re they were hooked on to the
travelling-block by which the shore party, under Wild, raised them to
their destination."

"It was most important to accelerate the landing as much as possible,
not only on account of the lateness of the season--the 'Gauss' had been
frozen in on February 22 at a spot only one hundred and seventy miles
away--but because the floe was gradually breaking up and floating away.
When the last load was hoisted, the water was lapping within ten yards
of the 'flying-fox'".

A fresh west-north-west wind on February 17 caused some trouble. Captain
Davis writes:

"February 19. The floe to which we have been attached is covered by
a foot of water. The ship has been bumping a good deal to-day.
Notwithstanding the keen wind and driving snow, every one has worked
well. Twelve tons of coal were the last item to go up the cliff."

In all, thirty-six tons of stores were raised on to the shelf-ice, one
hundred feet above sea-level, in four days.

"February 20. The weather is very fine and quite a contrast to
yesterday. We did not get the coal ashore a moment too soon, as
this morning the ice marked by our sledge tracks went to sea in a
north-westerly direction, and this afternoon it is drifting back as if
under the influence of a tide or current. We sail at 7 A.M. to-morrow.

"I went on to the glacier with Wild during the afternoon. It is somewhat
crevassed for about two hundred yards inland, and then a flat surface
stretches away as far as the eye can see. I wished the party 'God-speed'
this evening, as we sail early to-morrow."

Early on February 21, the ship's company gave their hearty farewell
cheers, and the 'Aurora' sailed north, leaving Wild and his seven
companions on the floating ice.

The bright weather of the immediate coastal region was soon exchanged
for the foggy gloom of the pack.

"February 21, 11 P.M. We are now passing a line of grounded bergs and
some heavy floe-ice. Fortunately it is calm, but in the darkness it is
difficult to see an opening. The weather is getting thick, and I expect
we shall have trouble in working through this line of bergs.

"February 22. I cannot explain how we managed to clear some of the bergs
between 11 P.M. last night and 3 A.M. this morning. At first stopping
and lying-to was tried, but it was soon evident that the big bergs were
moving and would soon hem us in: probably in a position from which we
should be unable to extricate ourselves this season.