252 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY^ [Feb. 



distant from the " Discovery." As one approaches the open 

 water from the south, one crosses a series of cracks which run 

 for miles parallel to each other and to the ice-edge ; this is the 

 first step that the swell makes towards breaking up the sheet. 

 These cracks are from 50 to 150 yards apart, and according to 

 the dimensions of the swell there may be any number from two 

 or three to a dozen. They are constantly working, those near 

 the ice-edge of course more perceptibly than the others. After 

 one of the long strips thus formed has been working for some 

 time a transverse crack suddenly appears, and then a piece 

 breaks away, usually at the eastern end ; and very soon after 

 it is weakened in this manner the rest of the strip peels away 

 right across the bay. I have now seen two or three strips go 

 in this manner, and it appears to me that what we require to 

 do is to get ahead of Nature by forming the transverse cracks. 

 To-day, therefore, I planted the charges at intervals in line 

 with the " Discovery," and with a specially made electric circuit 

 blew them up together. On the whole the result was satis- 

 factory ] we formed a transverse crack and the strip under 

 which the charges had been placed went out within the hour. 

 It is not a great gain, and the expenditure of material is large, 

 but I think the result justifies an attempt to continue the work 

 on properly organised lines. I have therefore sent to the " Dis- 

 covery " for a party of our special torpedo men who will continue 

 to fit, place and fire the charges whilst the men of the relief 

 ships go on digging the holes. I feel that the utility of these 

 explosives depends entirely on the swell ; we can do nothing 

 unless Nature helps us ; on the other hand, we in turn may 

 help Nature. 



' February 6. — We have started our explosive work in full 

 swing, and all hands are working very vigorously at it. We 

 have had eight men from the "Terra Nova" and seven from 

 the " Morning " digging holes. I went along first and planted 

 small sticks where these holes were to be dug ; then the men 

 set to, three at each hole. 



* The ice is from five to six feet in thickness, and the work 

 is quite easy until the hole is two or three feet deep, but then 



