WINTER MONTHS 
on April 27 and would not set again until May 6. The dis- 
appearance of the sun is apt to be a depressing event in the 
polar regions, wheve the long months of darkness involve mental 
as well as physical strain. But the Endiimn-ce\s company 
refused to abandon their customary cheerfulness, and a concert 
in the evening made the Eitz a scene of noisy merriment, in 
strange contrast with the cold, silent world that lay outside. 
" One feels our helplessness as the long winter night closes 
upon us. By this time, if fortune had smiled upon the Expe- 
dition, we would have been comfortably and securely estab- 
lished in a shore base, with depots laid to the south and plans 
made for the long march in the spring and summer. Where 
will we make a landing now ? It is not easy to forecast the 
future. The ice may open in the spring, but by that time we 
will be far to the north-west. I do not think we shall be able 
to work back to Vahsel Bay. There are possible landing-places 
on the western coast of the Weddell Sea, but can we reach any 
suitable spot early enough to attempt the overland journey 
next year ? Time alone will tell, I do not think any member 
of the Expedition is disheartened by our disappointment. All 
hands are cheery and busy, and will do their best when the 
time for action comes. In the meantime we must wait." 
The ship's position on Sunday, May 2, was lat. lb"" 23' S., 
long. 42° 14' W. The temperature at noon was 5"" below zero 
Fahr., and the sky was overcast. A seal was sighted from the 
mast-head at lunch-time, and five men, with two dog teams, 
set off after the prize. They had an uncomfortable journey 
outward in the dim, diffused light, which cast no shadows and 
so gave no warning of irregularities in the white surface. It is 
a strange sensation to be running along on apparently smooth 
snow and to fall suddenly into an unseen hollow, or bump 
against a ridge. After going out three miles to the eastward," 
wrote Worsley in describing this seal-hunt, " we range up and 
down but find nothing, until from a hummock I fancy I see 
something apparently a mile away, but probably little more 
than half that distance. I ran for it, found the seal, and with 
a shout brought up the others at the double. The seal was a 
big Weddell, over 10 ft. long and weighing more than 800 lb. 
47 
