INSIDE THE ANTARCTIC CIRCLE 



floated a line astern, attached to a life-buoy, and after 

 about twenty-five minutes' hard pulling against wind and 

 sea, the buoy was picked up, and the boat hauled along- 

 side the steamer. I was glad to see the boat coming back 

 again shortly afterwards, for the wind kept increasing 

 and the sea was rising every moment, but in a lull, 

 after pouring oil on the water, we hauled the boat up 

 safely. 



A thin line had been brought back from the Koonya, 

 and at a signal from us Captain Evans paid out a heavier 

 one, which we hauled on board. He then manoeuvred 

 his ship, so as to get her as near as possible to us, in order 

 that we might haul the carcasses of the sheep on board. 

 Ten of these were lashed on the line, and by dint of pulling 

 hard, we got them on board. Meanwhile the greater part 

 of our crew were working the old-fashioned windlass, 

 getting in slowly, link by link, the port-towing cable, 

 whilst the Koonya took in as much of her wire hawser as 

 she conveniently could. Our heavy line was carried away, 

 owing to a sudden strain, before we received the second 

 instalment of water-logged mutton. Captain Evans 

 brought the Koonya round our stern, and a heaving-line, 

 to which the sheep were attached, was thrown on board, 

 but as soon as we began to haul in, it broke, and we had 

 the chagrin of seeing our fresh mutton floating away 

 on the billows. It was lost to sight shortly after- 

 wards, but we could locate its position by the albatrosses 

 hovering above, doubtless surprised and delighted with 

 this feast. 



About a quarter to one Captain Evans signalled that 

 he was going to cut his hawser, for in the rising sea the 

 two vessels were in dangerous proximity to each other. 

 We saw the axe rise and fall, rise and fall again, and the 

 tie was severed. The Koonya' s work was done, and the 

 Nimrod was dependent on her own resources at last. 



61 



