We could see from the
mast-head that the pack was piling and rafting against the mass of ice,
and it was easy to imagine what would be the fate of the ship if she
entered the area of disturbance. She would be crushed like an egg-shell
amid the shattering masses.
Worsley was in the crow's-nest on the evening of the 15th, watching
for signs of land to the westward, and he reported an interesting
phenomenon. The sun set amid a glow of prismatic colours on a line of
clouds just above the horizon. A minute later Worsley saw a golden
glow, which expanded as he watched it, and presently the sun appeared
again and rose a semi-diameter clear above the western horizon. He
hailed Crean, who from a position on the floe 90 ft. below the crow's-
nest also saw the re-born sun. A quarter of an hour later from the deck
Worsley saw the sun set a second time. This strange phenomenon was due
to mirage or refraction. We attributed it to an ice-crack to the
westward, where the band of open water had heated a stratum of air.
The drift of the pack was not constant, and during the succeeding days
the crevassed berg alternately advanced and receded as the 'Endurance'
moved with the floe. On Sunday, April 18, it was only seven miles
distant from the ship.
"It is a large berg, about three-quarters of a mile long on the side
presented to us and probably well over 200 ft.
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