THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



good place at which to winter. After thinking carefully 

 over the matter I had decided in favour of wintering 

 on the Barrier instead of on actual land, and on the 

 Koonyas departure I had sent a message to the head- 

 quarters of the expedition in London to the effect that, 

 in the event of the Nimrod not returning at the usual time 

 in 1908, no steps were to be taken to provide a relief ship 

 to search for her in 1909, for it was only likely under 

 those circumstances that she was frozen in; but that if 

 she did not turn up with us in 1909, then the relief expe- 

 dition should start in December of that year. The point 

 to which they should first direct their search was to be 

 Barrier Inlet, and if we were not found there they were 

 to search the coast of King Edward VII Land. I had 

 added that it would only be by stress of most unexpected 

 circumstances that the ship would be unable to return to 

 New Zealand. 



However, the best-laid schemes often prove imprac- 

 ticable in Polar exploration, and within a few hours our 

 first plan was found impossible of fulfilment. Within 

 thirty-six hours a second arrangement had to be aban- 

 doned. We were steaming along westward close to the 

 Barrier, and according to the chart we were due to be 

 abreast of the inlet about 6 a.m., but not a sign was there 

 of the opening. We had passed Borchgrevink's Bight 

 at 1 a.m., and at 8 p.m. were well past the place where 

 Barrier Inlet ought to have been. The Inlet had disap- 

 peared, owing to miles of the Barrier having calved away, 

 leaving a long wide bay joining up with Borchgrevink's 

 Inlet, and the whole was now merged into what we had 

 called the Bay of Whales. This was a great disappoint- 

 ment to us, but we were thankful that the Barrier had 

 broken away before we had made our camp on it. It 

 was bad enough to try and make for a port that had been 

 wiped off the face of the earth, when all the intending 



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