were as glad to see the 'Aurora' as we were to
see them. They had commenced to lay in a stock of seal-meat fearing that
they might have to pass another winter on the glacier.

All the afternoon every one was busy getting baggage on board and
watering ship. The weather was good and I had intended to sail on the
same evening by moonlight, following the glacier-tongue northward in
clear water for sixty miles.

As we turned northward, "all well" on board, I felt truly thankful that
Wild's party had been relieved and anxiety on their account was now at
an end. The party included F. Wild (leader), G. Dovers, C. T. Harrisson,
C. A. Hoadley, Dr. S. E. Jones, A. L. Kennedy, M. H. Moyes and A. D.
Watson.

Early on the 24th there was a fresh easterly breeze, while the ship
steamed among fields of bergs, for the most part of glacier-ice. It is
marvellous how a vessel can pass through such an accumulation in the
dark and come off with only a few bumps!

Pack consisting of heavy broken floe-ice was entered at four o'clock on
the same day, and at 8 A.M. on the 25th we were clear of it, steering
once more among bergs, many of which were earth-stained. The day was
remarkably fine with light winds and a smooth sea.

After we had passed through three hundred miles of berg-strewn ocean,
large masses of ice, water-worn in most instances, were still numerous,
and on February 27, though our position was north of the 80th parallel,
they were just beginning to diminish in numbers. At noon on that day a
sounding was made in two thousand two hundred and thirty fathoms.

Any hope we may have had of steaming to the east with the object of
attempting to relieve the seven men at Adelie Land had to be definitely
abandoned on account of the small supply of coal which remained.

There was now a clear run of two thousand miles through the zone of
westerly gales and high seas, and on March 14 we reached Port Esperance.
Mr. Eitel, Secretary of the Expedition, landed here and caught the
steamer Dover to Hobart. We heard of the disaster to Captain Scott and
it was learned that wireless messages had been received from Dr. Mawson,
which had been forwarded on to Australia through the Macquarie Island
party.

CHAPTER XIX THE WESTERN BASE--ESTABLISHMENT AND EARLY ADVENTURES

by F. Wild

At 7 A.M. on February 21, 1912, the 'Aurora' steamed away to the north
leaving us on the Shackleton Ice-Shelf, while cheers and hearty good
wishes were exchange