SCENERY AND TOPOGRAPHY 



shrilling through the shrouds and ratlines in one con- 

 tinuous shriek. While the upper end of the ''chain" 

 of buckets was in an Antarctic atmosphere, down be- 

 low the steaming waters which had risen over the 

 furnace bars filled the engine room with heat. Hence 

 the workers at the lower end of the chain were naked 

 as the imps in the nether regions. The toll of the gale 

 was heavy, as we lost several of the ponies and dogs 

 and much of the port bulwarks was carried away by 

 the waves. 



A week later we were beset by the pack ice and re- 

 mained without making much progress therein for 

 three weeks. Let us climb onto the crosstrees at mid- 

 night and survey the unusual environment presented 

 to us. All around lies the pack no longer like pan- 

 cakes, but much thicker and (keeping to homely 

 similes) now resembling shortcake. The ice is crossed 

 by the meandering lines of the open ''leads" ; to the 

 north the heavens are banded with arcs of salmon cloud, 

 while the sea in our rear is a vivid brownish-pink with 

 an oily sheen reminding one of moist putty. Across 

 it runs a long dark line extending indefinitely to the 

 north. This is the shadow of the ship due to the 

 midnight sun. He "sets" due south and "rises" in the 

 same spot, for we are just on the Antarctic Circle. 

 Far ahead of us two geysers shoot into the tranquil 

 air and seem to touch the golden edge of a low bank 

 of purple cloud. They come from two whales which 

 are piloting us on our voyage to the south. 



Early in January we caught our first glimpse of the 



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