We heard
tapping as from a hammer, grunts, groans and squeaks, electric trams
running, birds singing, kettles boiling noisily, and an occasional
swish as a large piece of ice, released from pressure, suddenly jumped
or turned over. We noticed all sorts of quaint effects, such as huge
bubbles or domes of ice, 40 ft. across and 4 or 5 ft. high. Large
sinuous pancake-sheets were spread over the floe in places, and in one
spot we counted five such sheets, each about 2? in. thick, imbricated
under one another. They look as though made of barley-sugar and are
very slippery."
The noon position on the 14th was lat. 76° 54? S., long. 36° 10? W.
The land was visible faintly to the south-east, distant about 36 miles.
A few small leads could be seen from the ship, but the ice was firm in
our neighbourhood. The drift of the 'Endurance' was still towards the
north-west.
I had the boilers blown down on the 15th, and the consumption of 2
cwt. of coal per day to keep the boilers from freezing then ceased. The
bunkers still contained 52 tons of coal, and the daily consumption in
the stoves was about 2? cwt. There would not be much coal left for
steaming purposes in the spring, but I anticipated eking out the supply
with blubber. A moderate gale from the north-east on the 17th brought
fine, penetrating snow.
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