If it did move west and carried us into the open water, what would be our fate when we tried to launch the boats down the steep sides of the berg in the sea-swell after the surrounding floes had left us?
One must reckon, too, the chance of the berg splitting or even overturning during our stay.

It is not possible to gauge the condition of a big mass of ice by surface appearance.

The ice may have a fault, and when the wind, current, and swell set up strains and tensions, the line of weakness may reveal itself suddenly and disastrously.

No, I do not like the idea of drifting on a berg.

We must stay on our floe till conditions improve and then make another attempt to advance towards the land." At 6.30 p.m.a particularly heavy shock went through our floe.