i9io] ICE MOVEMENTS 41 



scrambling antics to secure the point of vantage, the ousting of 

 the bird in possession, and the incontinent loss of balance and 

 position as each bird reached the summit of his ambition was 

 almost as entertaining as the episode of the skua. Truly these 

 little creatures afford much amusement. 



Monday, December 26. Obs. 69 9' S., 178 13' W. 

 Made good 48 hours, S. 35 E. 10'. The position to-night is 

 very cheerless. All hope that this easterly wind will open the 

 pack seems to have vanished. We are surrounded with com- 

 pacted floes of immense area. Openings appear between these 

 floes and we slide crab-like from one to another with long de- 

 lays between. It is difficult to keep hope alive. There are 

 streaks of water sky over open leads to the north, but every- 

 where to the south we have the uniform white sky. The day 

 has been overcast and the wind force 3 to 5 from the E.N.E. 

 snow has fallen from time to time. There could scarcely be a 

 more dreary prospect for the eye to rest upon. 



As I lay in my bunk last night I seemed to note a measured 

 crush on the brash ice, and to-day first it was reported that the 

 floes had become smaller, and then we seemed to note a sort of 

 measured send alongside the ship. There may be a long low 

 swell, but it is not helping us apparently; to-night the floes 

 around are indisputably as large as ever and I see little sign of 

 their breaking or becoming less tightly locked. 



It is a very, very trying time. 



We have managed to make 2 or 3 miles in a S.W. (?) direc- 

 tion under sail by alternately throwing her aback, then filling 

 sail and pressing through the narrow leads; probably this will 

 scarcely make up for our drift. It's all very disheartening. 

 The bright side is that everyone is prepared to exert himself 

 to the utmost however poor the result of our labours may 

 show. 



Rennick got a sounding again to-day, 1843 fathoms. 



One is much struck by our inability to find a cause for the 

 periodic opening and closing of the floes. One wonders whether 

 there is a reason to be found in tidal movement. In general, 

 however, it seems to show that our conditions are governed by 

 remote causes. Somewhere well north or south of us the wind 

 may be blowing in some other direction, tending to press up or 

 release pressure; then again such sheets of open water as those 



