248 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan. 



more than a week ago, the weather has changed. We have 

 had a great deal of wind from the east and south-east with 

 drifting snow, and an almost continuously overcast sky. The 

 work has been impeded, but by steadily pushing on we have 

 managed to accomplish a good deal. Our people go out all 

 together and drag four heavily laden sledges down to the main 

 camp ; there they remain for the night, and return on the 

 following day. The relief ships work the remainder of the 

 distance in much the same way. We keep a cook at the main 

 camp to provide the necessary meals. Hodgson, Bernacchi, 

 and Mulock have been down to the ships to see to the storage 

 of our belongings. Most of them will go in the " Terra Nova." 

 which has the greater accommodation. 



* From these sources or from notes which come every other 

 day I receive accounts of the ice. I scarcely like to write that 

 things are looking more hopeful. Nothing happened until the 

 1 8th, but on that day some large pieces broke away, and since 

 that the ships have made steady but slow progress. I estimate 

 from reports that they are four or five miles nearer than when 

 I was down a fortnight ago. I learn that the " Terra Nova's " 

 " butting " came to naught, as I expected ; she could make no 

 impression on the solid sheet, though she rammed it full tilt.' 



^January 24. — Our people report that the ships were again 

 on the move last night, and this morning did not appear to be 

 more than three miles from the camp. I have been calculating 

 that for things to be as they were in the year of our arrival 

 thirteen or fourteen miles of ice must go out in fifteen days — 

 nearly an average of a mile a day, whereas I scarcely like to 

 think what a difference this would be from what has happened 

 in the last fifteen days. We are at present behind last year's 

 date as regards the ice, but, on the other hand, the recent winds 

 have swept the pack away — a condition that never happened 

 last year.' 



''January 27. — Yesterday the large tent was shifted two 

 miles this way, and is now this side of the glacier tongue ; this 

 is by way of equalising the distance for the transporting parties, 

 but our people have still much the longer distance to travel. 



