HELD UP BY THE ICE 



abreast of some tilted bergs at the eastern entrance of 

 the Bay of Whales. There was a peculiar light which 

 rendered distances and the forms of objects very decep- 

 tive, and a great deal of mirage, which made things appear 

 much higher than they actually were. This was particu- 

 larly noticeable in the case of the pack-ice; the whole 

 northern and western sea seemed crowded with huge ice- 

 bergs, though in reality there was only heavy pack. The 

 penguins that we had seen the previous night were still at 

 the same place, and when a couple of miles away from us 

 they loomed up as if they were about six feet high. This 

 bay ice, on which many seals were lying, was cracking, and 

 would soon float away, with one or two large icebergs 

 embedded in it. 



Skirting along the seaward edge we came to the high 

 cliff of ice at the westerly end, and passed safely out of 

 the bay at ten minutes to four. We then continued to 

 the westward, still having the heavy pack to the north. 

 One berg that we passed was a temporary resting-place 

 for hundreds of Antarctic and snow petrels, and these 

 took flight as we approached. About 6 p.m. the pack- 

 ice seemed to loosen somewhat, and by half -past seven, 

 from the crow's-nest, I could see a lead of open water to 

 the north through the belt of pack, and beyond that there 

 appeared to be a fairly open sea. About eight o'clock 

 the ship's head was put north, and we soon gained a fairly 

 open sea, occasionally having to make detours round the 

 heavier packed floes, though we were able to push aside 

 the lighter pieces. At midnight, our easterly progress 

 was arrested by a line of thick conglomerated pack, and 

 we had to steer north for nearly an hour before we could 

 again set the course easterly. It is remarkable how limited 

 one's horizon is at sea, for from the crow's-nest, after pass- 

 ing this belt of pack, there appeared to be open water for 

 an indefinite distance, yet by two o'clock we were up 



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