THE AURORA'S DRIFT 
relieving pressure on stern-post, but unsuccessfully. Very heavy 
pressure on and around ship (taking strain fore and aft and on 
starboard quarter). Ship jumping and straining and listing 
badly. 10 p.m. — Ship has crushed her way into new ice on 
starboard side and slewed aslant lane with stern-post clear of 
land-ice. 12 p.m.— Ship is in safer position ; lanes opening in 
every direction. 
" July 23. — Caught glimpse of Coulman Island tlirough haze. 
Position of ship south 14*^ east (true), eighty miles off Coulman 
Island. Pressure continued intermittently throughout the day 
and night, with occasional very heavy squeezes to the ship 
which made timbers crack and groan. The ship's stern is now 
in a more or less soft bed, formed of recently frozen ice of about 
one foot in thickness. I thanl^ God that we have been spared 
through this fearful nightmare. I shall never forget the con- 
certina motions of the ship during yesterday's and Wednes- 
day's fore and aft nips. 
" July 24. — Compared with previous days this is a quiet 
one. The lanes have been opening and closing, and occasionally 
the ship gets a nasty squeeze against the solid floe on our star- 
board quarter. The more lanes that open the better, as they 
form ' springs ' (when covered with thin ice, which makes to a 
thickness of three or four inches in a few hours) between the solid 
and heavier floes and fields. Surely we have been guided by the 
hands of Providence to have come in heavy grinding pack for 
over two hundred miles (geographical), skirting the ice-bound 
western shore, around and to the north of Franklin Island, and 
now into what appears a clear path to the open sea ! In view 
of our precarious position and the lives of men in jeopardy, I 
sent this evening an aerogram to H.M. King George asking for 
a relief ship. I hope the wireless gets through. I have sent 
this message after much consideration, and know that in the 
event of our non-arrival in New Zealand on the specified date 
(November 1) a rehef ship will be sent to aid the Southern 
Party. 
''July 25. — Very heavy pressure about the ship. During 
the early hours a large field on the port quarter came charging 
up, and on meeting our floe tossed up a ridge from ten to fifteen 
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