378 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [January 
The ship slipped immediately her party returned, and 
meeting a good deal of fog and snow had some difficulty 
Jan. lo, in working through the pack on the way out, 
S^^^i65° 55' b^i^g eventually held up during the forenoon 
-E. of the loth and kept there for thirty-six hours ; 
but in the end she arrived oflF Beaufort Island during 
the afternoon of the 12th. 
The prospect was not encouraging, as there was 
nothing but heavy pack in the direction of Granite Harbour 
Jan, 12, and across the whole entrance to McMurdo 
Sound. It was, however, a glorious day, and 
5., 167° 12 > o J y 
E. the opportunity was taken to swing ship for 
magnetic constants, take observations for variation on 
the ice, sound, and try to collect plankton. In the Ant- 
arctic seas the water is often so full of diatoms that the fine 
meshes of the plankton nets choke as soon as they are put 
over. This, by stopping the passage of water through the 
net, prevents it catching anything and so renders useless 
many opportunities for collecting that would otherwise 
be favourable. 
Till February 4 nothing could be done. On 
January 13 fast ice was found to extend as far north as 
, the southern end of Bird Peninsula ; and, when 
Jan. i-^-rcD. 
4, 1912. In it was possible to work through the pack 
McM^do towards Granite Harbour, fast ice was found 
Sound. 23rd to extend thirty miles from the 
head of this inlet. 
These three weeks were one long succession of being 
caught in the pack and struggling to get out again. When- 
ever there appeared to be any change, the ship would 
