THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



but this work was greatly facilitated by our being able 

 to use four of the ponies, working two of them for an 

 hour, and then giving these a spell whilst two others took 

 their place. The snow was very deep, and the ponies 

 sank in well above the knees; it was heavy going for 

 the men who were leading them. A large amount of 

 stores were landed in this way, but a new and serious 

 situation arose through the breaking away of the main 

 ice-foot. 



On the previous day an ominous-looking crack had 

 been observed to be developing at the end of the ice-foot 

 nearest to Flagstaff Point, and it became apparent that 

 if this crack continued to widen, it would cut right 

 across the centre of our stores, with the result that, 

 unless removed, they would be irretrievably lost in the 

 sea. Next day (the 10th) there was no further opening 

 of the crack, but at seven o'clock that night another 

 crack formed on the ice-foot inside of Derrick Point, 

 where we were now landing stores. There was no imme- 

 diate danger to be apprehended at this place, for the bay 

 ice would have to go out before the ice-foot could fall 

 into the sea. Prudence suggested that it would be better 

 to shift the stores already landed to a safer place before 

 discharging any more from the ship, so at eight p.m. on 

 the 10th we commenced getting the remainder of the 

 wood for the hut and the bales of cork for the lining up 

 on to the bare land. This took till about midnight, 

 when we knocked off for cocoa and a sleep. 



We turned to at six o'clock next morning, and I 

 decided to get the stores up the cliff face at Derrick 

 Point before dealing with those at Front Door Bay, the 

 first landing-place, for the former ice-foot seemed in 

 the greater peril of collapse than did the latter. Adams, 

 Joyce, and Wild soon rigged up a boom and tackle from 

 the top of the cliff, making the heel of the boom fast by 



106 



