THE BOAT JOURNEY 
Instruments : 
Sextant. 
Binoculars. 
Prismatic compass. 
Sea-anchor. 
Charts. 
Aneroid. 
The swell was slight when the Stancomh Wills was launched 
and the boat got under way without any difl&culty ; but half 
an hour later, when we were pulling down the James Caird, 
the swell increased suddenly. Apparently the movement of the 
ice outside had made an opening and allowed the sea to run 
in without being blanketed by the line of pack. The swell 
made things difficult. Many of us got wet to the waist while 
dragging the boat out — a serious matter in that climate. 
When the James Caird was afloat in the surf she nearly 
capsized among the rocks before we could get her clear, and 
Vincent and the carpenter, who were on the deck, were thrown 
into the water. This was really bad luck, for the two men 
would have small chance of drying their clothes after we had 
got under way. Hurley, who had the eye of the professional 
photographer for incidents," secured a picture of the upset, 
and I firmly believe that he would have liked the two 
imfortunate men to remain in the water until he could get 
a snap " at close quarters ; but we hauled them out 
immediately, regardless of his feelings. 
The James Caird was soon clear of the breakers. We used 
all the available ropes as a long painter to prevent her drifting 
away to the north-east, and then the Stancomh Wills came 
alongside, transferred her load, and went back to the shore for 
more. As she was being beached this time the sea took her 
stern and half filled her with water. She had to be turned 
over and emptied before the return journey could be made. 
Every member of the crew of the Stancomh Wills was wet to 
the skin. The water-casks were towed behind the Stancomh 
Wills on this second journey, and the swell, which was 
increasing rapidly, drove the boat on to the rocks, where one 
of the casks was slightly stove in. This accident proved later 
to be a serious one, since some sea-water had entered the cask 
and the contents were now brackish. 
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