I902] LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS 195 



journey ; neither those on board nor those away could have 

 told from their own meteorological conditions what the weather 

 might be with the others, and this fact was again and again 

 impressed on us throughout our stay in this region. Already 

 we had learnt that the prevalent wind at our winter quarters 

 blew from the S.E. through the ' Gap,' and that this wind was 

 usually local and frequently ceased within a mile or two of the 

 ship. To this we could now add some further conclusions. 

 It was evident that the eastern slopes of Terror were terribly 

 wind-swept, and that there the prevalent direction was from 

 the south, whilst the deep bay immediately to the eastward of 

 our peninsula was a particularly windless area where the 

 snow lay thick and soft, and was only occasionally stirred by 

 whirling squalls. 



Meanwhile the position of the ship towards the latter end 

 of March was anything but satisfactory; that the temperature 

 should have fallen to — 40° to the eastward was a clear sign 

 that the winter conditions were upon us, but although the ice 

 forming about us sometimes reached a thickness of two or 

 three inches the sheet never held for any length of time, but 

 broke up rapidly when the wind grew strong. Under these 

 conditions it became increasingly difficult to keep up com- 

 munication with the shore ; when it was not blowing a stiff 

 gale our boats had to force their way through a tough elastic 

 sheet of young ice which clung to the sides in the most 

 exasperating fashion, and sometimes the short passage could 

 only be made after much hauling on ropes and the systematic 

 use of poles to break up and thrust aside the sheet. On one 

 occasion our light skiff was brought to a stop half-way across 

 in such a manner that the crew could neither advance nor 

 retreat, and it was quite an hour before, by manning a heavier 

 boat, we were able to break a way through and free her. 



In this wholly unexpected state of affairs at such an 

 advanced date there were many drawbacks. Until we were 

 solidly frozen in, the security of our position must be doubtful ; 

 economy of coal had long ago necessitated the extinction of 

 fires in the boilers, and should a heavy gale drive us from our 



