

 regions of ice. 



It was almost on arrival in these lonely waters that I was 

 awakened one night by a loud knocking and a voice shouting, 

 ' Ship's afire, sir.' I sprang up full of ' Where? ' ' When ? ' and 



