276 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [January 
Next day she was in much the same position, about 
twenty miles away across the screw pack and broken 
floes. About two miles away a great crack stretched 
north and south. It was fully eight miles long, and 
seemed to presage the breaking up of the sea ice. 
On the 22nd we could not see the ship. A strong 
south wind sprang up and the gradually clouding sky 
seemed to portend a blizzard. ^ The stronger the better/ 
I wrote, * if it will only drive out this blessed floe.' We 
took a few photographs. There were two Emperor 
penguins moulting on each side of our cape, but Deben- 
ham reported that they were too frightful to photo ! 
Forde and I had a day with my stereo-camera taking 
various interesting details around the cape— planed 
granite blocks, pressure ice in the bay ; and then the 
Emperors, awful as they were, several seal and berg 
pictures, &c. ; but sad to relate all these negatives were 
smashed when the sledge fell over the glacier cliff. 
I did not entertain the idea of trying to reach Pennell 
across the screw pack. We should get into a more 
precarious region each mile, and we could not communi- 
cate with the ship to ensure her awaiting us. Pennell 
could send a party, with safety at either end, if he desired. 
I was, however, very glad later to find that Pennell also 
considered the pack absolutely impossible for sledging 
from the ship. 
We saw her during the next few days, and then she 
never showed up again. 
On the 27th a blizzard started, which we hoped would 
move out the ice. It tore our sledge flags badly, so that 
