Much ice was coming round the floe and had to be poled off.

Then the 'Dudley Docker', being the heavier boat, began to damage the 'James Caird', and I slacked the 'Dudley Docker' away.

The 'James Caird' remained moored to the ice, with the 'Dudley Docker' and the 'Stancomb Wills' in line behind her.
The darkness had become complete, and we strained our eye to see the fragments of ice that threatened us.

Presently we thought we saw a great berg bearing down upon us, its form outlined against the sky, but this startling spectacle resolved itself into a low-lying cloud in front of the rising moon.

The moon appeared in a clear sky.