It occurred to me at the time that the incident had psychological interest.

Here were men, their home crushed, the camp pitched on the unstable floes, and their chance of reaching safety apparently remote, calmly attending to the details of existence and giving their attention to such trifles as the strength of a brew of tea.
During the afternoon the work continued.

Every now and then we heard a noise like heavy guns or distant thunder, caused by the floes grinding together.
"The pressure caused by the congestion in this area of the pack is producing a scene of absolute chaos.

The floes grind stupendously, throw up great ridges, and shatter one another mercilessly.

The ridges, or hedgerows, marking the pressure-lines that border the fast- diminishing pieces of smooth floe-ice, are enormous.