68 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION 
[December 
the calm water pools the old universal warfare is raging 
incessantly in the struggle for existence. 
Both morning and afternoon we have had brilliant 
sunshine, and this afternoon all the after-guard lay about 
on the deck sunning themselves. A happy, care-free group. 
io p.m. — We made our start at eight, and so far things 
look well. We have found the ice comparatively thin, 
the floes 2 to 3 feet in thickness except where hummocked ; 
amongst them are large sheets from 6 inches to 1 foot in 
thickness as well as fairly numerous water pools. The 
ship has pushed on well, covering at least 3 miles an hour, 
though occasionally almost stopped by a group of hum- 
mocked floes. The sky is overcast : stratus clouds come 
over from the N.N.E. with wind in the same direction 
soon after we started. This may be an advantage, as the 
sails give great assistance and the officer of the watch 
has an easier time when the sun is not shining directly in 
his eyes. As I write the pack looks a little closer ; I 
hope to heavens it is not generally closing up again — no 
sign of open water to the south. Alas ! 
12 p.m. saw two sea-leopards playing in the wake. 
Thursday, December 29. — No sights. At last the 
change for which I have been so eagerly looking has arrived 
and we are steaming amongst floes of small area evidently 
broken by swell, and with edges abraded by contact. 
The transition was almost sudden. We made very good 
progress during the night with one or two checks and one 
or two slices of luck in the way of open water. In one 
pool we ran clear for an hour, capturing 6 good miles. 
This morning we were running through large continuous 
