the scattered parties. By 4.30 we had reassembled on the rocks where we
had landed in the forenoon, but the rollers being fifteen feet high, it
was obviously unwise to send off cameras and perishable gear, and since
it was equally inadvisable to leave the whole party ashore without food
and sufficient clothing and the prospect of an inhospitable island home
for days, we all swam off one by one, the boat's crew working a grassline
bent to a lifebuoy. The boat to which we swam was riding to a big anchor
a hundred feet from the shore, just outside the surf. There were a few
sharks round the whaler, but they were shy and left us alone. Rennick
worked round the boat in a small Norwegian pram and scared them away.
Many trigger fish swallowed the thick vegetable oil which the boat's crew
ladled into the sea to keep the surf down, and I think this probably
attracted the sharks, though it was not very nice to swim through. None
of us were any the worse for our romp ashore, but the long day and the
hot sun tired us all out. Nearly all the afterguard slept on the upper
deck that night, and, but for the dismal roar of the swell breaking on
the rocks and the heavy rolling of the "Terra Nova," we spent quite a
comfortable night. Dr. Atkinson and Brewster had been left ashore with
the gear, but they got no sleep because all night the terns flew round
crying and protesting against their intrusion. The wail of these birds
sounds like the deep note of a banjo. The two men mostly feared the land
crabs, but to their surprise they were left in peace.

Next day about 9 a.m. I went in with Rennick, Bowers, Oates, Gran, and
two seamen to the landing place, taking a whaler and pram equipped with
grass hawser, breeches buoy, rocket line, and everything necessary to
bring off the gear. We had a rough time getting the stuff away undamaged
by the sea, but the pram was a wonderful sea-boat and we took it in turns
to work her through the surf until everything was away.