d the watch to man the
hand-pump, but that was soon choked too. Things now looked really
serious, since it was impossible to get to the pump-well while terrific
seas were washing over the ship and the afterhatch could not be opened.
Consequently we started to bail the water out with buckets and also
rigged the small fire-engine and pumped with this as well.

The water in the engine room gradually gained until it entered the ashpit
of the centre furnace and commenced to put the fires out. Both Williams
and Lashly were up to their necks in water, clearing and re-clearing the
engine room pump suctions, but eventually the water beat them and I
allowed Williams to let fires out in the boiler. It could not be
otherwise. We stopped engines, and with our cases of petrol being lifted
out of their lashings by the huge waves, with the ponies falling about
and the dogs choking and wallowing in the water and mess, their chains
entangling them and tripping up those who tried to clear them, the
situation looked as black and disheartening as it well could be.

When dawn broke the greater part of the lee bulwarks had been torn away
and our decks laid open to the sea, which washed in and out as it would
have over a rock. The poor ship laboured dreadfully, and after
consultation with Captain Scott we commenced to cut a hole in the engine
room bulkhead to get at the hand pump-well.

Meanwhile I told the afterguard off into watches, and, relieving every
two hours, they set to work, formed a chain at the engine room ladder way
and bailed the ship out with buckets. In this way they must have
discharged between 2000 and 3000 gallons of water. The watch manned the
hand pump, which, although choked, discharged a small stream, and for
twenty-four hours this game was kept up, Scott himself working with the
best of them and staying with the toughest.

It was a sight that one could never forget: everybody saturated, some
waist-deep on the floor of the engine room, oil and coal dust mixing with
the water and making every one filthy, some men clinging to the iron
ladder way and passing full buckets up long after their muscles had
ceased to work naturally, their grit and spirit keeping them going. I did
admire the weaker people, especially those who were unhardened by the
months of physical training of the voyage out from England.

When each two-hour shift was relieved, the party, coughing and
spluttering, would make their way into the ward-room wh