270 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb. 



facts when Skelton rushed up to say that the inlets were free 

 again. Every soul was on deck, and in a moment they were 

 massed together and running from side to side in measured 

 time. The telegraphs were put full speed astern j soon the 

 engines began to revolve, and the water foamed and frothed 

 along the side. For a minute or two the ship seemed to 

 hesitate, but then there came a steady grating under the 

 bottom, which gradually travelled forward, and ceased as the 

 ship, rolling heavily, slid gently into deep water. 



'To this moment I do not know how it has all happened, 

 but thinking things over to-night a fact has been recalled to 

 my recollection which I noticed without realising its full signifi- 

 cance. It seemed to me that the level of the water at Hut 

 Point, as far as I could judge it in its agitated state, was 

 abnormally low this afternoon, and taking this in connection 

 with the change in direction of the current, I am inclined to 

 believe that events have come about much as follows. The 

 heavy southerly wind tended to drive the water out of the 

 Sound and lowered its level by some feet. We must have 

 run ashore when it was at this low ebb ; then came the lull, 

 and the water swept back again, with the happy result of 

 floating us off. 



'But whether things have come about in this natural 

 manner or not, I cannot but regard it as little short of a 

 miracle that I should be going to bed free from anxiety at the 

 end of this horrid day. We were clear of our shoal none too 

 soon, for an hour after the wind blew up from the south again. 

 Early in the day we had caught a glimpse of the " Terra 

 Nova " far away to the south, so we made in this direction to 

 find her and to seek shelter. At midnight we got up to the 

 edge of the fast ice, where we found our consort secured with 

 ice-anchors, and where we have been able to return her 

 officers and men. We are now anchored close by her ; I do 

 not know what has become of the " Morning." 



' We have been diligently sounding our wells for signs of 

 extra leakage, but the carpenter reports there is nothing to 

 speak of, and so apparently, beyond the loss of our false keel, 



