The sun sank lower in the sky, the temperatures became lower, and the ‘Endurance’ felt the grip of the icy hand of winter.  Two north-easterly gales in the early part of April assisted to consolidate the pack.  The young ice was thickening rapidly, and though leads were visible occasionally from the ship, no opening of a considerable size appeared in our neighbourhood.  In the early morning of April 1 we listened again for the wireless signals from Port Stanley.  The crew had lashed three 20-ft. rickers to the mast-heads in order to increase the spread of our aerials, but still we failed to hear anything.  The rickers had to come down subsequently, since we found that the gear could not carry the accumulating weight of rime.  Soundings proved that the sea continued to shoal as the ‘Endurance’ drifted to the north-west.  The depth on April 2 was 262 fathoms, with a bottom of glacial mud.  Four weeks later a sounding gave 172 fathoms.  The presence of grit in the bottom samples towards the end of the month suggested that we were approaching land again.

The month was not uneventful.  During the night of the 3rd we heard the ice grinding to the eastward, and in the morning we saw that young ice was rafted 8 to 10 ft. high in places.  This was the first murmur of the danger that was to reach menacing proportions in later months.  The ice was heard grinding and creaking during the 4th and the ship vibrated slightly.  The movement of the floe was sufficiently pronounced to interfere with the magnetic work.  I gave orders that accumulations of snow, ice, and rubbish alongside the ‘Endurance’ should be shovelled away, so that in case of pressure there would be no weight against the topsides to check the ship rising above the ice.  All hands were busy with pick and shovel during the day, and moved many tons of material.  Again, on the 9th, there were signs of pressure.  Young ice was piled up to a height of 11 ft. astern of the ship, and the old floe was cracked in places.  The movement was not serious, but I realized that it might be the beginning of trouble for the Expedition.  We brought certain stores aboard and provided space on deck for the dogs in case they had to be removed from the floe at short notice.  We had run a 500-fathom steel wire round the ship, snow-huts, and kennels, with a loop out to the lead ahead, where the dredge was used.  This wire was supported on ice-pillars, and it served as a guide in bad weather when the view was obscured by driving snow and a man might have lost himself altogether.  I had this wire cut in five places, since otherwise it might have been dragged across our section of the floe with damaging effect in the event of the ice splitting suddenly.