Water had trickled down the face of the cliff and
formed long icicles, which hung down in front of the cave to the length
of about fifteen feet. These icicles provided shelter, and when we had
spread our sails below them, with the assistance of oars, we had
quarters that, in the circumstances, had to be regarded as reasonably
comfortable. The camp at least was dry, and we moved our gear there
with confidence. We built a fireplace and arranged our sleeping-bags
and blankets around it. The cave was about 8 ft. deep and 12 ft. wide
at the entrance.
While the camp was being arranged Crean and I climbed the tussock
slope behind the beach and reached the top of a headland overlooking
the sound. There we found the nests of albatrosses, and, much to our
delight, the nests contained young birds. The fledgelings were fat and
lusty, and we had no hesitation about deciding that they were destined
to die at an early age. Our most pressing anxiety at this stage was a
shortage of fuel for the cooker. We had rations for ten more days, and
we knew now that we could get birds for food; but if we were to have
hot meals we must secure fuel. The store of petroleum carried in the
boat was running very low, and it seemed necessary to keep some
quantity for use on the overland journey that lay ahead of us.
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