SOUTH 
of the landing-places at the great glacier. But there seemed 
no reason to anticipate then that the fates would prove unkind. 
This calm weather with intense cold in a summer month is 
surely exceptional. My chief anxiety is the drift. Where will 
the vagrant winds and currents carry the ship during the long 
winter months that are ahead of us ? We will go west, no 
doubt, but how far ? And will it be possible to break out of 
the pack early hi the spring and reach Vahsel Bay or some 
other suitable landing-place ? These are momentous questions 
for us." 
On February 24 we ceased to observe ship routine, and the 
Endurance became a winter station. All hands were on duty 
during the day and slept at night, except a watchman who 
looked after the dogs and watched for any sign of movement 
in the ice. We cleared a space of 10 ft. by 20 ft. round the 
rudder and propeller, sawing through ice 2 ft. thick, and lifting 
the blocks with a pair of tongs made by the carpenter. Crean 
used the blocks to make an ice-house for tlie dog Sally, which 
had added a little litter of pups to the strength of the expedition. 
Seals appeared occasionally, and we killed all that came within 
our reach. They represented fuel as well as food for men and 
dogs. Orders were given for the after-hold to be cleared and the 
stores checked, so that we might know exactly how we stood 
for a siege by an Antarctic winter. The dogs went off the 
ship on the following day. Their kennels were placed on the 
floe along the length of a wire rope to which the leashes 
were fastened. The dogs seemed heartily glad to leave the 
ship, and yelped loudly and joyously as they were moved to 
their new quarters. We had begun the training of teams, 
and already there was keen rivalry between the drivers. 
The flat floes and frozen leads in the neighbourhood of the 
ship made excellent training grounds. Hockey and football 
on the floe were our chief recreations, and all hands joined in 
many a strenuous game. 
Worsley took a party to the floe on the 26th, and started 
building a line of igloos and dogloos round the ship. These 
little buildings were constructed, Esquimaux fashion, of big 
blocks of ice, with thin sheets for the roofs. Boards or frozen 
36 
