ESCAPE FROM THE ICE 
one where the party could live for weeks or even months in 
safety, without danger from sea or wind in the heaviest winter 
gale. Wild was to proceed westwards along the coast and was 
to take with him four of the fittest men, Marston, Crean, Vincent, 
and McCarthy. If he did not return before dark we were to 
light a flare, which would serve him as a guide to the entrance 
of the channel. The Stancomb Wills pushed ofi at 11 a.m. and 
quickly passed out of sight around the island. Then Hurley and 
I walked along the beach towards the west, climbing through 
a gap between the chfE and a great detached pillar of basalt. 
The narrow strip of beach was cumbered with masses of rock 
that had fallen from the cliffs. We struggled along for two 
miles or more in the search for a place where we could get the 
boats ashore and make a permanent camp in the event of 
Wild's search proving fruitless, but after three hoiu^s' vain toil 
we had to turn back. We had found on the far side of the 
pillar of basalt a crevice in the rocks beyond the reach of all 
but the heaviest gales. Rounded pebbles showed that the seas 
reached the spot on occasions. Here I decided to depot ten 
cases of Bovril sledging ration in case of our having to move 
away quickly. We could come back for the food at a later 
date if opportunity oSered. 
Returning to the camp, we found the men resting or attend- 
ing to their gear. Clark had tried angling in the shallows off 
the rocks and had secured one or two small fish. The day 
passed quietly. Rusty needles were rubbed bright on the 
rocks and clothes were mended and darned. A feeling of tired- 
ness — due, I suppose, to reaction after the strain of the preceding 
days — overtook us, but the rising tide, coming farther up the 
beach than it had done on the day before, forced us to labour 
at the boats, which we hauled slowly to a higher ledge. We 
found it necessary to move our makeshift camp nearer the 
cliff. I portioned out the available ground for the tents, the 
galley, and other proposes, as every foot was of value. When 
night arrived the Stancomb Wills was still away, so I had a 
blubber-flare lit at the head of the channel. 
About 8 p.m. we heard a hail in the distance. We could 
see nothing, but soon like a pale ghost out of the darkness 
14T 
