The temperature remained relatively high for several days.  All hands moved to their summer quarters in the upper cabins on the 12th, to the accompaniment of much noise and laughter.  Spring was in the air, and if there were no green growing things to gladden our eyes, there were at least many seals, penguins, and even whales disporting themselves in the leads.  The time for renewed action was coming, and though our situation was grave enough, we were facing the future hopefully.  The dogs were kept in a state of uproar by the sight of so much game.  They became almost frenzied when a solemn-looking emperor penguin inspected them gravely from some point of vantage on the floe and gave utterance to an apparently derisive “Knark!” At 7 p.m. on the 13th the ship broke free of the floe on which she had rested to starboard sufficiently to come upright.  The rudder freed itself, but the propeller was found to be athwartship, having been forced into that position by the floe some time after August 1.  The water was very clear and we could see the rudder, which appeared to have suffered only a slight twist to port at the water-line.  It moved quite freely.  The propeller, as far as we could see, was intact, but it could not be moved by the hand-gear, probably owing to a film of ice in the stern gland and sleeve.  I did not think it advisable to attempt to deal with it at that stage.  The ship had not been pumped for eight months, but there was no water and not much ice in the bilges.  Meals were served again in the wardroom that day.

The south-westerly breeze freshened to a gale on the 14th, and the temperature fell from +31° Fahr. to -1° Fahr.  At midnight the ship came free from the floe and drifted rapidly astern.  Her head fell off before the wind until she lay nearly at right-angles across the narrow lead.  This was a dangerous position for rudder and propeller.  The spanker was set, but the weight of the wind on the ship gradually forced the floes open until the ‘Endurance’ swung right round and drove 100 yds. along the lead.  Then the ice closed and at 3 a.m. we were fast again.  The wind died down during the day and the pack opened for five or six miles to the north.  It was still loose on the following morning, and I had the boiler pumped up with the intention of attempting to clear the propeller; but one of the manholes developed a leak, the packing being perished by cold or loosened by contraction, and the boiler had to be emptied out again.

The pack was rather closer on Sunday the 17th.  Top-sails and head-sails were set in the afternoon, and with a moderate north-easterly breeze we tried to force the ship ahead out of the lead; but she was held fast.  Later that day heavy pressure developed.  The two floes between which the ‘Endurance’ was lying began to close and the ship was subjected to a series of tremendously heavy strains.  In the engine-room, the weakest point, loud groans, crashes, and hammering sounds were heard.  The