INTO THE WEDDELL SEA 
in the history of South. Polar exploration, but a knowledge 
of the obstacles that lay between us and our starting-point 
served as a curb on impatience. Everything depended upon 
the landing. If we could land at Filchner's base there was no 
reason why a band of experienced men should not winter there 
in safety. But the Weddell Sea was notoriously inhospitable, 
and already we knew that its sternest face was turned towards 
us. All the conditions in the Weddell Sea are unfavourable 
from the navigator's point of view. The winds are compara- 
tively light, and consequently new ice can form even in the 
summer-time. The absence of strong winds has the additional 
effect of allowing the ice to accumulate in masses, undisturbed. 
Then great quantities of ice sweep along the coast from the 
east under the influence of the prevailing current, and fill up 
the bight of the Weddell Sea as they move north in a great 
semicircle. Some of this ice doubtless describes almost a com- 
plete circle, and is held up eventually, in bad seasons, against 
the South Sandwich Islands. The strong currents, pressing the 
ice masses against the coasts, create heavier pressure than is 
found in any other part of the Antarctic. This pressure must 
be at least as severe as the pressure experienced in the con- 
gested North Polar basin, and I am inclined to think that a 
comparison would be to the advantage of the Arctic. All these 
considerations naturally had a bearing upon our immediate 
problem, the penetration of the pack and the finding of a safe 
harbour on the continental coast. 
The day of departure arrived. I gave the order to heave 
anchor at 8.45 a.m. on December 5, 1914, and the clanking 
of the windlass broke for us the last link with civiliza- 
tion. The morning was dull and overcast, with occasional 
gusts of snow and sleet, but hearts were light aboard the 
Endurance. The long days of preparation were over and the 
adventure lay ahead. 
We had hoped that some steamer from the north would bring 
news of the war and perhaps letters from home before our 
departure. A ship did arrive on the evening of the 4th, but 
she carried no letters, and nothing useful in the way of infor- 
mation could be gleaned from her. The captain and crew 
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