s would never
recross it again.

We took a number of deep-sea soundings, several of over 2000 fathoms, on
this first southward voyage. Rennick showed himself very expert with the
deep-sea gear and got his soundings far more easily than we had done in
the "Discovery" and "Morning" days.

We were rather unfortunate as regards the pack ice met with, and must
have passed through 400 miles of it from north to south. On my two
previous voyages we had had easier conditions altogether, and then it had
not mattered, but all with these dogs and ponies cooped up and losing
condition, with the "Terra Nova" eating coal and sixty hungry men
scoffing enormous meals, we did not seem to be doing much or getting on
with the show. It was, of course, nobody's fault, but our patience was
sorely tried.

We made frequent stops in the pack ice, even letting fires out and
furling sail, and sometimes the ice would be all jammed up so that not a
water hole was visible--this condition would continue for days. Then, for
no apparent reason, leads would appear and black water-skies would tempt
us to raise steam again. Scott himself showed an admirable patience, for
the rest of us had something to occupy our time with. Pennell and I, for
instance, were constantly taking sights and working them out to find our
position and also to get the set and drift of the current. Then there
were magnetic observations to be taken on board and out on the ice away
from the magnetic influence of the ship, such as it was. Simpson had
heaps to busy himself with, and Ponting was here, there, and everywhere
with his camera and cinematograph machine. Had it not been for our
anxiety to make southward progress, the time would have passed pleasantly
enough, especially in fine weather. Days came when we could get out on
the floe and exercise on ski, and Gran zealously looked to all our
requirements in this direction.

December 11 witnessed the extraordinary sight of our company standing
bareheaded on deck whilst Captain Scott performed Divine Service. Two
hymns were sung, which broke strangely the great white silence. The
weather was against us this day in that we had snow, thaw, and actually
rain, but we could not complain on the score of weather conditions
generally. Practically all the ship's company exercised on the floes
while we remained fast frozen. Next day there was some slight loosening
of the pack and we tried sailing through it and managed half a degree
southw