WESTWARD WITH THE SHIP. 51 



a winter harbour attractive. For one thing, the ice was so terribly 

 uneven from the violent pressure which had taken place that there 

 could be no possibility of driving loads on it until, at any rate, the 

 spring, by which time the snow would have filled in and smoothed 

 over the inequalities. Then, in addition to this, there was always 

 the chance that if the ice were broken up we might be set free in 

 the middle of the winter, and there was no telling where we should 

 go then. 



A season of wagers arose at this time, and figures that made 

 one absolutely giddy, intermingled with the most positive 

 assertions as to our future, were staked as soon as mentioned. 

 Those of a pessimistic turn of mind of course declared that we 

 should remain where we were through the winter; though there 

 were others who thought we should lie there for ever, and that if 

 we drifted at all it would only be farther and farther north. We 

 did indeed see a black water-sky in the north-west, and on almost 

 the whole east side of Graham Island, but nearer at hand the 

 outlook was bad and unpromising indeed. The ice held us as in 

 a vice, and the weather was continuously dirty. Clammy fogs and 

 scudding snow day after day, both night and day. We all longed 

 to go ashore and see a little what the land had to offer, but in the 

 circumstances thought it wiser to wait a little longer before running 

 more uncertain chances. 



We now began to make gradual preparation for the winter. 

 On Monday, September 3, we put out the fires, and blew off 

 the water from the boiler. I would not unship the rudder at 

 present, but had everything made ready, so that we should only 

 have to hoist it off its hinges. I had not given up all hope of 

 still getting free, and therefore thought it best to leave the rudder 

 where it was. We moved the dogs out on to the ice, where we 

 tied them up, and set to work to wash the decks, for one soon 

 finds out when one has fifty-four dogs and about a score of puppies 

 on board. 



On September 4 we were about a mile and a half from North 



Devon. Peder and I, each with our team, drove ashore, equipped 



for a three or four days' trip. The ice was so bad that sledging 



on it was almost impossible; but having little baggage on the 



VOL. n. E 2 



