CHAPTER VIII 
ESCAPE FROM THE ICE 
On April 7 at daylight the long-desired peak of Clarence Island 
came into view, bearing nearly north from our camp. At 
first it had the appearance of a huge berg, but with the gromng 
light we could see plainly the black lines of scree and the high, 
precipitous chfis of the island, which were miraged up to some 
extent. The dark rocks in the white snow were a pleasant 
sight. So long had our eyes looked on icebergs that apparently 
grew or dwindled according to the angles at which the shadows 
were cast by the sun ; so often had we discovered rocky islands 
and brought in sight the peaks of Joinville Land, only to find 
them, after some change of wind or temperature, floating away 
as nebulous cloud or ordinary berg, that not until Worsley, 
Wild, and Hurley had unanimously confirmed my observation 
was I satisfied that I was really looking at Clarence Island. 
The land was still more than sixty miles away, but it had to 
our eyes something of the appearance of home, since we expected 
to find there our first solid footing after all the long months of 
drifting on the unstable ice. We had adjusted ourselves to the 
life on the floe, but our hopes had been fixed all the time on 
some possible landing-place. As one hope failed to materialize, 
our anticipations fed themselves on another. Our drifting home 
had no rudder to guide it, no sail to give it speed. We were 
dependent upon the caprice of wind and current ; we went 
whither those irresponsible forces listed. The longing to feel 
solid earth under our feet filled our hearts. 
In the full daylight Clarence Island ceased to look like land 
and had the appearance of a berg not more than eight or ten 
miles away, so deceptive are distances in the clear air of the 
Antarctic. The sharp white peaks of Elephant Island showed 
to the west of north a little later in the day. I have stopped 
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