The predictions they made induced me to take the deck-load of coal, for if we had to fight our way through to Coats' Land we would need every ton of fuel the ship could carry.
I hoped that by first moving to the east as far as the fifteenth meridian west we would be able to go south through looser ice, pick up Coats' Land and finally reach Vahsel Bay, where Filchner made his attempt at landing in 1912.

Two considerations were occupying my mind at this juncture.

I was anxious for certain reasons to winter the 'Endurance' in the Weddell Sea, but the difficulty of finding a safe harbour might be very great.

If no safe harbour could be found, the ship must winter at South Georgia.

It seemed to me hopeless now to think of making the journey across the continent in the first summer, as the season was far advanced and the ice conditions were likely to prove unfavourable.