NOTE: An unidentified person who knew Shackleton early in his career characterized the Boss as a "Viking with a mother's heart." In this anecdote from Dr. Macklin's journal, we get a glimpse of that trait.
Macklin's Journal - November 24, 1915
...
After lunch Wild, Hurley and myself took a sledge and went to where the ship had sunk. We had great difficulty in getting there, scrambling and jumping over leads and rotten ice, frequently using the sledge as a bridge. Hurley had brought his camera, but did not get any photos. The ice had undergone considerable pressure and movement, and the pieces which had crushed her and were holding her up were separated by hundreds of yards. Coming back we chose a new route, and found better going on the whole; but at the end found ourselves with a broad lead between us and camp. Sir E., who had been watching us, came to our assistance and we finally got across by flinging him the traces of the sledge and putting the sledge & ourselves on a small floe, thus being ferried over. The evening turned out bright and sunny.
Everybody in camp is bright and healthy, and most of us are quite pleased to be sitting here doing nothing and slowly drifting N.