time Bowers and Campbell were standing upon the bridge, and the ship
rolled sluggishly over until the lee combings of the main hatch were
under the sea. They watched anxiously, and slowly she righted herself,
but "she won't do that often," said Bowers. As a rule if a ship gets that
far over she goes down.

* * * * *

Our journey was uneventful for a time, but of course it was not by any
means smooth. "I was much disturbed last night by the motion; the ship
was pitching and twisting with short sharp movements on a confused sea,
and with every plunge my thoughts flew to our poor ponies. This afternoon
they are fairly well, but one knows that they must be getting weaker as
time goes on, and one longs to give them a good sound rest with a ship on
an even keel. Poor patient beasts! One wonders how far the memory of
such fearful discomfort will remain with them--animals so often remember
places and conditions where they have encountered difficulties or hurt.
Do they only recollect circumstances which are deeply impressed by some
shock of fear or sudden pain, and does the remembrance of prolonged
strain pass away? Who can tell? But it would seem strangely merciful if
nature should blot out these weeks of slow but inevitable torture."[50]

On December 7, noon position 61° 22´ S., 179° 56´ W., one berg was
sighted far away to the west, as it gleamed every now and then in the
sun. Two more were seen the next day, and at 6.22 A.M. on December 9,
noon position 65° 8´ S., 177° 41´ W., the pack was sighted ahead by
Rennick. All that day we passed bergs and streams of ice. The air became
dry and bracing, the sea was calm, and the sun shining on the islands of
ice was more than beautiful. And then Bump! We had just charged the first
big floe, and we were in the pack.