I9II] TOWARDS CAPE ADARE 87 
and Abbott, I went with letters to leave at Hut Point, 
where the Depot Party would call on their way back. 
The surface was good and we got back to the ship about 
3 A.M., and then proceeded to water ship at Glacier Tongue. 
While watering ship an accident occurred which might 
have been serious. The ship was secured alongside, and 
Abbott was just stepping ashore when a large piece of 
ice broke away with him on it and fell between the ship 
and the ice edge. Luckily he was not hurt, and was 
soon pulled on board again, none the worse, except for 
a ducking. 
By 8 o'clock in the evening of the 9th we were all 
ready, and proceeded north with a fair S.E. wind, but 
thick snow. 
During the afternoon of February 12th the wind 
freshened into a gale with heavy snow, and not wanting 
to close Cape Adare in such thick weather we hove to 
under main lower topsail with Cape Adare bearing N.W., 
distant 20 miles. 
During the night the wind increased, and continued 
blowing a very heavy gale until the evening of the 15 th. 
In spite of the very heavy sea the ship was fairly dry, 
but being so light we took a lot of ice water, washing away 
the bulwarks we had repaired since the previous gale. 
The coal question was becoming serious ; if this went 
on much longer it looked as if we should not be able 
to land, as Pennell had to keep enough coal to get back 
to New Zealand. 
On the evening of the 15th the wind eased a little, 
and by 10 a.m. on the i6th we raised steam and shaped 
