THE SHIP'S WORK 



commence to search for us, as suggested in Lieutenant 

 Shackleton's instructions on February 1. He left 

 accordingly at that date, and after looking for us in 

 vain at the Butter Point depot, and at Granite Harbour 

 he sailed northwards for the Drygalski Ice Barrier 

 Tongue, and when about three miles off our depot 

 island had sighted our httle flag and cairn, but was not 

 certain that it was a depot. Nearer approach was pre- 

 cluded at the time by the pack-ice. 



Captain Evans' private log reads as follows : 

 ''February 3, 1.30 a.m. — Cleared belt of pack — 

 proceeded westward along Drygalski Barrier edge. 

 Moderate to strong south-west wind, force four to eight 

 with snow drift; 7.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. off Barrier. 

 (At this time the Nimrod must have passed within 

 about three miles of the spot where we were at our last 

 camp before reaching the inlet, and had it not been for 

 a little falling snow our flag and tent would prob- 

 ably have been sighted on this occasion) ; 10 a.m. to 

 2.15 P.M.: coasted along the beach at distances of 

 from one-fifth of a mile to three-quarters of a mile in 

 water from ten to fifty fathoms; 1 p.m. wind dropped 

 to calm; 2.15 p.m. bearing true north-20°-east, dis- 

 tant twenty-four miles Mount Melbourne. Came to 

 top of bight (Gerlache Inlet) full of pack; sounded in 

 sixty-four fathoms; took bearings and stood eastward 

 to search Cape Washington; 3.30 p.m. entered the 

 pack-ice. 



Midnight : rounded Cape Washington at a distance of 

 one and a half cables in eleven to twenty fathoms, 

 both sides of the cape quite inaccessible — awful-looking 

 ice clifl*s northern side — crevassed ice slopes south 

 side. Fresh south-south-west wind, force 5-5. . . . 

 No sign of party or record anywhere. 



215 



