The next attack of the ice came on the afternoon of October 18th. The
two floes began to move laterally, exerting great pressure on the ship.
Suddenly the floe on the port side cracked and huge pieces of ice shot
up from under the port bilge. Within a few seconds the ship heeled
over until she had a list of thirty degrees to port, being held under
the starboard bilge by the opposing floe. The lee boats were now
almost resting on the floe. The midship dog-kennels broke away and
crashed down on to the lee kennels, and the howls and barks of the
frightened dogs assisted to create a perfect pandemonium. Everything
movable on deck and below fell to the lee side, and for a few minutes
it looked as if the 'Endurance' would be thrown upon her beam ends.
Order was soon restored. I had all fires put out and battens nailed on
the deck to give the dogs a foothold and enable people to get about.
Then the crew lashed all the movable gear. If the ship had heeled any
farther it would have been necessary to release the lee boats and pull
them clear, and Worsley was watching to give the alarm. Hurley
meanwhile descended to the floe and took some photographs of the ship
in her unusual position. Dinner in the wardroom that evening was a
curious affair. Most of the diners had to sit on the deck, their feet
against battens and their plates on their knees. At 8 p.m. the floes
opened, and within a few minutes the 'Endurance' was nearly upright
again. Orders were given for the ice to be chipped clear of the
rudder. The men poled the blocks out of the way when they had been
detached from the floe with the long ice-chisels, and we were able to
haul the ship's stern into a clear berth. Then the boiler was pumped
up. This work was completed early in the morning of October 19, and
during that day the engineer lit fires and got up steam very slowly, in
order to economize fuel and avoid any strain on the chilled boilers by
unequal heating. The crew cut up all loose lumber, boxes, etc., and