SOUTH 
By midday the James Caird was ready for the voyage. Vin- 
cent and the carpenter had secured some dry clothes by exchange 
with members of the shore party (I heard afterwards that it 
was a full fortnight before the soaked garments were finally 
dried), and the boat's crew was standing by waiting for the 
order to cast off. A moderate westerly breeze was blowing. I 
went ashore in the Stancomb W ills and had a last word with Wild, 
who was remaining in full command, with directions as to his 
course of action in the event of our failure to bring relief, but 
I practically left the whole situation and scope of action and 
decision to his own judgment, secure in the knowledge that he 
would act wisely. I told him that I trusted the party to him 
and said good-bye to the men. Then we pushed off for the 
last time, and \sdthin a few minutes I was aboard the James 
Caird. The crew of the Stancomh Wills shook hands with us as 
the boats bumped together and offered us the last good wishes. 
Then, setting our jib, we cut the painter and moved away to 
the north-east. The men who were staying behind made a 
pathetic little group on the beach, with the grim heights of the 
island behind them and the sea seething at their feet, but 
they waved to us and gave three hearty cheers. There was 
hope in their hearts and they trusted us to bring the help that 
they needed. 
I had all sails set, and the James Caird quickly dipped the 
beach and its line of dark figures. The westerly wind took us 
rapidly to the line of pack, and as we entered it I stood up with 
my arm around the mast, directing the steering, so as to avoid 
the great lumps of ice that were flung about in the heave of the 
sea. The pack thickened and we were forced to turn almost 
due east, running before the wind towards a gap I had seen in 
the morning from the high ground. I could not see the gap 
now, but we had come out on its bearing and I was prepared 
to find that it had been influenced by the easterly drift. At 
four o'clock in the afternoon we found the channel, much 
narrower than it had seemed in the morning but still navigable. 
Dropping sail, we rowed through without touching the ice 
anywhere, and by 6.30 p.m. we were clear of the pack with 
open water before us. We passed one more piece of ice in the 
164 
