Our experience of the previous day in the open sea had shown us that the tents must be packed tightly.

The spray had dashed over the bows and turned to ice on the cloth, which had soon grown dangerously heavy.

Other articles off our scanty equipment had to go that night.

We were carrying only the things that had seemed essential, but we stripped now to the barest limit of safety.

We had hoped for a quiet night, but presently we were forced to cast off, since pieces of loose ice began to work round the floe.