She received one or two hard nips, but resisted them without as much as a creak.

It looked at one stage as if the ship was to be made the plaything of successive floes, and I was relieved when she came to a standstill with a large piece of our old "dock" under the starboard bilge.

I had the boats cleared away ready for lowering, got up some additional stores, and set a double watch.

All hands were warned to stand by, get what sleep they could, and have their warmest clothing at hand.

Around us lay the ruins of "Dog Town" amid the debris of pressure- ridges.