ii2 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902- 



to prevent them from going still deeper. This work of clearance 

 was continued well on into the sledging season, as it was hope- 

 less to attempt extrication until the night temperature had risen 

 sufficiently to prevent the work of the day being wasted. This 

 condition was not reached until the middle of December, and 

 even then it was rarely that the thermometer stood above the 

 freezing-point of salt water throughout the whole of the twenty- 

 four hours, so that the work was greatly retarded. 



When it was decided that the time had come to make an 

 effort to free the boats, many shifts and expedients were tried. 

 At first it was thought that something might be done by 

 sprinkling ashes and dark volcanic soil over the ice, but it was 

 found that the sun's rays were not sufficiently powerful or 

 constant to make this device a success. As a next step, after 

 all the snow was cleared off the surface of the floe, the ice-saw 

 was brought into action, and a complete cut was made around 

 that part of the ice-sheet in which the boats were embedded ; 

 but when this cut was finished it was found that, contrary to 

 our hopes, the centre square refused to rise. Then efforts 

 were concentrated on a single boat ; the saw-cut was com- 

 pleted about it, not altogether without injury to the boat, but 

 even this small detached piece was held down in some 

 inexplicable manner. Finally, in order to bring it up, small 

 tins of gun-cotton had to be employed, and it was only after 

 several explosions that the block was successfully brought to 

 the surface. 



In this position, the men, working knee-deep in slush, 

 were able to dig out the inside of the boat, and bit by bit to 

 clear away the ice which clung to the outside ; then with 

 shears and tackles she was slowly dragged from her icy bed. 

 In this manner the first boat was got out, and then one by 

 one the rest were extricated in like fashion. 



As can be imagined, with so much sawing and blasting 

 going on in the unseen depths of the ice below, it was not 

 likely that the task could be accomplished without considerable 

 injury to the boats, and when at length they had all been 

 brought to the surface they presented a very dilapidated 



