"
A heavy blizzard obscured our view till March 23. "'Land in sight' was
reported this morning. We were sceptical, but this afternoon it showed
up unmistakably to the west, and there can be no further doubt about
it. It is Joinville Island, and its serrated mountain ranges, all snow-
clad, are just visible on the horizon. This barren, inhospitable-
looking land would be a haven of refuge to us if we could but reach it.
It would be ridiculous to make the attempt though, with the ice all
broken up as it is. It is too loose and broken to march over, yet not
open enough to be able to launch the boats." For the next two or three
days we saw ourselves slowly drifting past the land, longing to reach
it yet prevented from doing so by the ice between, and towards the end
of March we saw Mount Haddington fade away into the distance.
Our hopes were now centred on Elephant Island or Clarence Island,
which lay 100 miles almost due north of us.
If we failed to reach either of them we might try for South Georgia,
but our chances of reaching it would be very small.
CHAPTER VIII
ESCAPE FROM THE ICE
On April 7 at daylight the long-desired peak of Clarence Island came
into view, bearing nearly north from our camp. At first it had the
appearance of a huge berg, but with the growing light we could see
plainly the black lines of scree and the high, precipitous cliffs of
the island, which were miraged up to some extent.
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