Although they
both fell through the thin ice up to their waists more than once, they
managed to reach the camp. They found the surface soft and sunk about
two feet. Ocean Camp, they said, "looked like a village that had been
razed to the ground and deserted by its inhabitants." The floor-boards
forming the old tent-bottoms had prevented the sun from thawing the
snow directly underneath them, and were in consequence raised about two
feet above the level of the surrounding floe.
The storehouse next the galley had taken on a list of several degrees
to starboard, and pools of water had formed everywhere. They collected
what food they could find and packed a few books in a venesta sledging-
case, returning to Patience Camp by about 8 p.m. I was pleased at
their quick return, and as their report seemed to show that the road
was favourable, on February 2 I sent back eighteen men under Wild to
bring all the remainder of the food and the third boat, the 'Stancomb
Wills'. They started off at 1 a.m., towing the empty boat-sledge on
which the 'James Caird' had rested, and reached Ocean Camp about 3.30
a.m.
"We stayed about three hours at the Camp, mounting the boat on the
sledge, collecting eatables, clothing, and books. We left at 6 a.m.,
arriving back at Patience Camp with the boat at 12.
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