The pack as far as the eye could reach was
in a condition of chaos, much rafted and consolidated, with very large
pressure-ridges in all directions. At 9 p.m. a rough altitude of
Canopus gave the latitude as 71° 55? 17?? S. The drift, therefore, had
been about 37 miles to the north in three days. Four of the poorest
dogs were shot this day. They were suffering severely from worms, and
we could not afford to keep sick dogs under the changed conditions.
The sun showed through the clouds on the northern horizon for an hour
on the 4th. There was no open water to be seen from aloft in any
direction. We saw from the masthead to west-south-west an appearance
of barrier, land, or a very long iceberg, about 20 odd miles away, but
the horizon clouded over before we could determine its nature. We
tried twice to make a sounding that day, but failed on each occasion.
The Kelvin machine gave no bottom at the full length of the line, 370
fathoms. After much labour we made a hole in the ice near the stern-
post large enough for the Lucas machine with a 32-lb. lead; but this
appeared to be too light. The machine stopped at 452 fathoms, leaving
us in doubt as to whether bottom had been reached. Then in heaving up
we lost the lead, the thin wire cutting its way into the ice and
snapping. All hands and the carpenter were busy this day making and
placing kennels on the upper deck, and by nightfall all the dogs were
comfortably housed, ready for any weather.
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