274 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [JANUARY 
crossed en route, and Gran’s men negotiated this by converting 
their sledge into a ‘ kayak,’ using a canvas cover which made 
quite a good boat out of the sledge. On their way home to the 
ship they had the fortune to get on to a loose ice floe with their 
two sledges. Ferrying in this fashion much time was saved, and 
the party returned hungry and tired but successful at 3 A.M. on 
January 23. 
During the absence of this party some surveying work was 
accomplished, and the astronomical observations taken by the 
navigating officers in conjunction linked on the work of Griffith 
Taylor and Debenham to the main survey. Off shore soundings 
were obtained by Rennick with a view to throwing light on the 
neighbouring glacier movements. Pennell carried out magnetic 
observations, Lillie trawled with the Agassiz and obtained a fine 
haul, which included enormous sponges. In short the usual bee- 
hive industry in the scientific work was maintained. 
At 3.30 A.M. the sledge gear was brought on board by Gran’s 
party; they had secured all Taylor’s and Debenham’s beautiful 
geological collections, consisting largely of fossils and coral. 
These specimens had been left here a whole year ago. 
This accomplished, we hauled in our ice anchors and pro- 
ceeded under steam as requisite for working through the pack 
which barred our way to the Drygalski Barrier. 
At 11.30 A.M. the ice became so heavy that we were forced 
to turn round and return towards Granite Harbour. 
All day we worked to clear out of the pack and made only 
fair progress, the floes being so big that our weight would not 
move them. The outlook was brighter at midnight, when we 
were doing 5 knots to the northeastward, the ice-fields being less 
compressed. The punching and butting through continued with 
varying success till 9 P.M. on January 24, when the commander 
concluded that it was a waste of coal and unfair to the ship to 
proceed. We stopped, therefore, and banked fires. 
After a delay of seven or eight hours Bruce reported the ice 
to be opening tremendously, and we accordingly proceeded on 
January 25, as soon as steam was ready. Very gradually the 
old ship worked towards Terra Nova Bay. Shortly after noon 
we won through into a very big open lead and could make five 
knots on our course. We stopped to sound at 8 A.M. and noon, 
the soundings showing 437, 625, and 515 fathoms. ‘These 
