SOUTH 
and then snapping with a noise like heavy gim-fiie. The water 
was overmastering the pumps, and to avoid an explosion 
when it reached the boilers I had to give orders for the fires 
to be drawn and the steam let down. The plans for abandon- 
ing the ship in case of emergency had been made well in 
advance, and men and dogs descended to the floe and made 
their Avay to the comparative safety of an unbroken portion of 
the floe without a hitch. Just before leaving, I looked down 
the engine-room skyhght as I stood on the quivering deck, 
and saw the engines dropping sideways as the stays and 
bed-plates gave w^ay. I cannot describe the impression of 
relentless destruction that was forced upon me as I looked 
down and around. The floes, with the force of millions of 
tons of moving ice behind them, were simply annihilating the 
ship." 
Essential supplies had been placed on the floe about 100 yds. 
from the ship, and there we set about making a camp for the 
night. But about 7 p.m., after the tents were up, the ice we 
were occupying became involved in the pressure and started 
to split and smash beneath our feet. I had the camp m.oved 
to a bigger floe about 200 yds. away, just beyond the bow of 
the ship. Boats, stores, and camp equipment had to be con- 
veyed across a working pressure-ridge. The movement of the 
ice was so slow that it did not interfere much with our short 
trek, but the weight of the ridge had caused the' floes to sink 
on either side and there were pools of water there. A pioneer 
party with picks and shovels had to build a snow-causeway 
before we could get all our possessions across. By 8 p.m. the 
camp had been pitched again. We had two pole-tents and 
three hoop-tents. 1 took charge of the small pole-tent, No. 1, 
with Hudson, Hurley, and James as companions ; Wild had 
the small hoop-tent, No. 2, with Wordie, McNeish, andMcIlroy. 
Tliese hoop-tents are very easily shifted and set up. The eight 
forward hands had the large hoop-tent. No. 3 ; Crean had 
charge of No. 4 hoop-tent with Hussey, Marston, and Cheetham ; 
and Worsley had the other pole-tent, No. 5, with Greenstreet, 
Lees, Clark, Kerr, Eickenson, Macklin, and Blackborrow, the 
last named being the youngest of the forward hands. 
76 
