i9l WAITING FOR THE SHIP 189 



miles away a great crack stretched north and south. It was fully 

 eight miles long, and seemed to presage the breaking up of the 

 sea ice. 



On the 22nd we could not see the ship. A strong south wind 

 sprang up and the gradually clouding sky seemed to portend a 

 blizzard. ' The stronger the better,' I wrote, ' if it will only drive 

 out this blessed floe.' We took a few photographs. There were 

 two Emperor penguins moulting on each side of our cape, but 

 Debenham reported that they were too frightful to photo ! 

 Forde and I had a day with my stereo-camera taking various 

 interesting details around the cape planed granite blocks, pres- 

 sure ice in the bay; and then the Emperors, awful as they were, 

 several seal and berg pictures, &c. ; but sad to relate all these 

 negatives were smashed when the sledge fell over the glacier 

 cliff. 



I did not entertain the idea of trying to reach Pennell across 

 the screw pack. We should get into a more precarious region 

 each mile, and we could not communicate with the ship to ensure 

 her awaiting us. Pennell could send a party, with safety at 

 either end, if he desired. I was, however, very glad later to 

 find that Pennell also considered the pack absolutely impossible 

 for sledging from the ship. 



We saw her during the next few days, and then she never 

 showed up again. 



Oh the 2yth a blizzard started, which we hoped would move 

 out the ice. It tore our sledge flags badly, so that we brought 

 them down from our distress signal 350 feet up the glacier, 

 leaving only the big depot flag there. 



It was very trying work with the blubber stove, for there 

 was no shelter on the cape. When there was any wind the 

 flames would blow out of the door and give no heat at all. The 

 water did not get tepid in half an hour; whereas on a calm day 

 it would boil in twenty minutes. I spent an hour trying to cook 

 the fry and barely succeeded in melting the fat. We decided 

 that the stove could not he used in high winds, even though it 

 was in a sort of ice cave, and the cook sat in the door to keep the 

 wind out ! 



Our rations had been cut down by half for a fortnight. 

 Three or four biscuits a day, butter every other day, chocolate 

 one stick; pemmican one-eighth; sugar and tea two-thirds. 



