In the early morning of April 1 we listened
again for the wireless signals from Port Stanley. The crew had lashed
three 20-ft. rickers to the mast-heads in order to increase the spread
of our aerials, but still we failed to hear anything. The rickers had
to come down subsequently, since we found that the gear could not carry
the accumulating weight of rime. Soundings proved that the sea
continued to shoal as the 'Endurance' drifted to the north-west. The
depth on April 2 was 262 fathoms, with a bottom of glacial mud. Four
weeks later a sounding gave 172 fathoms. The presence of grit in the
bottom samples towards the end of the month suggested that we were
approaching land again.
The month was not uneventful. During the night of the 3rd we heard
the ice grinding to the eastward, and in the morning we saw that young
ice was rafted 8 to 10 ft. high in places. This was the first murmur
of the danger that was to reach menacing proportions in later months.
The ice was heard grinding and creaking during the 4th and the ship
vibrated slightly. The movement of the floe was sufficiently
pronounced to interfere with the magnetic work. I gave orders that
accumulations of snow, ice, and rubbish alongside the 'Endurance'
should be shovelled away, so that in case of pressure there would be no
weight against the topsides to check the ship rising above the ice.
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