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have been of zilch use. I'm so clumsy I could hardly get my foot over the steps. I packed things away -- took my shower & shampoo, & came back to room to let hair dry. Fussed with lots of items, packed laundry, washed wind pants in cold water - &, finally, fixed bed & got into it. I was so tired I dozed a bit & then rested until 4:30 or so when Tony came in. Young, beautiful, high spirited, happy. 

About 5:25 I went up to Tweendeck & found Bill & others awaiting supper. I wound up eating w Bill at Captain's table -- captain not there. He wants me to write to Wilkins about our season.

After dinner I passed up opportunity to go outside & watch us break thru thick Ice. Phil said there were Adelie penguins clowning alongside, and he saw one emperor penguin and 1 Sheathbill. It's a great show, but I was not in heavy clothes & must be tired, overall. 

After dinner read magazines & talked w [[strikethrough]] Mike [[/strikethrough]] Mark Eichenberger about season. He said that, once the schedule was set at orientation, people expected to follow it. He sympathized w. biologists wanting fishing time & understood it. When our interests & theirs began to clash because of weather, the biologists showed no give -- no willingness to compromise, Mark lost sympathy. It came down to a we vs. they game, with Buzy in the middle. Buzy made the decision to take us off early & go to Palmer. Mark thought it a very good decision indeed, made under

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pressure. Mark lost even more sympathy when biologists still bitched -- they were getting the time they needed, but didn't win the whole deck!

We have been breaking ice -- a lot of it. Rolling, & jogging, and pitching, grinding & crushing. Again & again it has sounded as though we were being ripped open like a can. Slow motion. We wonder if the ship will stop, as it did last night. In fact it may have done so, about 9:20, but, in that case we are being hit by moving floes. Writing is difficult -- sleeping won't be easy. But this begins our week's cruise of the Peninsula aboard the Polar Duke.

[[underlined]] Tuesday, March 12 [[/underlined]]
The grinding, butting, & crunching went on into the night. Reports this morning said it was an exciting sight. Penguins scattered at our approach, a few seals resisted moving until they had their floe break apart. Great icebergs crowded around - we split & backed & butted forward with great skill. Then, after 10:30, the moon came out. It was a polar special. I missed it because I was tired. I had showered & shampooed, and didn't want to bundle up again -- and I forgot that I could get to the Captain's bridge without going outside. So, I can imagine the scene, & that is nearly as good.

Once in the night, the closeness in the cabin roused me out thinking I was buried under an avalanche & must dig my way out. I got up & was immensely relieved to find myself in a little space with a door that opened. 

Finally woke for good about 7:40 realizing we