The changes were as sudden as they were unexpected.  Thus early in the morning of Christmas Eve, about a fortnight after we had entered the pack, “we have come into a region of where the open water exceeds the ice; the former lies in great irregular pools three or four miles or more across and connecting with many leads.  The latter—­and the fact is puzzling—­still contain floes of enormous dimensions; we have just passed one which is at least two miles in diameter....”  And then, “Alas! alas! at 7 A.M. this morning we were brought up with a solid sheet of pack extending in all directions, save that from which we had come."[79]

Delay was always irksome to Scott.  As time went on this waiting in the pack became almost intolerable.  He began to think we might have to winter in the pack.  And all the time our scanty supply of coal was being eaten up, until it was said that Campbell’s party would never be taken to King Edward VII.’s Land.  Scott found decisions to bank fires, to raise steam or to let fires out, most difficult at this time.  “If one lets fires out it means a dead loss of over two tons, when the boiler has to be heated again.  But this two tons would only cover a day under banked fires, so that for anything longer than twenty-four hours it is economy to put the fires out.  At each stoppage one is called upon to decide whether it is to be for more or less than twenty-four hours."[80] Certainly England should have an oil-driven ship for polar work.

The Terra Nova proved a wonderfully fine ice ship.  Bowers’ middle watch especially became famous for the way in which he put the ship at the ice, and more than once Scott was alarmed by the great shock and collisions which were the result:  I have seen him hurry up from his cabin to put a stop to it!  But Bowers never hurt the ship, and she gallantly responded to the calls made upon her.  Sometimes it was a matter of forcing two floes apart, at others of charging and breaking one.  Often we went again and again at some stubborn bit, backing and charging alternately, as well as the space behind us would allow.  If sufficient momentum was gained the ship rode upon the thicker floes, rising up upon it and pressing it down beneath her, until suddenly, perhaps when its nearest edge was almost amidships, the weight became too great and the ice split beneath us.  At other times a tiny crack, no larger than a vein, would run shivering from our bows, which widened and widened until the whole ship passed through without difficulty.  Always when below one heard the grumbling of the ice as it passed along the side.  But it was slow work, and hard on the engines.  There were days when we never moved at all.