Endurance Part III: Ch. 4-6

     Food continues to become more scarce and the men start to blame Shackleton for not letting them kill seals when they had the chance. When Shackleton tells them that one of the remaining dog teams must be killed, the crew reacts indifferently, showing that now they have given up their sense of civilization to focus solely on survival. It is hard to imagine not caring about killing my pets, but it just proves how harsh it was being stuck on an ice floe with no control or means of survival for half a year.

     On March 23, Shackleton spotted land. They were estimated to be about 57 miles away from the island, but the ice made it impossible to try to take the boats there; even with help so close, they were still at the mercy of the floe as it carried them ever closer to land. They shot and killed an 11-foot seal for blubber and killed the remaining dog team for food. When two cracks threaten to break apart the floe, the crew quickly move to a more stable part of the ice. They spot land again and promising signs of open water. It is at this time that Worsley uses an adage that is very true in this situation:

"...plus a black eater sky to the northwest, the presence of the swell, and a high temperature of 34 degrees, led Worsley to remark: 'It certainly looks promising.' But then he added: 'Hope tells a flattering tale.'"

     Things started looking up when they caught another seal on McLeod's birthday, but things soon turned bad again when they realized that they were going to pass by land and head straight into open sea. The "emotional roller coaster" that the men had to have been going through must have been exhausting, not to mention the physical toll it was taking on them. I think it was a crazy idea to start an expedition like this in the first place, but i also value their courage, determination, and sense of adventure.

     When their ice floe (which they had named Patience Camp) began to break into smaller and smaller pieces, Shackleton gave the order to prepare the boats. Everyone hurried to get them ready while there was a break in the ice and open water to go through. As they sailed away from Patience Camp, the ice began to close again, creating a feeling of hurried fear for the need to survive.