great anxiety—we are making terrible inroads on our supply—we have come 240 miles since we first entered the pack streams.
The sounding to-day gave 1804 fathoms—the water bottle didn't work, but temperatures were got at 1300 and bottom.
The temperature was down to 20° last night and kept 2 or 3 degrees below freezing all day.
The surface for ski-ing to-day was very good.
Wednesday, December 21.—The wind was still strong this morning, but had shifted to the south-west. With an overcast sky it was very cold and raw. The sun is now peeping through, the wind lessening and the weather conditions generally improving. During the night we had been drifting towards two large bergs, and about breakfast time we were becoming uncomfortably close to one of them—the big floes were binding down on one another, but there seemed to be open water to the S.E., if we could work out in that direction.
(Note.—All directions of wind are given 'true' in this book.)
Noon Position.— 68° 25′ S., 179° 11′ W. Made good S. 26 E. 2.5′. Set of current N., 32 E. 9.4′. Made good 24 hours—N. 40 E. 8′. We got the steam up and about 9 a.m. commenced to push through. Once or twice we have spent nearly twenty minutes pushing through bad places, but it looks as though we are getting to easier water. It's distressing to have the pack so tight, and the bergs make it impossible to lie comfortably still for any length of time.
Ponting has made some beautiful photographs and
