126 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb. 



but, besides food, they contained other stores which, although 

 we could have done without, we were exceedingly glad to have. 

 In this manner we took the small quantity of engine-oil which 

 the utmost generosity could spare, nearly a hundred gallons 

 of paraffin, some finneskoes, mits, and socks, and some canvas 

 and light material to repair our tattered garments. 



^February i8. — . . . Yesterday I paid my first visit to the 

 *' Morning," and although I took the journey very slowly, I 

 found it an awful grind. Hodgson accompanied me and 

 shared in a royal welcome. During the night the ship broke 

 away twice and had to steam up and re-secure to the floe ; it 

 was strange to feel the throb of the engines once more. A few 

 small pieces of ice are breaking away, but there is practically 

 no swell, and the pack can still be seen on the northern 

 horizon. At this time last year we had a constant swell rolling 

 into the strait, but as I returned to-day the ice conditions were 

 so stagnant that one begins to wonder whether our floe is 

 going to break up at all. It is rather late in the day, but I 

 have arranged to send some people down to the ice-edge to try 

 the effect of explosions.' 



' February 22. — Yesterday I took the explosive party down 

 to the " Morning." We made a hole about three hundred 

 yards from the ice-edge, and sank a charge of 19 lbs. of gun- 

 cotton about six feet below the surface. It blew up a hole 

 about twenty feet in diameter, but the effect was altogether 

 local ; there were no extending cracks. We next tried closer 

 to the edge, and sank the charge about thirty feet. The effect 

 was better : a similar hole was made, but from it a few long 

 cracks ran to right and left. To-day two more charges were 

 exploded near the cracks already formed ; the cracks were 

 increased in length and number, but no part of the floe was 

 detached. I came to the conclusion that it was only a waste 

 of material to continue these experiments further, and sent 

 the party back. On the whole, I think, something might be 

 done in this way towards breaking up the ice, but, if so, the 

 business must be undertaken in a thoroughly systematic 

 manner ; we must be prepared to employ everyone at the 



