SOUTH 
tion. These days were sometimes succeeded by calm, clear 
nights, when, but for the cold, they would have stayed out on 
the sandy beach all night. 
About the middle of May a terrific blizzard sprang up, 
blowing from sixty to ninety miles an hour, and Wild enter- 
tained grave fears for their hut. One curious feature noted in 
this blizzard was the fact that huge ice-sheets as big as window- 
panes, and about a quarter of an inch thick, were being hurled 
about by the wind, making it as dangerous to walk about out- 
side as if one were in an avalanche of splintered glass. Still, 
these winds from the south and south-west, though invariably 
accompanied by snow and low temperatures, were welcome in 
that they drove the pack-ice away from the immediate vicinity 
of the island, and so gave rise on each occasion to hopes of 
relief. North-east winds, on the other hand, by filling the bays 
with ice and bringing thick misty weather, made it impossible 
to hope for any ship to approach them. 
Towards the end of May a period of dead calm set in, with 
ice closely packed all round the island. This gave place to 
north-east winds and mist, and at the beginning of June came 
another south-west blizzard, with cold driving snow. " The 
blizzard increased to terrific gusts durmg the night, causing us 
much anxiety for the safety of our hut. There was little sleep, 
all being apprehensive of the canvas roof ripping off, and the 
boats bemg blown out to sea." 
Thus it continued, alternating between south-west blizzards, 
when they were all confined to the hut, and north-east winds, 
bringing cold, damp, misty weather. 
On June 25 a severe storm from north-west was recorded, 
accompanied by strong winds and heavy seas, which encroached 
upon their little sandy beach up to within four yards of their hut. 
Towards the end of July and the beginning of August they 
had a few fine, calm, clear days. Occasional ghmpses of the 
sun, with high temperatures, were experienced, after south- 
west winds had blown all the ice away, and the party, their 
spirits cheered by Wild's unfailing optimism, again began to 
look eagerly for the rescue ship. 
The first three attempts at their rescue unfortunately coin- 
232 
