S 6 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [December 
hung up again and again in this manner as long as these 
great floes exist. In a fortnight's time the floes will have 
crumbled somewhat, and in many places the ship will be 
able to penetrate them. 
What to do under these circumstances calls for the 
most difficult decision. 
If one lets fires out it means a dead loss of over 2 tons, 
when the boiler has to be heated again. But this 2 tons 
would only cover a day under banked fires, so that for 
anything longer than twenty-four hours it is economy 
to put the fires out. At each stoppage one is called upon 
to decide whether it is to be for more or less than twenty- 
four hours. 
Last night we got some five or six hours of good going 
ahead— but it has to be remembered that this costs 2 tons 
of coal in addition to that expended in doing the distance. 
If one waits one probably drifts north — in all other 
respects conditions ought to be improving, except that 
the southern edge of the pack will be steadily augmenting. 
Rough Summary of Current in Pack 
Dec. Current Wind 
II-I2 S. 48 E. 12' ? N. by W. 3 to 5 
13- 14 N. 20 W. 2' N.W. by W. 0-2 
14- 15 N. 2 E. $-z' S.W. 1-2 
15- 17 apparently little variable light 
current 
20- 21 N. 32 E. 9.4 N.W. to W.S.W. 4 to 6 
21- 22 N. 5 E. 8.5 West 4 to 5 
The above seems to show that the drift is generally 
with the wind. We have had a predominance of westerly 
