save it alive. On the following day Wild, Hurley, Macklin, and McIlroy
took their teams to the Stained Berg, about seven miles west of the
ship, and on their way back got a female crab-eater, which they killed,
skinned, and left to be picked up later. They ascended to the top of
the berg, which lay in about lat. 69° 30´ S., long. 51° W., and from an
elevation of 110 ft. could see no land. Samples of the discoloured
ice from the berg proved to contain dust with black gritty particles or
sand-grains. Another seal, a bull Weddell, was secured on the 26th.
The return of seal-life was opportune, since we had nearly finished the
winter supply of dog-biscuit and wished to be able to feed the dogs on
meat. The seals meant a supply of blubber, moreover, to supplement our
small remaining stock of coal when the time came to get up steam again.
We initiated a daylight-saving system on this day by putting forward
the clock one hour. "This is really pandering to the base but universal
passion that men, and especially seafarers, have for getting up late,
otherwise we would be honest and make our routine earlier instead of
flogging the clock."

During the concluding days of September the roar of the pressure grew
louder, and I could see that the area of disturbance was rapidly
approaching the ship. Stupendous forces were at work and the fields of
firm ice around the 'Endurance' were being diminished steadily.
September 30 was a bad day. It began well, for we got two penguins and
five seals during the morning. Three other seals were seen. But at 3
p.m. cracks that had opened during the night alongside the ship
commenced to work in a lateral direction. The ship sustained terrific
pressure on the port side forward, the heaviest shocks being under the
forerigging. It was the worst squeeze we had experienced. The decks
shuddered and jumped, beams arched, and stanchions buckled and shook.
I ordered all hands to stand by in readiness for whatever emergency