34 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [December 
it seemed futile to be pushing and pushing without result ; 
then would come a stretch of easy going and the impression 
that all was going very well with us. The fact of the 
matter is, it is difficult not to imagine the conditions in 
which one finds oneself to be more extensive than they 
are. It is wearing to have to face new conditions every 
hour. This morning we met at breakfast in great spirits ; 
the ship has been boring along well for two hours; then 
Cheetham suddenly ran her into a belt of the worst and 
we were held up immediately. We can push back again. 
I think, but meanwhile we have taken 'advantage of the 
conditions to water ship. These big floes are very handy 
for that purpose at any rate. Rcnnick got a sounding 
2 1 2.| fathoms, similar bottom including volcanic lava. 
December 13 (cont.).—6f 30' S. 177 0 58' W. Made good 
S. 20 E. 27'. C. Crozier S. 21 W. 644'. We got in several 
tons of ice, then pushed off and slowly and laboriously 
worked our way to one of the recently frozen pools. It 
was not easily crossed, but when we came to its junction 
with the next part to the S.W. (in which direction I pro- 
posed to go) we were quite hung up. A little inspection 
showed that the big floes were tending to close. It seems 
as though the tenacity of the 6 or 7 inches of recent ice 
over the pools is enormously increased by lateral pressure. 
But whatever the cause, we could not budge. 
We have decided to put fires out and remain here till 
the conditions change altogether for the better. It is 
sheer waste of coal to make further attempts to break 
through as things are at present. 
We have been set to the east during the past days ; 
