B.'s for stokers.
The staff and the forward hands, with the exception of the cook, the
carpenter and his mate, were on "watch and watch"--that is, four hours
on deck and four hours below, or off duty. The carpenter was busy
making a light punt, which might prove useful in the navigation of
lanes and channels. At 11 a.m. we gave the engines a gentle trial turn
astern. Everything worked well after eight months of frozen
inactivity, except that the bilge-pump and the discharge proved to be
frozen up; they were cleared with some little difficulty. The engineer
reported that to get steam he had used one ton of coal, with wood-ashes
and blubber. The fires required to keep the boiler warm consumed one
and a quarter to one and a half hundred-weight of coal per day. We had
about fifty tons of coal remaining in the bunkers.
October 21 and 22 were days of low temperature, which caused the open
leads to freeze over. The pack was working, and ever and anon the roar
of pressure came to our ears. We waited for the next move of the
gigantic forces arrayed against us. The 23rd brought a strong north-
westerly wind, and the movement of the floes and pressure-ridges became
more formidable. Then on Sunday, October 24, there came what for the
'Endurance' was the beginning of the end. The position was lat.
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