On the other side of the ship part of another group of penguins were quarrelling for the possession of a small pressure block which offered only the most insecure foothold.  The scrambling antics to secure the point of vantage, the ousting of the bird in possession, and the incontinent loss of balance and position as each bird reached the summit of his ambition was almost as entertaining as the episode of the skua.  Truly these little creatures afford much amusement.

Monday, December 26.—­Obs. 69 deg. 9’ S., 178 deg. 13’ W. Made good 48 hours, S. 35 E. 10’.—­The position to-night is very cheerless.  All hope that this easterly wind will open the pack seems to have vanished.  We are surrounded with compacted floes of immense area.  Openings appear between these floes and we slide crab-like from one to another with long delays between.  It is difficult to keep hope alive.  There are streaks of water sky over open leads to the north, but everywhere to the south we have the uniform white sky.  The day has been overcast and the wind force 3 to 5 from the E.N.E.—­snow has fallen from time to time.  There could scarcely be a more dreary prospect for the eye to rest upon.

As I lay in my bunk last night I seemed to note a measured crush on the brash ice, and to-day first it was reported that the floes had become smaller, and then we seemed to note a sort of measured send alongside the ship.  There may be a long low swell, but it is not helping us apparently; to-night the floes around are indisputably as large as ever and I see little sign of their breaking or becoming less tightly locked.

It is a very, very trying time.

We have managed to make 2 or 3 miles in a S.W. (?) direction under sail by alternately throwing her aback, then filling sail and pressing through the narrow leads; probably this will scarcely make up for our drift.  It’s all very disheartening.  The bright side is that everyone is prepared to exert himself to the utmost—­however poor the result of our labours may show.

Rennick got a sounding again to-day, 1843 fathoms.

One is much struck by our inability to find a cause for the periodic opening and closing of the floes.  One wonders whether there is a reason to be found in tidal movement.  In general, however, it seems to show that our conditions are governed by remote causes.  Somewhere well north or south of us the wind may be blowing in some other direction, tending to press up or release pressure; then again such sheets of open water as those through which we passed to the north afford space into which bodies of pack can be pushed.  The exasperating uncertainty of one’s mind in such captivity is due to ignorance of its cause and inability to predict the effect of changes of wind.  One can only vaguely comprehend that things are happening far beyond our horizon which directly affect our situation.

Tuesday, December 27.—­Dead reckoning 69 deg. 12’ S., 178 deg. 18’ W. We made nearly 2 miles in the first watch—­half push, half drift.  Then the ship was again held up.  In the middle the ice was close around, even pressing on us, and we didn’t move a yard.  The wind steadily increased and has been blowing a moderate gale, shifting in direction to E.S.E.  We are reduced to lower topsails.