246 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' Qan. 



the Tent Islet, ten miles to the north, and a system of signals 

 in connection with it descriptive of the changes in the ice 

 conditions. A flag or shape is hoisted on the staff each morn- 

 ing which has a special meaning in our code, and each morning 

 our telescope is anxiously trained towards it. Up to the pre- 

 sent only one signal has been read : it signifies " No change 

 in the ice conditions." I don't know whether it is worse to 

 be on board the relief ships and observe the monotony of the 

 changeless conditions or to be here and observe the terrible 

 sameness of that signal. Our people have been steadily 

 struggling on with the ice-saw off Hut Point ; the work is 

 even heavier than it was to the north, as the ice is thicker and 

 more deeply covered with snow. I have kept it going more 

 as an occupation than from any hope of useful result, but to- 

 day it has been stopped.' 



''January 15. — I thought for some time about the advisa- 

 bility of starting to transport our valuables. The distance is 

 long, and with the recent snowfall the work will be very heavy, 

 but what I think principally held me back was the thought 

 that it might be taken as a sign that we are giving up hope. 

 Bad as things are, we are not reduced to that yet. In the end, 

 however, I reflected that, whether the " Discovery " gets out or 

 not, there is no reason why the relief ships should not carry 

 our collections and instruments back to civilisation, and mean- 

 while the work of transport will relieve the terrible monotony 

 of waiting. There is, perhaps, nothing so trying in our situa- 

 tion as the sense of impotence. I have decided, therefore, 

 to set things going ; our parties will drag the loads down to 

 the main camp, and the crews of the relief ships will share the 

 work of taking them on. Royds has gone north to arrange 

 the details, and also to try some experiments with explosives. 

 I have told him not to use much of the latter, as the distance 

 is so great that it would only be waste to undertake serious 

 operations of this sort at present. I merely want to know 

 exactly how to set about the work when the time comes, if it 

 ever does come.' 



^ lamiary 21. — Wilson returned to the ship to-night after a 



