The sun
by the aid of refraction just cleared the horizon at noon and set
shortly before 2 p.m. A fine aurora in the evening was dimmed by the
full moon, which had risen on April 27 and would not set again until
May 6. The disappearance of the sun is apt to be a depressing event in
the polar regions, where the long months of darkness involve mental as
well as physical strain. But the 'Endurance's' company refused to
abandon their customary cheerfulness, and a concert in the evening made
the Ritz a scene of noisy merriment, in strange contrast with the cold,
silent world that lay outside. "One feels our helplessness as the long
winter night closes upon us. By this time, if fortune had smiled upon
the Expedition, we would have been comfortably and securely established
in a shore base, with depots laid to the south and plans made for the
long march in the spring and summer. Where will we make a landing now?
It is not easy to forecast the future. The ice may open in the spring,
but by that time we will be far to the north-west. I do not think we
shall be able to work back to Vahsel Bay. There are possible landing-
places on the western coast of the Weddell Sea, but can we reach any
suitable spot early enough to attempt the overland journey next year?
Time alone will tell. I do not think any member of the Expedition is
disheartened by our disappointment.
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