1903] 2 27 



CHAPTER XIX 



ESCAPE FROM THE ICE 



Indigestion — Arrival at the Sawing Camp — Sawing Operations— Break-up 

 of Sawing Party — The Open Water — Arrival of the Relief Ships- 

 Unwelcome News — Stagnant Condition of the Ice— Depressing 

 Effect — Preparations for Abandoning the 'Discovery' — Ice Breaking 

 Away — Explosions— Anxious Days — Final Break-up of the Ice- 

 Dramatic Approach of the Relief Ships — The Small Fleet Together — 

 Final Explosion — The ' Discovery ' Free. 



And Thor 

 Set his shoulder hard against the stern 

 To push the ship through . . . 

 . . . and the water gurgled in 

 And the ship floated on the waves and rock'd. 



M. Arnold. 



On the whole, the few days' rest which I allowed myself and 

 my party after our return to the ship was enjoyable, and for 

 such sensations as were not I had only myself to thank. I 

 found that Ford had become cook for the few who remained 

 on board, and that, as a result of studying Mrs. Beeton's 

 cookery book, he was achieving dishes of a more savoury 

 nature than we had thought possible with the resources at our 

 command. It was unfortunate that the highest development 

 of the cooking art should have occurred at this season, as it 

 found us too morally weak to resist its allurements, and, as 

 a consequence, we suffered from the most violent indigestion. 

 Though my limbs craved for rest, I was obliged to be up and 

 doing to silence the worst pangs of this complaint. 



The ship at this time was in a more snowed-up condition 



Q 2 



