Worst of all is the deceptive appearance of open water,
caused by the refraction of distant water, or by the sun shining at an
angle on a field of smooth snow or the face of ice-cliffs below the
horizon."
The second half of February produced no important change in our
situation. Early in the morning of the 14th I ordered a good head of
steam on the engines and sent all hands on to the floe with ice-
chisels, prickers, saws, and picks. We worked all day and throughout
most of the next day in a strenuous effort to get the ship into the
lead ahead. The men cut away the young ice before the bows and pulled
it aside with great energy. After twenty-four hours' labour we had got
the ship a third of the way to the lead. But about 400 yards of heavy
ice, including old rafted pack, still separated the 'Endurance' from
the water, and reluctantly I had to admit that further effort was
useless. Every opening we made froze up again quickly owing to the
unseasonably low temperature. The young ice was elastic and prevented
the ship delivering a strong, splitting blow to the floe, while at the
same time it held the older ice against any movement. The abandonment
of the attack was a great disappointment to all hands. The men had
worked long hours without thought of rest, and they deserved success.
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