78 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [December 
to windward, and two horns which form the bay embracing 
us. The sea is damped down to a gentle swell, although 
the wind is as strong as ever. As a result we are lying 
very comfortably. The ice is drifting a little faster than 
the ship so that we have occasionally to steam slowly to 
leeward. 
So far so good. From a dangerous position we have 
achieved one which only directly involved a waste of coal. 
The question is, which will last longest, the gale or our 
temporary shelter ? 
Rcnnick has just obtained a sounding of 187 fathoms ; 
taken in conjunction with yesterday's nil fathoms and 
Ross's sounding of 180, this is interesting, showing the 
rapid gradient of the continental shelf. Nelson is going 
to put over the 8 feet Agassiz trawl. 
Unfortunately we could not clear the line for the trawl 
— it is stowed under the fodder. A light dredge was tried 
on a small manilla line — very little result. First the 
weights were insufficient to carry it to the bottom ; a 
second time, with more weight and line, it seems to have 
touched for a very short time only ; there was little of 
value in the catch, but the biologists arc learning the 
difficulties of the situation. 
Evening. — Our protection grew less as the day advanced 
but saved us much from the heavy swell. At 8 p.m. we 
started to steam west to gain fresh protection, there being 
signs of pack to south and west ; the swell is again diminish- 
ing. The wind which started south yesterday has gone 
to S.S.W. (true), the main swell in from S.E. by S. or S.S.E. 
There seems to be another from south but none from the 
