Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Reactions to land vary widely among the men; some walk about aimlessly, while others drop to the earth to sense a solid surface, and still others merely mumble to themselves. Most of the crew are experiencing equilibrium difficulties due to the length of time that they have spent in unstable boats. Green, the cook, prepares a boiling mug of milk for each man, which helps to revive them. Potential food sources, such as seals and penguins, abound on the island, and a party is sent out to hunt seals. When they return, Green keeps cooking until the men stop eating. This process goes on for hours. They sleep soundly, lulled by the sounds of penguins. Even the hour of night watch duty is pleasurable, as the watchmen “feed themselves, keep the blubber fire going, feed themselves, dry their clothes, feed themselves, and then feed themselves again before turning in” (227).

Shackleton permits the crew to sleep until 9:30 the following morning. He announces that they will have to move camp due to evidence that the beach on which they are camped has marks of high tides. Second-in-command Frank Wild is selected to sail along the island’s coast in order to locate a more secure site.