t further delay,
I was acting as Dr. Mawson would have wished, if I had been able to
acquaint him with the position of the Western Party.

At 6.30 P.M. we steamed out of the bay, the wind moderating as the ship
got well out to sea. At midnight there was a moderate breeze from the
south, with some snow.

On February 10 heavy pack was met, about fifty miles north of
Commonwealth Bay. After coasting along its margin for a while, we pushed
among the floes and, after three hours, reached a patch of fairly open
water about 1 P.M.

One hour later a large ice-formation was sighted, which tallied with
that met on January 3 of the previous year (1912) and which, on this
occasion, was no longer in its original position. We came to the
conclusion that the whole must have drifted about fifty miles to the
north-west during the intervening year. The face of this huge berg,
along which the 'Aurora' coasted, was about forty miles in length.

Hannam heard fragments of a message from Dr. Mawson during the evening.
The words, "crevasse," "Ninnis," "Mertz," "broken" and "cable" were
picked up.

Good progress was made on the 11th against a high westerly sea. The sun
set in a clear sky and the barometer was slowly rising. Our position was
evidently north of the pack and, if unimpeded by ice, there was a chance
of the ship arriving at her destination in time.

Poor headway was made for nearly three days against an adverse wind and
sea. Then, late on the 14th, a breeze sprang up from the east-south-east
and, under all sail, the 'Aurora' made seven knots.

Next morning we were driving along before an easterly gale in thick
snow, and at noon the day's run was one hundred and eighty miles.

The journal describes the following week:

"February 16. The weather cleared up this morning and the sun came out,
enabling us to fix our position.

"We are doing about eight knots under topsails and foresail. The
sky looked threatening this evening but improved considerably before
midnight.

"February 17. There were frequent snow squalls today, making it
difficult to see. Only a few scattered pieces of ice were about.

"February 18. Bright, clear weather to-day enabled us to get good
observations. There are a great many 'blue whales' round the ship, and
the many bergs in sight are suggestive of heavy pack to the south. A
great many petrels and Cape pigeons have been seen.

"February 19. The ship was brought up this morning at 8.45 by a line
of