"_Sunday, January_ 8.

"This morning a regrettable accident took place. The third and newest
motor sledge was hoisted out and, while being hauled clear on to the
firm ice, it broke through and sank in deep water. Campbell and Day
came in with the news, which Captain Scott took awfully well.

"It was nobody's fault, as Simpson and Campbell both tested the floe
first and found it quite thick and apparently good. However, there it
is, in about 100 fathoms of water.

"We stopped sledging for the day and those on board shifted the ship
by warping, but could not get her into a satisfactory billet, so
raised steam.

"We spent the day working on the hut and putting chairs and benches
together. Captain Scott put the sledge meters together and I helped
him. These are similar to the distance meters on motor-cars. They
register in nautical miles (6084 feet) and yards, to 25 yards or less
by interpolation.

"Took a True Bearing and found the approximate variation for Simpson
(149 degrees E.)."

On the following day those on board the ship shifted her to a new
position alongside the fast ice, just under a mile from our beach. The
transportation of stores continued and we got ashore a great number of
bales of compressed fodder, also some Crown Preserve Patent Fuel. As
there was nothing much to do on the beach my party lent a hand with the