i9io] 
MOVEMENT OF BERGS 
39 
edge of one of these floes, and the ship will not go through 
under sail, but I'm sure she would do so under steam. Is 
this a typical floe ? And are there more ahead f 
One of the ponies got down this afternoon — Oates 
thinks it was probably asleep and fell, but the incident 
is alarming ; the animals are not too strong. On this 
account this delay is harassing — otherwise we should not 
have much to regret. 
Saturday, December 17.— 67 0 24'. 177 0 34'. Drift 
for 48 hours S. 82 E. 9.7'. It rained hard and the glass 
fell rapidly last night with every sign of a coming gale. 
This morning the wind increased to force 6 from the 
west with snow. At noon the barograph curve turned 
up and the wind moderated, the sky gradually clearing. 
To-night it is fairly bright and clear; there is a light 
south-westerly wind. It seems rather as though the 
great gales of the Westerlies must begin in these latitudes 
with such mild disturbances as we have just experienced. 
I think it is the first time I have known rain beyond the 
Antarctic circle — it is interesting to speculate on its effect 
in melting the floes. 
We have scarcely moved all day, but bergs which 
have become quite old friends through the week are on 
the move, and one has approached and almost circled us. 
Evidently these bergs are moving about in an irregular 
fashion, only they must have all travelled a little east in 
the forty-eight hours as we have done. Another interest- 
ing observation to-night is that of the slow passage of a 
stream of old heavy floes past the ship and the lighter ice 
in which she is held. 
