The water was overmastering the pumps, and to avoid an explosion when it reached the boilers I had to give orders for the fires to be drawn and the steam let down.

The plans for abandoning the ship in case of emergency had been made well in advance, and men and dogs descended to the floe and made their way to the comparative safety of an unbroken portion of the floe without a hitch.

Just before leaving, I looked down the engine- room skylight as I stood on the quivering deck, and saw the engines dropping sideways as the stays and bed-plates gave way.

I cannot describe the impression of relentless destruction that was forced upon me as I looked down and around.

The floes, with the force of millions of tons of moving ice behind them, were simply annihilating the ship." Essential supplies had been placed on the floe about 100 yds.