278 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb. 



steam pump with it. An hour later therefore one party was 

 rushing to and fro with fuel for this boiler, and another was 

 struggling with the refractory hand pumps, but the water was 

 gaining as steadily as ever. Meanwhile Dellbridge, working 

 up to his waist in water, had taken the steam pump to pieces, 

 examined each part, and replaced it. 



1 It was 6 a.m. before we had steam in the small boiler, and 

 this meant that it had been raised in the quickest time on 

 record. At the same time Dellbridge reported the pump 

 ready again. I asked somewhat needlessly if he thought it 

 would work now, to which he grimly replied, " It's got to, sir." 

 Nevertheless when it was started we found to our consterna- 

 tion that it did not. Then, and not till then, someone thought 

 of examining the bilge suction, and here in a moment was 

 found the cause of all the trouble. The pump, we discovered, 

 had never been out of order, but the rose which drew the 

 water from the bilges was quite choked up with fine ashes. 

 When we left our winter quarters all this part had been a mass 

 of ice, and it had therefore been impossible to clear out the 

 bilges, which were still in a half-frozen condition. When this 

 suction had been cleared we had the satisfaction of seeing a 

 stream of water pouring out of the ship's side, and soon after 

 the hand pumps brought their small power to aid in the relief. 

 By eight o'clock everything was reported in working order, the 

 fires were re-lit and I got to bed. The whole of our engine- 

 room staff have been on duty for twenty-four hours without a 

 spell. Our scare has been useful in one way, as we can rely on 

 our pumps for any sudden call in future.' 



The heavy swell continued throughout the 22nd, but 

 gradually fell towards the evening. Somewhat to our sur- 

 prise, it did not prove to be the forerunner of a gale, and on 

 the 23rd the sky was comparatively clear and the wind light. 

 In the middle of this day we approached and passed Coulman 

 Island at a very short distance, getting a fine view of its high 

 cliffs and of the mountainous mainland. The coast to the 

 south of the island was heavily packed, as it had been on our 

 former visit, and even on the outside of the island we were 



