1 64 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb. 



'■February 17. — The forenoon was gloriously fine. In a 

 dead calm the sun shone in a cloudless sky ; the western 

 mountains were very distinct, but the foreshore was raised and 

 exaggerated by strong mirage. The work is now so far ahead 

 on our huts that we can contemplate some sledge parties. 

 Barne and Shackleton tossed a coin as to who should take 

 the first, and the latter won. Wilson and Ferrar will accom- 

 pany him. The ice has broken away so far round the corner 

 that I have told them they must take a pram until they get 

 beyond the sea-ice ; it will be a heavy drag, but I don't 

 expect they will have to drag it far. All three are very busy 

 making preparations. 



' All that remained of the sea-ice in our bay moved out 

 very quietly this morning, nearly taking away Hodgson, who 

 was fishing on the floe with a tow-net, quite unconscious of 

 what was happening until he looked up and saw his retreat 

 cut off. There was quite an excitement in rescuing him. 

 The wind sprang up again suddenly in the afternoon ; we 

 seem fated not to be long without it. It came sweeping down 

 the gullies in bitter gusts. I went up the hill for exercise, 

 and was glad to turn back and sail home. 



' Late this evening Walker suddenly appeared, reporting 

 that Ford had met with an accident on the eastern slope of 

 the Gap and needed assistance. It appeared that Ford, 

 Buckridge, and Walker had been " running " the slope on ski 

 in a rather bad light, and that Ford, whose sight is not good, 

 had failed to see a steep drop from the ice-foot and had fallen 

 over it, with the result that his leg had caught in the tide 

 crack and was injured. A party were soon away with a sledge 

 on which they brought back the invalid, the first to occupy 

 our small sick berth. The doctors found that there was a 

 simple fracture, which, though not a very serious matter, will 

 rob us of our ship's steward for some weeks.' The fracture 

 healed with remarkable rapidity, and in less than six weeks 

 Ford was able to resume his duties. 



'■February 18. — It blew hard from the S.E. this morning, 

 but about eight the wind dropped, and during the rest of the 



