ELEPHANT ISLAND 
by high mountains, they saw little of the scanty sunshine 
during the brief intervals of clear sky. On most days the air 
was full of snow-drift blown from the adjacent heights. Ele- 
phant Island being practically on the outside edge of the pack, 
the winds which passed over the relatively warm ocean before 
reaching it clothed it in a constant pall of fog and snow." 
On April 25, the day after I left for South Georgia, the island 
was beset by heavy pack-ice, with snow and a wet mist. Next 
day was calmer, but on the 27th, to quote one of the diaries, 
they experienced the most wretched weather conceivable. 
Raining all night and day, and blowing hard. Wet to the 
skin." The following day brought heavy fog and sleet, and a 
continuance of the blizzard. April ended with a. terrific wind- 
storm which nearly destroyed the hut. The one remaining 
t-ent had to be dismantled, the pole taken down, and the in- 
habitants Lad to lie flat all night under the icy canvas. This 
lasted well into May, and a typical May day is described as 
follows : "A day of terrific winds, threatening to dislodge our 
shelter. The wind is a succession of hurricane gusts that sweep 
down the glacier immediately south-south-west of us. Each 
gust heralds its approach by a low rumbling which increases to 
a thunderous roar. Snow, stones, and gravel are flying about, 
and any gear left unweighted by very heavy stones is carried 
away to sea." 
Heavy bales of sennegrass, and boxes of cooking-gear, 
were lifted bodily in the air and carried away out of sight. 
Once the wnd carried off the floor-cloth of a tent which six 
men were holding on to and shaking the snow off. These gusts 
often came with alarming suddenness, and without any warn- 
ing. Hussey was outside in the blizzard digging up the day's 
meat, which had frozen to the ground, when a gust caught him 
and drove him down the spit towards the sea. Fortunately, 
when he reached the softer sand and shingle below high-water 
mark, he managed to stick his pick into the ground and hold 
on with both hands till the squall had passed. 
On one or two rare occasions they had fine, calm, clear days. 
The glow of the dying sun on the mountains and glaciers filled 
even the most materialistic of them with wonder and admira- 
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