Chapter 15
Accident or Incident?THE NEXT DAY, March 22, at six o'clock in the morning,
preparations for departure began. The last gleams of twilight were
melting into night. The cold was brisk. The constellations were
glittering with startling intensity. The wonderful Southern Cross,
polar star of the Antarctic regions, twinkled at its zenith.
The thermometer marked –12° centigrade, and a fresh breeze left
a sharp nip in the air. Ice floes were increasing over the open
water. The sea was starting to congeal everywhere. Numerous
blackish patches were spreading over its surface, announcing the
imminent formation of fresh ice. Obviously this southernmost basin
froze over during its six–month winter and became utterly
inaccessible. What happened to the whales during this period? No
