1912] WAITING FOR THE SHIP 189 
miles away a great crack stretched north and south. It was fully 
eight miles long, and seemed to presage the breaking up of the 
sea Ice. 
On the 22nd we could not see the ship. A strong south wind 
sprang up and the gradually clouding sky seemed to portend a 
blizzard. * The stronger the better,’ I wrote, ‘ if it will only drive 
out this blessed floe.’ We took a few photographs. There were 
two Emperor penguins moulting on each side of our cape, but 
Debenham reported that they were too frightful to photo! 
Forde and I had a day with my stereo-camera taking various 
interesting details around the cape—planed granite blocks, pres- 
sure ice in the bay; and then the Emperors, awful as they were, 
several seal and berg pictures, &c.; but sad to relate all these 
negatives were smashed when the sledge fell over the glacier 
cliff. 
I did not entertain the idea of trying to reach Pennell across 
the screw pack. We should get into a more precarious region 
each mile, and we could not communicate with the ship to ensure 
her awaiting us. Pennell could send a party, with safety at 
either end, if he desired. I was, however, very glad later to 
find that Pennell also considered the pack absolutely impossible 
for sledging from the ship. 
We saw her during the next few days, and then she never 
showed up again. 
On the 27th a blizzard started, which we hoped would move 
out the ice. It tore our sledge flags badly, so that we brought 
them down from our distress signal 350 feet up the glacier, 
leaving only the big depot flag there. 
It was very trying work with the blubber stove, for there 
was no shelter on the cape. When there was any wind the 
flames would blow out of the door and give no heat at all. The 
water did not get tepid in half an hour; whereas on a calm day 
it would boil in twenty minutes. I spent an hour trying to cook 
the fry and barely succeeded in melting the fat. We decided 
that the stove could not be used in high winds, even though it 
was in a sort of ice cave, and the cook sat in the door to keep the 
wind out! 
Our rations had been cut down by half for a fortnight. 
Three or four biscuits a day, butter every other day, chocolate 
one stick; pemmican one-eighth; sugar and tea two-thirds. 
