ii8 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902- 



Possession Islands were drawn blank, since we had not been 

 able to land there. South of this the whole coast was found 

 thickly packed ; it was impossible to approach Coulman 

 Island or Wood Bay, and the ship was obliged to keep well 

 to the eastward to get any chance of an ice-free sea. 



Franklin Island was visited on January 14, but without 

 result, and again quantities of pack had to be skirted in 

 making a way to Cape Crozier, so that it was not until i a.m. 

 on the 1 8th that a landing was effected at this spot. Captain 

 Colbeck himself joined the landing party, which spent some 

 hours in searching for a sign of us. He had almost given 

 the matter up in despair, and was despondently wondering 

 what to do next, when suddenly our small post was seen 

 against the horizon ; a rush was made for it, and in a few 

 minutes the contents of the tin cylinder were being eagerly 

 scanned. It can be imagined with what joy the searchers 

 gathered all the good news concerning us and learnt that they 

 had but to steer into the mysterious depths of McMurdo 

 Sound to find the 'Discovery' herself; their work seemed 

 practically accomplished. 



But though they got hastily back to their ship, and started 

 westward with a full head of steam, the goal was not yet 

 reached. The channel between Beaufort Island and Ross 

 Island was filled with an ugly pack in which the ' Morning ' 

 could do little more than drift idly along, but fortunately this 

 drift carried her steadily to the west, and on the 23rd our 

 friends were able to free themselves from the ice, and, turning 

 south, to round Cape Royds and recognise the landmarks 

 which had been described and sketched for their instruction. 



On board the ' Discovery ' the idea that a relief ship would 

 come had steadily grown. For no very clear reason the men 

 had gradually convinced themselves that it was a certainty, and 

 at this time it was not uncommon for wild rumours to be 

 spread that smoke had been seen to the north. It was there- 

 fore without much excitement that such a report was received 

 on the night of the 23rd ; but when, shortly after, a messenger 

 came running down the hill to say that there was a veritable 



