Slow Progress. 271 



Thursday, August 28th. — Still thick, foggy 

 weather. We have been for the last twenty-four 

 hours threading our way through loose but heavy 

 floe ice towards the north, making a little easting. 

 If we do not see any fish, I really believe we shall 

 soon get either into the north or the east water, 

 and then there will be no further cause for delay, 

 and every day will lessen the distance between our- 

 selves and Dundee. The ship strikes the ice very 

 heavily, and it is impossible to avoid occasional 

 collisions, which make the old vessel stagger and 

 reel, shaking everything on the table. Whilst 

 lying in bed at night, after one of these shocks, one 

 can distinctly hear the ice cracking and breaking 

 up, and scraping along the ship's side as we forge 

 our way through. 



Saturday, August 30th. — The sun favoured us 

 with his presence for a short time to-day, of which 

 I took advantage to get some sights. We are in 

 about the same latitude as Cape Adair and Black 

 Hook, but not so far to the east as we had hoped. 

 There is now plenty of water, and we are under 

 steam, steering to the south-east, with a fine water 

 sky ahead. Occasionally we are brought to a stop 

 by a large floe, and have to seek our way round it ; 

 but, taking all things into consideration, our pros- 

 pects are decidedly brighter than they have been 

 for some time. 



9 p.m. — I have just come below from witnessing 



