SOUTH 
south on the attempt at relief. The histituto de Pesca went 
ofi to Montevideo and I looked around for another ship- 
A British mail-boat, the Orita, called at Port Stanley 
opportunely, and I boarded her with Worsley and Crean 
and crossed to Punta Arenas in the Magellan Straits. The 
reception we received there was heartening. The members of 
the British Association of Magellanes took us to their hearts. 
Mr. Allan McDonald was especially prominent in his untiring 
efforts to assist in the rescue of our twenty-two companions on 
Elephant Island. He worked day and night, and it was mainly 
due to him that within three days they had raised a sum of 
£1500 amongst themselves, chartered the schooner Emma 
and equipped her for our use. She was a forty-year-old oak 
schooner, strong and seaworthy, with an auxiliary oil-engine. 
Out of the complement of ten men all told who were manning 
the ship, there were eight different nationalities ; but they were 
all good fellows and understood perfectly what was wanted. 
The Chilian Government lent us a small steamer, the Yelcho, 
to tow us part of the way. She could not touch ice though, 
as she was built of steel. However, on July 12 we passed her 
our tow-rope and proceeded on our way. In bad weather we 
anchored next day, and although the wind increased to a gale 
I could delay no longer, so we hove up anchor in the early 
morning of the 14th. The strain on the tow-rope was too 
great. With the crack of a gun the rope broke. Next day 
the gale continued, and I will quote from the log of the Emma, 
which Worsley kept as navigating officer. " 9 a.m. — Fresh, 
increasing gale ; very rough, lumpy sea. 10 a.m. — Tow-rope 
parted. 12 noon. Similar weather. 1 p.m. — Tow-rope parted 
again. Set foresail and forestay-sail and steered south-east by 
south. 3 p.m. — Yelcho hailed us and said that the ship's bilges 
were full of water (so were our decks) and they were short of 
coal. Sir Ernest told them that they could return to harbour. 
After this the Yelclio steamed into San Sebastian Bay." After 
three days of continuous bad weather we were left alone to 
attempt once more to rescue the twenty-two men on Elephant 
Island, for whom by this time I entertained very grave fears. 
At dawn of Friday, July 21, we were within a hundred 
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