The voyage of the 'Discovery'

The

§1 mAQL of

m the 'DISCOVERY

Captain

KQliartOcotI

THE VOYAGE

OF

THE 'DISCOVERY'
VOL. II.

THE

VOYAGE OF
THE 'DISCOVERY'

BY

CAPTAIN ROBERT F. SCOTT

C.V.O., R.N.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS
IN TWO VOLUMES

VOL II.

THE COPP, CLARK CO., LIMITED

Ifxmiiott

MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED

1905

(All rights reserved)

H Polar-

604292

CONTENTS

OF

THE SECOND VOLUME

CHAPTER XIII

JOURNEY TO- THE FARTHEST SOUTH

Future Plans Modified by Reconnaissance Journeys — Trip to Cape
Crozier — Start of the Southern Journey — Depot ' A ' — Descrip-
tion of the Dog Team — Equipment of Sledges — Return of Sup-
porting Party — Failure of the Dogs — Relay Work — Dog-driving
— Dcg-food— Atmospheric Phenomenon— Cracking of the Sur-
face Crust—New Land in Sight— Beautiful Effects produced by
Snow-Crystals— Dogs Weakening — Slow Progress — Depot ' B' —
The Chasm — Pushing Southward — Increase of Hunger — Further
Land — Scurvy Appearing— Cooking Arrangements — Soft Snow —
Experiences with the Dogs — Christmas Day and its Good Cheer

CHAPTER XIV

RETURN FROM THE FAR SOUTH

Result of Shortage of Food — Nature of the Coastline — Snow-blind-
ness— Approaching the Limit of our Journey — View to the South
— New Mountains — Blizzard at our Extreme South — Turning
Homeward — Attempt to Reach the Land — The Passing of our
Dog Team— Help from our Sail — Difficult Surfaces — Running

VI

THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

PAGE

before a Storm — Finding Depot ' B '— Scurvy Again — Shackleton
Becomes 111- The Last of our Dog Team — Bad Light for Steer-
ing— Anxious Days — Depot 'A' — Over-eating — The Last Lap —
Home Again— Our Welcome 49

CHAPTER XV

WHAT HAD HAPPENED DURING OUR ABSENCE IN THE SOUTH

Royds' Journey to Cape Crozier — The King's Birthday — Athletic
Sports — The Western Journey — Difficulties amongst the Moun-
tains— Ascent of the Ferrar Glacier — Approaching the Summit —
First Party on the Interior of Victoria Land— Return of Western
Party — Summer Thawing — About the Islands to the South-West
— Curious Ice Formations — Recovery of the Boats — Preparing
for Sea — History of the Relief Expedition — Arrival of the
• Morning ' 94

CHAPTER XVI

OUR SECOND WINTER

Effects of the Strain of the Southern Journey — Communication with
the ' Morning'— Change of Weather — Stores Transported —
Delays in the Break-up of the Ice — Closing of the Season —De-
parture of the ' Morning ' — Making Provision for the Winter —
Settling Down— Hockey — Departure of the Sun — Fishing Opera-
tions— Record Temperatures — The Electrometer — Midwinter
Feast — Our Growing Puppies— Hodgson at Work— The ' Flying
Scud'— Return of the Sun — Signs of Summer— Plans for the
Future- - General Good Health .120

CHAPTER XVII

COMMENCEMENT OF OUR SECOND SLEDGING SEASON

Parlies Starting— Away to New Harbour— We Find a Good Road,
Establish a Depot, and Return— Sledging in Record Tempera-
tures—Experiences in Different Directions— Emperor Penguin
Chicks — Eclipse of the Sun— A Great Capture— Preparing for
the Western Journey- Ascending Ferrar Glacier— Our Sledges
Break Down— Forced to Return— Some Good Marching — Fresh

CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME vii

I'AUE

Start — More Troubles with the Sledges— A Heavy Loss— Wind
from the Summit — The Upper Glacier — A Week in Camp— We
Break Away and Reach the Summit— Hard Conditions — Party
Divided — Eight Days Onward — An Awe-inspiring Plain — We
Turn as the Month Ends 151

CHAPTER XVIII

RETURN FROM THE WEST

Returning over the Great Plateau — Doubts about Provisions and Oil
— Harrowing Effect of Fresh Snowfall — Thick Weather — No
Sight of Landmarks — Sudden Descent into Glacier — Escape from
a Crevasse — Exploration of North Arm — A Curious Valley —
Return to the Ship— Results of other Sledging Efforts — Ferrar's
Journey — Barne's Journey — Royds' Journey — Shorter Journeys —
Review of Sledging Work 197

CHAPTER XIX

ESCAPE FROM THE ICE

Indigestion — Arrival at the Sawing Camp — Sawing Operations —
Break-up of Sawing Party — The Open Water — Arrival of the
Relief Ships — Unwelcome News — Stagnant Condition of the
Ice — Depressing Effect— Preparations for Abandoning the 'Dis-
covery ' — Ice Breaking Away — Explosions —Anxious Days —
Final Break-up of the Ice -Dramatic Approach of the Relief Ships
— The Small Fleet Together — Final Explosion — The ' Discovery '
Free 227

CHAPTER XX

HOMEWARD BOUND

Memorial to our Lost Shipmate — Gale Commences— Ship Driven
on Shore — Gloomy Outlook — Sudden Escape — Coaling — Driven
North — Departure of 'Morning' — Wood Bay— Trouble with
Pumps— Possession Islands— Rudder Disabled — Robertson Bay —
Rudder Replaced — Towards Cape North — Heavy Pack — Skirting
Pack— 'Terra Nova' Parts Company— Balleny Islands— Over

viii THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY

TAGE

Wilkes' Land— Turning North -The Last Iceberg —Auckland
Islands — Reassembly — New Zealand Again — Voyage Homeward
— Completion of our Work — Our First Monotony— Home . . 262

GENERAL SURVEY OF OUR OBSERVATIONS ... 300

APPENDIX I

Summary of the Geological Observations made during the Cruise of
the s.s. 'Discovery,' 1901-1904. By II. T. Ferrar, M.A.,
F.G.S., Geologist to the National Antarctic Expedition . . 32 j

APPENDIX II

On the Whales, Seals and Birds of Ross Sea and South Victoria
Land. By Edward A. Wilson, M.B., F.Z.S., Zoologist on
the National Antarctic Expedition 35:

INDEX 375

ILLUSTRATIONS

IN

THE SECOND VOLUME

Christmas Camp amongst the Ice-borne Boulders . Frontispiece

Chasm which Prevented us from Reaching the

Land Facing p. 62

Looking up from New Harbour .... ,,152

Emperors' Rookery under the Broken Ice-cliff
at Cape Crozier ,, 370

Chart of Sledge Journeys from Winter Quar-
ters Facing p. 374

CHAPTER XIII

JOURNEY TO THE FARTHEST SOUTH

Future Plans Modified by Reconnaissance Journeys — Trip to Cape Crozier
— Start of the Southern Journey — Depot ' A ' — Description of the Dog
Team — Equipment of Sledges — Return of Supporting Party — Failure
of the Dogs— Relay Work — Dog-driving — Dog-food — Atmospheric
Phenomenon— Cracking of the Surface Crust — New Land in Sight —
Beautiful Effects Produced by Snow-crystals— Dogs Weakening —Slow
Progress — Depot ' B ' — The Chasm — Pushing Southward — Increase
of Hunger — Further Land— Scurvy Appearing — Cooking-arrange-
ments— Soft Snow — Experiences with the Dogs — Christmas Day and
its Good Cheer.

Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. . . .

. . . Shew us here
That you are worth your breeding, which I doubt not.
For there is none so mean or base
That have not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. — Shakespeare.

Although the gravity of our outbreak of scurvy was not under-
rated, and we had been busied in measures for the prevention
of its recurrence, it must not be supposed that we had allowed
it in any way to interfere with our plans for the future. Our
preparations were pushed on as vigorously as though no such
cloud had come to overshadow the brightness of our outlook.

The general results of the spring journeys had enabled us
to lay our plans for the summer with greater definition. Our
reconnaissance to the south had indicated that the main party,

VOL. II. B

2 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Oct.

after leaving the Bluff, would have to travel directly over the
snow-plain at a long distance from, and possibly out of sight of,
land ; the probability was that no further depots could be
established, and hence it was desirable that the party should
be supported as far as possible on their route. This theory
added another object for our sledging efforts, for if the coast
ran sharply to the west after rounding the Bluff it was evidently
desirable that we should gain some information concerning it.
To meet these requirements it was decided that Barne, with a
party of twelve men, should accompany the dog team until the
weights were reduced to an amount which the latter could
drag without assistance. He was then to return to the ship,
and, after a short rest, to start again, with a party of six, and
endeavour to follow the coastline west of the Bluff. With
such a plan as I have outlined it was hoped that there would
be a good chance of solving the mysteries in a southerly
direction ; and as soon as this was in train Armitage was to
have at his disposal all the resources of men and material in
the ship for his attack on the western region.

In considering his earlier observations, Armitage had come
to the conclusion that it was impossible to force a way through
the entrance to New Harbour, where for so many miles he had
seemed to see a chaos of ice and morainic material, and he
thought his best chance lay in ascending to the foothill plateau,
in the neighbourhood of the so-called ' Eskers,' as from this he
hoped to rind a pass which would lead him over the main ridge
of mountains.

In busily preparing for this programme we did not forget
the advantage we possessed in the fact that our surfaces and
general travelling conditions were likely to improve rather
than otherwise as the summer advanced ; we should have
little of the sea-ice to cross, and we knew that with our cold
summer this would not develop into the same treacherous
condition that it does in the North, whilst the surfaces to the
south or inland could not possibly grow moist and sludgy.
With these conditions we could arrange our movements to
take advantage of what we hoped to find the warmest and

i902] MODIFICATION OF PLANS 3

finest summer months ; and since there was no chance of the
ship being released from the ice until February, there was
little object in our sledge parties being back much before that
date, while we should travel during the time that the sun was
circling at its greatest altitude.

As a further result of our reconnaissance journeys, we
were now better able to judge of the requirements of each
individual party as far as smaller matters of equipment were
concerned. It was evident that the western travellers would
have to be provided with ice-axes, crampons, ropes, and other
necessaries for climbing ; but it seemed that in going to the
south we should be safe in omitting these accessories, and in
preparing for a journey in which there was no formidable
obstruction. As we proposed to begin our journey to the
south at the end of October, it can be imagined that, with so
many minor details to be attended to, the last weeks of the
month were not a slack season for any of us.

On Friday, October 24, Royds and his party returned to
the ship, having achieved the object of communicating with
our ' Record ' post at Cape Crozier. We now had the satis-
faction of knowing that we had done all in our power to guide
a possible relief ship to our winter quarters ; should she make
a diligent search on the northern slopes of Terror, as had
been arranged, she would at least have a good prospect of
receiving the latest information concerning us. It was also a
very great source of satisfaction to find that the party returned
in excellent health, for they had left us almost immediately
after the outbreak of scurvy, and that they should have come
back safe and well went far to show that hard sledging work
would not necessarily cause a return of the disease.

From our experience of the previous season we had con-
cluded that Terror Point, as the eastern extremity of the land
mass was called, was an extremely windy region, and the
adventures of this party left the matter beyond much doubt.
Skirting the large bay south of Erebus to avoid the deeper
snow, they had carried fine but cold weather with them on
the outward march, and until October 10, when they were

B2

4 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Oct.

able to make their most advanced camp, ready to proceed
over the bare rocks towards the rookery. The nth proved a
beautifully calm, bright day, and Royds, having injured his
ankle, deputed the task of reaching the ' Record ' to Skelton.
The latter left the camp at noon with Evans, and by 6 p.m.
returned, having accomplished his errand ; in the bright, clear
afternoon he had little difficulty in finding the spot, and came
to the conclusion that they must have been within a very short
distance of it in their autumn wanderings.

On the 1 2th Skelton set out again with two companions,
this time intent on photographing the immense ice disturbance
caused by the barrier pushing around the land. After taking
several photographs he returned, and the homeward route
brought him close to the edge of the Crozier cliffs, where they
rise with magnificent grandeur and form a frowning precipice
more than 8oo feet sheer above the sea ; from this point of
vantage he looked down directly on the barrier edge and into
the small bay which breaks its outline near the land. Whilst
he was admiring the beauty of the scene, his quick eye caught
sight of numerous small dots on the sea-ice far below ; it was
not long before he decided that they must be Emperor pen-
guins. He asked himself what they could be doing here in
such numbers, and wondered if it were possible that at last the
breeding-place of these mysterious birds had been discovered
— it seemed almost too good to be true. Assurance must wait
for some future occasion, and in the meanwhile he returned to
the camp in no small state of excitement.

To-morrow the mystery must be cleared up ; but to-morrow
brought the wind, and not a yard- from their tents could the
party stir. This was the 13th. On the 14th the weather
proved equally bad, save for a short lull, when they were able
to prepare a hot meal ; directly afterwards, the blizzard swept
down on them again and continued without intermission
throughout the 15th, 16th, and 17 th.

Before the gale they had built elaborate protecting snow
walls to windward of the tents, and these almost proved their
undoing; for the never-ceasing drift collected deeper and

i9o2] TRIP TO CAPE CROZIER 5

deeper behind these walls, and the occupants of the tents were
conscious that the snow was gradually accumulating around
them and that they were now powerless to prevent it. It soon
reduced the light within to a mere glimmer, and then, becoming
heavier and heavier on every fold of canvas, it diminished their
interior space to such an extent that all were obliged to lie with
their knees bent double. In the end they were practically
buried in the heart of a snowdrift; but whilst the stout
bamboos bent under the load and still further narrowed the
space within, they luckily withstood the strain to the end.

It was now only by observing the extreme summit of their
tents that the prisoners had any indication of what was
happening without. Though in some respects this was a
relief, yet for want of space they were unable to cook any food,
they could barely turn from side to side, and they suffered a
martyrdom from cramp. Their enclosed position brought
them comparative warmth, but what advantage they gained in
this way was largely discounted by the sodden dampness of
articles which had thawed.

On the 17 th the snow ceased to drift. The occupants of
one tent were able to free themselves after some difficulty, but
the other tent had literally to be dug out before its imprisoned
members could be got into the open ; whilst the sledges and
all that had been left without were buried completely out of
sight. The tale of five days spent in the manner which I have
described is soon told — Mr. Royds dismisses it in half a page
of his report — but I, and I believe the reader may, find that no
great effort of imagination is needed to grasp the horrible dis-
comforts that it involved ; and yet when this party were
recounting their adventures on board the ship, one might have
imagined that the incident was all extremely amusing. The
hardships had been forgotten, and all that the men seemed to
remember was how So-and-so had launched out with the cramp
and kicked someone else fair in the middle, or how the occu-
pants of one tent had declared that they had been awakened
by the snoring of some particular member in the other.

It was not until the 18th that the wind ceased, and they

6 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Oct.

were able to make shift to dry their equipment and to look out
on the scene about them. When they had arrived the whole
Ross Sea had been frozen over as far as their eyes could see,
and now they gazed on a sheet of open water. Not a scrap of
ice remained in sight, except in the bay to which Skelton had
directed his footsteps at an early hour ; in this bay the ice
still hung, and it was doubtless the permanency of this sheet
which had caused the Emperor penguins to adopt it as a
breeding-place.

For Skelton had not been deceived in his observation : on
reaching the sea-ice in this bay, after a stiff climb over the
high-pressure ridges, he found again his colony of Emperors,
numbering some four hundred, and, to his delight, amongst
them several that were nursing chicks.

Upon the great interest of this find, and upon the many
important notes which were made concerning the colony, both
at this time and at a later date, I will not dwell, as these facts
are dealt with in the excellent appendix which our zoologist,
Dr. Wilson, has contributed to this volume, describing the
habits of these extraordinary birds far more clearly than I
could hope to do ; I will only testify to the joy which greeted
this discovery on board the ship. We had felt that . this
penguin was the truest type of our region. All other birds
fled north when the severity of winter descended upon us : the
Emperor alone was prepared to face the extremest rigours of
our climate : and we gathered no small satisfaction from being
the first to throw light on the habits of a creature that so far
surpasses in hardihood all others of the feathered tribe.

Full of their exploits the party started for home on the
rcjth, and, as I have said, reached the ship on the 24th.

Before the end of the month everything was prepared for
the southern journey, instructions for various sledge parties
and for the custody of the ship had been given, details of the
conduct of affairs had been discussed and rediscussed. Every
eventuality seemed to be provided for, and nothing now re-
mained but to wait for the date which had been fixed for our
departure.

1902] START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 7

The southern supporting party, as I have said, consisted
of Mr. Barne with eleven men ; and as it was expected that at
first, at any rate, the dogs would outstrip the men, it was
decided that this party should start on October 30, but that
the dog team should not leave until a few days later. All were
to meet at the depot which I had laid out, and which was now
known as Depot ' A.'

Accordingly, on October 30, I record : ' The supporting
party started this morning, amidst a scene of much enthusiasm ;
all hands had a day off, and employed it in helping to drag the
sledges for several miles. The sledges carried some decora-
tions : Barne's banner floated on the first, the next bore a
Union Jack, and another carried a flag with a large device
stating " No dogs need apply " ; the reference was obvious. It
was an inspiriting sight to see nearly the whole of our small
company step out on the march with ringing cheers, and to
think that all work of this kind promised to be done as heartily.
Later Shackleton had a trial trip with the dogs to get our
runners in better order, and the animals started so strongly that
they carried away the central trace and started to gallop off ;
but luckily they all wanted to go in different directions, and so
didn't get far, and, luckily also, there were a few of us about
to prevent the worst effect of the inevitable fights.'

' November 2. — . . . We are off at last. By ten this
morning the dogs were harnessed and all was ready for a start ;
the overcast sky was showing signs of a break in the south.
Every soul was gathered on the floe to bid us farewell, and
many were prepared to accompany us for the first few miles.
A last look was given to our securings, the traces were finally
cleared, and away we went amidst the wild cheers of our
comrades. The dogs have never been in such form ; despite
the heavy load, for the first two miles two men had to sit on the
sledges to check them, and even thus it was as much as the
rest of us could do to keep up by running alongside. One by
one our followers tailed off, and by noon we three were alone
with our animals and still breathlessly trying to keep pace with
them. Soon after lunch we saw a dark spot far ahead, and

8 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

about 5 p.m. we made this out to be our supporting party ; we
caught them up just as they were rounding the corner of White
Island, and learnt that they had had very bad weather which
had confined them to their tents. Relieving them of some of
their loads, we camped, whilst they pushed on to get the
advantage of a night march.'

' November 3. — ... At 2 p.m. we came up with Barne's
people. They are doing their best, but making very slow
progress. The difficulty is the slipperiness of the wind-swept
snow, the surface being particularly hard amongst the sastrugi
opposite the gullies of the island. They can get no hold with
their fur boots, and find their leather ski boots dreadfully cold
for the feet ; the result is that they scarcely cover a mile an
hour. The only thing is for us to take life easy whilst they go
on in the best manner possible; we have relieved them of
over 150 lbs. of weight, so that they now only help us to the
extent of 500 lbs. I have told Barne to go on quite indepen-
dently of us.'

In this manner we journeyed slowly to the south outside
the White Island, the parties constantly passing and repassing ;
it was impossible at this part to keep together, as men and
dogs took the march at quite a different pace. To add to the
slowness of our journey, the weather proved very unpropitious,
for the wind constantly sprang up and obliged us to camp, and
we were forced to lie up during the greater part of the 8th and
9th, whilst a heavy blizzard passed over us.

On the 9th I wrote : ' The wind still blows with exasperat-
ing persistence, though the sun has been peeping out all day ;
it adds to the trying nature of this inactivity to watch the sun
pass pole after pole of our tent and to know that the support-
ing party are cut off from their slow daily progress. We are
now south of the Bluff, and cannot be more than eight miles
from the depot. To-night the wind is dying ; the cloud mantle
on the Bluff has vanished, and for the first time for many days
one can catch a view of the western lands.

' On our outward track we have kept rather too close to the
White Island, and consequently have had to traverse a good

i902] DESCRIPTION OF THE DOG TEAM 9

many undulations; it was curious to watch the supporting
party dipping out of sight on what appeared to the eye to be a
plain surface. Disturbed by much barking from the dogs, we
crawled out of our bags to-night about eleven o'clock, to find,
much to our satisfaction, that our supporting party had arrived;
they camped close by, and Barne tells me they have had a
hard, cold pull up against the wind.'

1 November 10. — Started early this morning, leaving the
supporting party quietly slumbering. Had much difficulty in
forcing the dogs along in face of a low drift and cutting wind,
but managed to make good progress. At one o'clock, sighted
the depot and were soon camped beside it, when the wind died
away, the sky cleared, and we have again the whole splendid
panorama of the northern and western mountains in full view.

1 On the march to-day a small snow petrel suddenly
appeared hovering above us, and later it was joined by a
second ; these are the first birds we have seen since the
departure of the skuas in the autumn, and form a very pleasant
reminder of summer. We are left in wonder as to why they
should be so far from the sea. We were first apprised of
their coming by the conduct of the dogs, and for a moment or
two we could not understand why these animals should sud-
denly begin to leap about and bark furiously, but their wild
dashes soon drew attention to our fluttering visitors.

1 Already it seems to me that the dogs feel the monotony
of a long march over the snow more than we do ; they seem
easily to get dispirited, and that it is not due to fatigue is
shown when they catch a glimpse of anything novel. On see-
ing the men ahead they are always eager to get up with them,
and even a shadowy ice disturbance or anything unusual will
excite their curiosity. To-day, for instance, they required some
driving until they caught sight of the depot flag, when they
gave tongue loudly and dashed off as though they barely felt
the load behind them.'

It would perhaps be as well to introduce the reader to our
dog team, as they played so important a part in this journey,
and before the tale of its ending will have disappeared from

io THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

the scene for ever. Their origin and the names by which they
had been formerly known are, as I have explained, mysteries
which we could not penetrate, but long before the commence-
ment of this journey each had learnt to answer to his own title
in the following list : —

• Nigger,'

'Birdie,'

' Wolfe,'

' Jim>'

'Nell,'

' Vic,'

1 Spud,'

'Blanco,'

' Bismarck,

' Snatcher,'

' Grannie,'

' Kid,'

' FitzCIarence,'

' Lewis,'

' Boss,'

' Stripes,'

' Gus,'

* Brownie.'

'Joe,'

Each of these dogs had his own peculiar characteristics,
and altogether they displayed as great a variety as could well
be comprehended in a team of the size ; it can be imagined
that what we did not know concerning their individuality we
had ample opportunities of learning during the weeks that
followed.

I have already given some idea of the dignity of character
of our leader, ' Nigger.' He was a black dog with some tawny
markings, and possessed the most magnificent head and chest,
though falling off a little in the hinder quarters. A more
perfect sledge dog could scarcely be imagined ; he chose his
place naturally as the leader, and if put into any other position
would make himself so unpleasant to his neighbours, and
generally behave so ill, that he was very quickly shifted. In
the happy times before sickness fell on our team, it was a
delight to watch ' Nigger ' at his work : he seemed to know the
meaning of every move. He would lie still as a graven image
till he saw the snow being shovelled from the skirting of the
tent, when up he would spring and pace to and fro at his
picket, giving out a low throaty bark of welcome as any of us
approached, and now and again turning towards his neigh-
bours to express his opinion of them in the most bloodthirsty
snarl. A few minutes later, as the leading man came to uproot
his picket, his keen eye would watch each movement, and a
slow wagging of his tail would quite obviously signify approval ;

i902] DESCRIPTION OF THE DOG TEAM n

then as the word came to start, he would push affectionately
against the leader, as much as to say, ' Now, come along,' and
brace his powerful chest to the harness. At the evening halt
after a long day he would drop straight in his tracks and
remain perfectly still with his great head resting on his paws ;
other dogs might clamour for food, but ' Nigger ' knew perfectly
well that the tent had to be put up first. Afterwards, however,
when one of us approached the dog-food, above the howling
chorus that arose one could always distinguish the deep bell-
like note of the leading dog, and knew that if disturbance was
to be avoided, it was well to go to the front end of the trace
first.

1 Lewis f was a big, thick-coated, brindled dog, a very
powerful but not a consistent puller ; always noisily affectionate
and hopelessly clumsy, he would prance at one and generally
all but succeed in bowling one over with boisterous affection.
He was very popular with everyone, as such a big, blustering,
good-natured animal deserved to be.

1 Jim ' was a sleek, lazy, greedy villain, up to all the tricks
of the trade ; he could pull splendidly when he chose, but
generally preferred to pretend to pull, and at this he was
extraordinarily cunning. During the march his eye never left
the man with the whip, on whose approach ' Jim ' could be
seen panting and labouring as though he felt sure that every-
thing depended on his efforts; but a moment or two later,
when the danger had passed, the watchful eye would detect
Master J Jim ' with a trace that had a very palpable sag in it.
Yet with all his faults it was impossible not to retain a certain
affection for this fat culprit, who was so constantly getting
himself into hot water.

The general opinion of ' Spud ' was that he was daft —
there was something wanting in the upper storey. In the
middle of a long and monotonous march he would suddenly
whimper and begin to prance about in his traces ; in dog-
language this is a signal that there is something in sight, and
it always had an electrical effect on the others, however tired
they might be. As a rule they would set off at a trot with

12 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

heads raised to look around and noses sniffing the breeze. It
was ' Spud ' alone who gave this signal without any cause, and,
curiously enough, the rest never discovered the fraud ; to the
end he openly gulled them. On ordinary occasions ' Spud '
would give one the impression of being intensely busy ; he
was always stepping over imaginary obstacles, and all his
pulling was done in a jerky, irregular fashion. He was a big,
strong, black dog, and perhaps the principal sign of his mental
incapacity was the ease with which others could rob him of
his food.

Amongst the team there had been one animal who was
conspicuous for his ugliness : with a snubbish nose, a torn ear,
an ungainly body, ribs that could be easily counted through a
dirty, tattered coat, and uncompromisingly vulgar manners, he
was at first an object of derision to all ; and being obviously
of the most plebeian origin, he was named ' FitzQarence.'
Kindness and good food worked wonders for ' Clarence,' and
although he never developed into a thing of beauty or of
refined habits, he became a very passable sledge dog.

' Kid ' and c Bismarck ' were the only two dogs of the team
that bore an outward resemblance, both being short-legged
animals with long, fleecy, black-and-white coats. But the
likeness was only superficial. Inwardly they differed much,
for whereas Bismarck was counted amongst the lazy eye-
servers, • Kid ' was the most indefatigable worker in the team ;
from morn to night he would set forth his best effort. The
whip was never applied to his panting little form, and when he
stopped it was to die from exhaustion.

With all our efforts we could never quite tame ' Birdie,'
who had evidently been treated with scant respect in his
youth. At the ship he would retire into his kennel and growl
at all except those who brought him food, and to the end he
remained distrustful and suspicious of all attempts to pet him.
He was a large, reddish-brown dog, very wolfish in appearance,
but a powerful puller when he got to understand what was
required of him.

Of the rest of the team, c Gus,' ■ Stripes,' ' Snatcher,' and

i9o2] DESCRIPTION OF THE DOG TEAM 13

'Vic' were nice, pleasant-mannered dogs, and good average
pullers. ' Brownie ' was a very handsome animal, but rather
light in build. He was charming as a pet, but less gifted as a
sledge-puller, and always appealed to one as being a little too
refined and ladylike for the hardest work ; nor did he ever lose
a chance of utilising his pleasing appearance and persuasive
ways to lighten his afflictions.

'Wolf was the most hopelessly ill-tempered animal; his
character seemed to possess no redeeming virtue. Every
advance was met with the same sullen, irreconcilable humour,
and the whip alone was capable of reducing him to subjection.
On the principle that you can lead a horse to the water but you
cannot make him drink, ' Wolf ' had evidently decided that we
might lead him to the traces but nothing could make him pull ;
and, as a consequence, from start to finish no efforts of ours
could make him do even a reasonable share of his work. We
should have saved ourselves much trouble and annoyance had
we left him behind in the first place.

To the effort to swell the numbers of our team Bemacchi
had sacrificed his own property, ' Joe,' and poor ' Joe ' had a
history. He had been born in the Antarctic Regions at Cape
Adare ; later in life he had learnt to behave himself with
proper decorum in a London drawing-room ; and now he had
returned, no doubt much against his will, to finish his career
in the land of his birth. He was a very light dog, with a
deceptively thick coat; much pulling could not be expected
from his weight, and he certainly gave but little.

Such was our team as regards the dog element ; but a word
may be added about the three of the other sex, whom at first I
was very reluctant to take. ' Nell ' was a pretty black animal
with a snappish little temper but attractive ways ; ' Blanco,' so
called because she ought to have been white, had few attrac-
tions, and was of such little use that she was sent back with the
supporting party ; and poor ' Grannie ' was old and toothless,
but lived and died game on the traces.

Whilst the loads for this dog team had been heavy from
the start, it had not been proposed to bring them up to full

14 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

weights till after our departure from Depot ? A,' and from that
spot we proposed to assist by pulling ourselves ; it may be of
some interest, therefore, to note the weights which we actually
dragged.

The table given on page 15 was one of a number of sheets
which I prepared in order that we might know at each place
exactly how we stood, and it seemed to simplify matters to draw
rough diagrams of the sledges on the margin. The total of
1,850 lbs. was of course a heavy load for our team of nineteen,
especially as the team possessed a few animals which were ot
little account ; but it must be remembered that we expected to
pull ourselves, and that each night, after the first start, would
see a reduction of between thirty and forty pounds by the time
all creature comforts had been attended to.

The load here shown allows for nine weeks only for our own
food, and it was in order that we might increase this allowance
to thirteen that the supporting party was arranged to accompany
us for some part of our journey.

On the afternoon of the nth the supporting party hove in
sight, and we were soon busily engaged in arranging matters
for an early start on the morrow.

The 1 2th proved a misty, raw, cold day — not a happy omen
for our start — but we got away betimes, and with a cheer set
off for the first time on a due south course. The dogs were in
such high feather that they quickly caught up the men, and
little by little we had to increase their load until they were
drawing no less than 2,100 lbs. When we camped for the
night we had made n^ miles, and, in the slightly misty weather,
already appeared to be lost on the great open plain. I note in
my diary : f The feeling at first is somewhat weird ; there is
absolutely nothing to break the grey monotone about us, and
yet we know that the mist is not thick, but that our isolation
comes from the immense expanse of the plain. The excellent
pulling of the dogs is likely to modify our plans, and I think
of sending half the supports back to-morrow.'

' November 13. — Sights to-day showed us to be nearly up to
the 79th parallel, and therefore farther south than anyone has

1902]

i jr

Weights on Leaving ' A '

Dog-food
Tank
Sledge .
Bamboo .
Tomahawk

lbs.

400

8

35

4

3

450

4?

s —

Dog-food .... 400

Tank 8

Sledge 35

Bamboo 3

446

;'0;

Ready provision bag

Kit bag ....

Spare foot-gear bag .

Five biscuit cases

Tent ....

Ice-axe, shovel, and dog picket

Three blouses .

Sledge ....

Bamboo and straps .

16
20
10
217
29
10
15
35
5

357

Three sleeping-bags .

Tank .

Contents 9 provision bags

Seal-meat

Alpine rope

All ski on top .

Sledge .

Bamboo and straps .

45

6

227

70
5

30

35
4

422

Dl

Repair bag
Instrument box
Cooker, Primus, &c.
Oil

Sledge .
Securings

The dotted lines show plans
of sledges and straps.

12
40

34

60

28

3

177
1,852

16 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

yet been. The announcement of the fact caused great
jubilation, and I am extremely glad that there are no fewer
than fifteen of us to enjoy this privilege of having broken the
record. Shackleton suggested that all should be photo-
graphed, whereat the men were much delighted, and we
all gathered about the sledges with our flags fluttering over
us. Then half our supporting party started to return, bearing
the good news of our present success, and the other half
stepped out once more on a due south line, with the dogs
following.

1 This morning it was very bright and sunny except to the
far north, where probably those on board the ship are not en-
joying such delightful weather ; behind us only the Bluff
showed against a dark background, and that was already grow-
ing small in the distance. Away to the west the view was per-
fectly clear, and we now know that there is land beyond our
western horizon ; it is very distant, and appears in detached
masses, but it is evident that the general trend of it is in a more
southerly direction than we had supposed. At this great dis-
tance it looks to be completely snow-covered; we can only
catch the high lights and shadows due to irregularity of shape,
and can only say definitely that there must be many lofty
mountains. I took a round of bearings with the prismatic
compass, and then asked Barne to do the same ; he got
different readings, and on trying again myself I got a third
result. The observations only differed by a few degrees, but
it shows that these compasses are not to be relied upon where
the directive force is so small.'

The needle of the prismatic compass carries a weighty
graduated circle with it ; it therefore bears heavily on the pivot,
and the friction produced is sufficient to prevent accuracy of
reading where the earth has such small influence on the needle.
After this I depended for all bearings on the compass attached
to our small theodolite, which possessed a simple light needle
and seemed to give greater accuracy. I record this fact, be-
cause it was important that we should obtain accurate observa-
tions on our extended sledge journeys, and it would be well

1

1902] FAILURE OF THE DOGS 17

that this point should be more carefully considered in future
expeditions.

On the 13th and 14th we pushed on to the south in spite
of thick snowy weather which followed the fine morning of the
13th, and during those two days we managed to add fifteen
miles to our southing. On the afternoon of the 14th I record:
' The men go ahead, and when they have got a good start we
cheer on our animals, who work hard until they have caught
up with them ; in this manner we get over the ground fairly
well. The day has been murky and dull with a bad light, and
we have come upon a new form of sastrugus : instead of the
clean-cut waves about the Bluff, we have heaped-up mounds of
snow with steepish edges. Heavily laden as they are, it is
difficult work for the dogs when they come across the sudden
rises. Now and then the clouds have lifted, showing the
horizon line and glimpses of the land to the north, but for the
main part the sky and snow-surface have been merged in a
terrible sameness of grey, and it has been impossible to see the
spot on which one's foot was next to be placed ; falls have been
plentiful. The surface itself is getting softer, but the sledges
run fairly easily. The dogs were pretty "done" when we
camped to-night, but we are feeding them up, and I do not
propose to overwork them whilst the load remains as heavy as
at present. That we are travelling over a practically level sur-
face was evident from our view of the supporting party today;
though we were often some distance apart they were always
clearly in view, which would not have been the case had there
been undulations.'

'■November 15.— A beautifully bright, calm morning; the
sun shone warmly on our tents, making them most cheerful
and comfortable within. To the north the land has become
dim, to the west we have the same prospect of distant detached
snow-covered ranges, and in all other directions the apparently
limitless snow-plain.

' We were very busy this morning making arrangements for
our last parting : the loads had to be readjusted, the dog-
harness attended to, observations taken, and notes of farewell
vol. 11. c

18 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

written. All this was not finished till after noon, when many
willing hands helped us to pack up our tent and make all
ready for our final start. If former moments of parting have
seemed unpropitious, the same cannot be said of to-day ; the
sun shone brightly on our last farewells, and whilst behind us
we left all in good health and spirits, it is scarcely to be won-
dered at that our hopes ran high for the future. We are
already beyond the utmost limit to which man has attained :
each footstep will be a fresh conquest of the great unknown.
Confident in ourselves, confident in our equipment, and con-
fident in our dog team, we can but feel elated with the prospect
that is before us.

\ The day's work has cast a shadow on our highest aspira-
tions, however, and already it is evident that if we are to
achieve much it will be only by extreme toil, for the dogs have
not pulled well to-day; possibly it may be something to do
with the surface, which seems to get softer, possibly something
to do with the absence of the men in front to cheer them on,
and possibly something to do with the temperature, which rose
at one time to + 200 and made the heavy pulling very warm
work. Whatever the reason may be, by five o'clock we had
only covered about three miles, and this is by no means up to
expectation. We have decided that if things have not improved
in the morning we will take on half the load at a time ; after a
few days of this sort of thing the loads will be sufficiently
lightened for us to continue in the old way again.'

The above extract shows that our troubles were already
beginning, but as yet we had no suspicion that they were likely
to be as grievous as they soon became. On the following day
we attempted once more to start our heavy loads, but after a
few yards of struggling the dogs seemed to lose all heart, and
many looked round with the most pathetic expression as much
as to say we were really expecting too much of them ; there
was but one thing to be done — namely, to divide the load into
two portions and take on half at a time. This meant, of course,
that each mile had to be traversed three times, but as there
was no alternative we were forced to start on this tedious form

i902] RELAY WORK 19

of advance. With this, even, we should have been content
had the dogs shown their former vigour ; but now, for some
reason which we could not fathom, they seemed to be losing
all their spirit, and they made as much fuss over drawing the
half-load as a few days before they had done over the whole
one.

On November 18 I write: 'A dull day again, but we
plodded on in the same monotonous style. Starting at 11 a.m.,
we pushed on for two and a half miles by our sledge-meter,
with half the load, then returned for the second half; the
whole operation took about four hours and a half, after which
we had lunch and then repeated the same performance. It
was n p.m. before we were in our sleeping-bags, and at the
end of the march the dogs were practically " done." What
can be the cause it is almost impossible to guess. It cannot
be wholly the surface, though this is certainly much worse ;
not only is it softer, but all day long snow-crystals are falling,
and these loose, light crystals enormously increase the friction
on the runners ; nor can it be altogether the temperature, for
even when it falls very chill there is no sign of improvement in
the pace. I fear there must be another reason which is at
present beyond us. We gained five miles to-day, but to do it
we had to cover fifteen.'

These miles to which I refer are geographical, and not
statute miles : in all our journeys we calculated in the former
unit, for ease of reference to the degrees and minutes of
latitude, but it must be explained that there is a considerable
difference in these measurements : seven geographical miles
are equal to a little more than eight statute. In many cases I
have reduced the mileage in this book to the better-known
statute mile for the convenience of the reader, but in some of
my quotations I leave the original figure unaltered; I think
with this explanation it will be clear when either is used.

A word may be added concerning the sledge-meter. Our
engine-room staff cleverly manufactured these instruments by
applying the counter apparatus of some recording blocks to
wheels of a certain definite diameter, and thus as one of these

C2

20 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY' [Nov.

wheels trundled behind the sledge it revolved the mechanism
of the counter so as to show the number of yards travelled. As
I think I have said, at first we all thought we were walking
very long distances through the snow, and when we adopted
the sledge-meter and it showed us the chilling truth, many
were inclined to be sceptical of its accuracy until it was found
that when there was a difference of opinion between the party
and the sledge-meter, astronomical observations invariably
decided in favour of the latter, so that we were obliged to
acknowledge that it was we, and not the sledge-meter, who
were going too slowly.

After our experience one cannot help thinking that not a
few sledging records would have been modified had this truth-
telling instrument always been available ; it is to be recom-
mended to future expeditions, not only for this reason, but on
account of the excellent check it affords to the position of a
sledge party for geographical purposes.

1 November 19. — The sun was shining when we started
to-day, and the fine snow was falling continuously ; it is a
drizzle of tiny crystals, which settle on the sledges and quickly
evaporate. The effect on the surface is very bad, and the
dogs are growing more and more listless. We could only
advance four and three-quarter miles, and that only by hard
driving and going longer than we have yet gone. Two of us
always pull on the traces whilst the third drives; the latter
task is by far the most dreaded. In going to the rear for the
second half-load, we always carry an empty sledge, and up to
the present, to prevent confusion of the traces, someone has
sat on the sledge, but to-day even this appeared to be a per-
ceptible drag on our poor animals.

' It is very tiring work. When one goes out in the morn-
ing there is now no joyous clamour of welcome ; one or two of
the animals have to be roused up out of their nests, then we
start in a spiritless fashion. We take our duties in turns ; one
of us attaches his harness to the head of the trace, and whilst
he pulls he endeavours [to cheer on the flagging team. A
second takes the best position, which is to pull alongside the

i9o2j DOG-FOOD 21

sledges, in silence ; the third does not pull, but carries the
whip and has to use it all too frequently. Thus our weary
caravan winds its slow way along until the sledge- meter has
reeled off the required distance. When we halt, the dogs drop
at once, but when the lightened sledge is attached and we
start to wheel them round, they wake up and for the first time
display a little energy in trying to fight as they circle about ;
but this show of spirit soon fails, though we naturally get back
at a brisker pace. Then the second half- load is joined up, and
the whole thing has to be done over again. When the dogs
sight the advanced load, however, there is a distinct improve-
ment ; they know that to get there means rest, and, encouraging
this spirit as much as we can, the last half-mile is done almost
at a trot. The afternoon march is of the same nature as that
of the forenoon, but is made worse by the increased fatigue of
our wretched animals. It is all very heart-breaking work.

' This morning we sighted further land to the south-west,
and like the rest it appears as a detached fragment. We now
see three distinct gaps between the several land masses, and
the distance is too great for us to make out any detail of the
latter ; to the south and round through east to the north we
have still the unbroken snow horizon.

' To-night we have been discussing our position again ; it
is evidently going from bad to worse. We have scarcely liked
to acknowledge to ourselves that the fish diet is having a
permanently bad effect on the dogs, but it looks very much
like it ; we saw that it disagreed with them at first, but we have
tried to persuade ourselves that the effect is only temporary.
It will be a terrible calamity if this is the cause of all our
distress, for there is no possible change of diet except to feed
the poor things on each other, and yet it is difficult to account
in any other way for the fact that whilst they are receiving an
ample amount of food they should daily be growing weaker.
One of the most trying circumstances in our position is that we
are forced to spend hours in our tent which might be devoted
to marching ; it is the dogs, and not we, who call the halt each
night.'

22 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

Though it was only gradually that we could convince our-
selves that the dog-food was at the bottom of our trouble,
subsequent events proved it beyond a doubt, and therefore it
may be of interest to give some account of that food. Originally,
I had intended to take ordinary dog-biscuits for our animals,
but in an evil moment I was persuaded by one who had had
great experience in dog-driving to take fish. Fish has been
used continually in the north for feeding dogs, and the
particular article which we ordered was the Norwegian stock-
fish such as is split, dried, and exported from that country in
great quantities for human food. There is no doubt about the
excellent food-value of this fish, and in every way it seemed
well adapted to our purpose ; and yet it was this very fish that
poisoned our poor animals.

It is easy to be wise after the event, and on looking
back now one sees the great probability of its suffering
deterioration on passage through the Tropics, and, doubtless,
had it been designed for human food we should have considered
that point ; but, unfortunately for our dogs, this probability
escaped our notice, and as there was no outward sign of
deterioration it was carried on our sledge journey. As a result
the dogs sickened, and in some cases died, from what one can
only suppose was a species of scurvy. The lesson to future
travellers in the South is obvious, in that they should safe-
guard their dogs as surely as they do their men. The dog is
such a terrible scavenger that one is apt to overlook this
necessity.

''November 21. — This morning the sun was shining in a
cloudless sky, and to our surprise we found land extending all
along our right ; probably it appears deceptively close owing to
the mirage. At any rate, things are growing so bad that we
have decided to edge towards it, and have altered our course
to S.S.W. All things considered, this seems the best course, as
our prospect of reaching a high latitude is steadily melting
away. Our method of advance gives us at least the advantage
of gauging the level nature of the surface over which we are
travelling. To judge by one's feelings on the march, one might

i902] PERSONAL DISCOMFORTS 23

be climbing the steepest of hills all day, but the fact that we
can always see our advanced or rear sledges from the other end
shows that there must be an absence of inequality ; even the
man who sits on the returning sledge with his eye not more
than three feet above the surface rarely loses sight of these tiny
black dots. It is surprising that although a sledge appears as
a very minute object at two and a half miles, it can generally
be seen clearly against the white background. On dull days,
however, I am not sure but that it is a risk to advance them
so far.'

1 November 22. — The surface is becoming smoother, with
less sastrugi, but the snow covering is, if anything, thicker ;
one sinks deeper, and there is no reduction of friction on the
sledge runners. After lunch we made a trial to start with full
loads ; the dogs made a gallant effort, but could scarcely move
the sledges, and we had to proceed as before. With this land
ahead we ought to get some variation of the monotony of our
present travelling, but there is a fear that the snow may get still
softer as we approach it.

1 We are growing very sunburnt, and noses and lips are
getting blistered and cracked and extremely sore ; lips are
especially painful, as one cannot help licking them on the
march, and this makes them worse. With the constant varia-
tions of temperature and the necessary application of the hot
rim of the pannikin they get no chance to heal ; hazeline cream
is in much request at night to deaden the burning. We have
also had some trouble with our eyes, though we wear goggles
very regularly. Our appetites seem to be increasing by leaps
and bounds : it is almost alarming, and the only thing to be
looked to on our long marches is the prospect of the next
meal.'

1 November 23. — . . . There was a distinct improvement
in the surface to-day, with a N.N.E. wind rolling the snow along
like fine sand ; in this way the old hard surface crust became
exposed in patches, and the sledges drew easily over these.
Altogether we have advanced 5! miles, travelling over 15^
miles to do it. We raised the land considerably, and were

24 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

able to see something more of the bold black headland for
which we are making.'

1 November 24. — . . . To-day we started a new routine,
which eases us and gives a chance for odd jobs to be done.
After pushing on the first half-load one of us stops with it, gets
up the tent, and prepares for lunch or supper, as the case may
be, whilst the other two bring up the second half-load.

x The land which appeared to be rising so quickly yesterday
was evidently thrown up by mirage ; I fear it is farther off than
we thought.'

1 November 25. — Before starting to-day I took a meridian
altitude, and to my delight found the latitude to be 8o° i'. All
our charts of the Antarctic Regions show a plain white circle
beyond the eightieth parallel ; the most imaginative carto-
grapher has not dared to cross this limit, and even the
meridional lines end at the circle. It has always been our
ambition to get inside that white space, and now we are there
the space can no longer be a blank ; this compensates for a lot
of trouble.'

1 November 26. — Last night we had almost decided to give
our poor team a day's rest, and to-day there is a blizzard which
has made it necessary. We had warning in the heavy stratus
clouds that came over fast from the south yesterday, and still
more in Wilson's rheumatism ; this comes on with the greatest
regularity before every snowstorm, and he suffers considerably.
Up to the present it has been in his knee, but last night it
appeared in his foot, and though he ought to have known its
significance, he attributed it to the heavy walking. To-day it
has passed away with the breaking of the storm, and there can
be no longer a doubt that it is due to change of weather, and
that he, poor chap, serves as a very effective though unwilling
barometer/

' November 27. — To-day it is beautifully bright, clear, and
warm, the temperature up to + 200 ; but, alas ! this morning
we found that the dogs seemed to have derived no benefit
from their rest. They were all snugly curled up beneath the
snow when we went out, but in spite of their long rest we had

1902] SLOW PROGRESS 25

to drag them out of their nests ; some were so cramped that it
was several minutes before they could stand. However, we
shook some life into them and started with the full load, but
very soon we had to change back into our old routine, and, if
anything, the march was more trying than ever. It becomes a
necessity now to reach the land soon in hopes of making a
depot, so our course has been laid to the westward of S.W.,
and this brings the bold bluff cape on our port bow. I imagine
it to be about fifty miles off, but hope it is not so much ; nine
hours' work to-day has only given us a bare four miles.

1 It was my turn to drive to-day ; Shackleton led and
Wilson pulled at the side. The whole proceedings would have
been laughable enough but for the grim sickness that holds so
tight a grip on our poor team : Shackleton in front, with
harness slung over his shoulder, was bent forward with his
whole weight on the trace; in spite of his breathless work,
now and again he would raise and half-turn his head in an
effort to cheer on the team. " Hi, dogs," " Now then," " Hi
lo-lo-lo ..." or any other string of syllables which were
supposed to produce an encouraging effect, but which were
soon brought to a conclusion by sheer want of breath. Behind
him, and obviously deaf to these allurements, shambled the
long string of depressed animals, those in rear doing their best
to tread in the deep footprints of the leaders, but all by their
low-carried heads and trailing tails showing an utter weariness
of life. Behind these, again, came myself with the whip,
giving forth one long string of threats and occasionally bringing
the lash down with a crack on the snow or across the back of
some laggard. By this time all the lazy dogs know their
names, as well they ought; I should not like to count the
number of times I have said, " Ah, you, ' Wolf,' " or " Get on
there, ' Jim,' " or " ' Bismarck,' you brute " ; but it is enough to
have made me quite hoarse to-night, for each remark has to
be produced in a violent manner or else it produces no effect,
and things have now got so bad that if the driver ceases his
flow of objurgation for a moment there is a slackening of the
traces. Some names lend themselves to this style of language

26 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

better than others ; " Boss " can be hissed out with very telling
effect, whereas it is hard to make " Brownie " very emphatic.
On the opposite side of the leading sledge was Wilson, pulling
away in grim silence. We dare not talk on such occasions —
the dogs detect the change of tone at once ; they seize upon
the least excuse to stop pulling. There are six or eight
animals who give little trouble, and these have been placed in
the front, so that the others may be more immediately under
the lash ; but the loafers are growing rather than diminishing
in numbers. This, then, is the manner in which we have
proceeded for nine hours to-day — entreaties in front and
threats behind — and so we went on yesterday, and so we shall
go on to-morrow. It is sickening work, but it is the only way ;
we cannot stop, we cannot go back, we must go on, and there
is no alternative but to harden our hearts and drive. Luckily,
the turn for doing the actual driving only comes once in three
days, but even thus it is almost as bad to witness the driving
as to have to do it.

'To-night we discussed the possibility of getting some
benefit by marching at night ; it was very warm to-day in the
sun, and the air temperature was up to + 250.'

On the days which followed we gradually made our starting-
hour later until we dropped into a regular night-marching
routine; we then used to breakfast between 4 and 5 p.m., start
marching at 6 p.m., and come to camp somewhere about three
or four in the morning. Thus while the sun was at its greatest
altitude we were taking our rest, and during the chiller night
hours we marched. There were some advantages in this
arrangement which scarcely need notice, but it was curious
that with it we never quite got rid of the idea that there was
something amiss, and it will be seen that it was likely to lead
to confusion as to the date of any particular occurrence.
Other drawbacks were that we were often obliged to march
with the sun in our faces at midnight, and that sometimes the
tent was unpleasantly warm during the hours of sleep.

' November 29.— Shortly after four o'clock to-day we
observed the most striking atmospheric phenomenon we have

i9o2] AN ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENON 27

yet seen in these regions. We were enveloped in a light, thin
stratus cloud of small ice-crystals ; it could not have extended
to any height, as the sun was only lightly veiled. From these
drifting crystals above, the sun's rays were reflected in such an
extraordinary manner that the whole arch of the heavens was
traced with circles and lines of brilliant prismatic or white
light. The coloured circles of a bright double halo were
touched or intersected by one which ran about us parallel to
the horizon; above this, again, a gorgeous prismatic ring
encircled the zenith ; away from the sun was a white fog-bow,
with two bright mock suns where it intersected the horizon
circle. The whole effect was almost bewildering, and its
beauty is far beyond the descriptive powers of my sledging
pencil. We have often seen double halos, fog-bows, mock
suns, and even indications of other circles, but we have never
been privileged to witness a display that approaches in splen-
dour that of to-day. We stopped, whilst Wilson took notes of
the artistic composition, and I altitudes and bearings of the
various light effects. If it is robbed of some of the beauties
of a milder climate, our region has certainly pictures of its own
to display.'

On our return to the ship I could find no account, in such
reference books as we had, of anything to equal this scene, nor
have I since heard of its having been witnessed elsewhere.

\ November 29 {continued). — Both in the first and second
advance to-day we noticed that the points of starting and
finishing were in view of one another, but that in travelling
between them either end was temporarily lost to sight for a
short time. This undoubtedly indicates undulation in the
surface, but I should think of slight amount, probably not
more than seven or eight feet, the length of the waves being
doubtful, as we cannot be certain of the angle at which we are
crossing them ; they cannot exceed two miles from crest to
crest, and are probably about one.

1 We had rather a scare to-night on its suddenly coming
over very thick just as Wilson and I were coupling up the
second load to bring it on ; all our food and personal equip-

28 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

ment had been left with Shackleton in the advanced position,
and, of course, we could see nothing of it through the haze.
We followed the old tracks for some way, until the light got
so bad that we repeatedly lost sight of them, when we were
obliged to halt and grope round for them. So far we were
only in danger of annoying delays, but a little later a brisk
breeze sprang up, and to our consternation rapidly drifted up
the old tracks ; there was nothing for it but to strike out a
fresh course of our own in the direction in which we supposed
the camp to lie, which we did, and, getting on as fast as
possible, had the satisfaction of sighting the camp in about
half an hour. " All's well that ends well," and luckily the fog
was not very thick ; but the incident has set us thinking that
if very thick weather were to come on, the party away from
the camp might be very unpleasantly situated, so in future we
shall plant one or two flags as we advance with the first load,
and pick them up as we come on with the second.'

' December 2. — We noticed again to-day the cracking of the
snow-crust ; sometimes the whole team with the sledges get on
an area when it cracks around us as sharply and as loudly as
a pistol shot, and this is followed by a long-drawn sigh as the
area sinks. When this first happened the dogs were terrified,
and sprang forward with tails between their legs and heads
screwed round as though the threatened danger was behind ;
and, indeed, it gave me rather a shock the first time — it was
so unexpected, and the sharp report was followed by a distinct
subsidence. Though probably one dropped only an inch or
two, there was an instantaneous feeling of insecurity which is
not pleasant. Digging down to-night Shackleton found a
comparatively hard crust two or three inches under the soft
snow surface ; beneath this was an air space of about an inch,
then came about a foot of loose snow in large crystals, and
then a second crust. There is a good deal that is puzzling
about these crusts.'

During the following year on our sledge journeys we
frequently dug into the snow surface to see what lay below,
and though we always found a succession of crusts with soft

i9o2j NEW LAND IN SIGHT 29

snow between, the arrangement was very irregular and gave us
no very definite information.

1 December 3. — ... Our pemmican bag for this week by
an oversight has been slung alongside a tin of paraffin, and is
consequently strongly impregnated with the oil ; one can both
smell and taste the latter strongly ; it is some proof of the
state of our appetites that we really don't much mind !

* We are now sufficiently close to the land to make out
some of its details. On our right is a magnificent range of
mountains, which we are gradually opening out, and which
must therefore run more or less in an east-and-west direction.
My rough calculations show them to be at least fifty miles
from us, and, if so, their angle of altitude gives a height of
over 10,000 feet. The eastern end of this range descends to
a high snow-covered plateau, through which arise a number of
isolated minor peaks, which I think must be volcanic ; beyond
these, again, is a long, rounded, sloping snow-cape, merging
into the barrier. These rounded snow-capes are a great
feature of the coast ; they can be seen dimly in many places,
both north and south of us. They are peculiar as presenting
from all points of view a perfectly straight line inclined at a
slight angle to the horizon. North of this range the land still
seems to run on, but it has that detached appearance, due to
great distance, which we noted before, and we can make little
of it. The south side of the range seems to descend com-
paratively abruptly, and in many cases it is bordered by
splendid high cliffs, very dark in colour, though we cannot
make out the exact shade. Each cliff has a band of white
along its top where the ice-cap ends abruptly ; at this distance
it has a rather whimsical resemblance to the sugaring of a
Christmas cake. The cliffs and foothills of the high range
form the northern limit of what appears to be an enormous
strait ; we do not look up this strait, and therefore cannot say
what is beyond, but the snow-cape on this side is evidently a
great many miles from the high range, and there appears to
be nothing between. This near snow-cape seems to be more
or less isolated. It is an immense and almost dome-shaped,

3o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

snow-covered mass ; only quite lately could we see any rock
at all, but now a few patches are to be made out towards the
summit, and one or two at intervals along the foot. It is for
one of these that we have now decided to make, so that we
may establish our depot there, but at present rate of going we
shall be a long time before we reach it.

'South of this isolated snow-cape, which is by far the
nearest point of land to us, we can see a further high moun-
tainous country ; but this also is so distant that we can say
little of it. One thing seems evident — that the high bluff
cape we were making for is not a cape at all, but a curiously
bold spur of the lofty mountain ranges, which is high above
the level of the coastline, and must be many miles inland.
It is difficult to say whether this land is more heavily glaciated
than that which we have seen to the north ; on the whole, I
think the steeper surfaces seem equally bare. There is a con-
solation for the heavier surface and harder labour we are
experiencing in the fact that each day the scene gets more
interesting and more beautiful.

'To-day, in lighting the Primus, I very stupidly burnt a
hole in the tent ; I did not heat the top sufficiently before I
began to pump, and a long yellow flame shot up and set light
to the canvas. I do not think I should have noticed what
had happened at first, but luckily the others were just
approaching and rushed forward to prevent further damage.
As it was, there was a large hole which poor Shackleton had
to make shift to repair during our last lap ; it is not much fun
working with a needle in the open at the midnight hours, even
though the season happens to be summer.'

' December 4. — After a sunshiny day and with the cooler
night hours there comes now a regular fall of snow-crystals.
On a calm night there is nothing to indicate the falling
crystals save a faint haze around the horizon ; overhead it is
quite clear. Suddenly, and apparently from nowhere, a small
shimmering body floats gently down in front of one and rests
as lightly as thistle-down on the white surface below. If one
stoops to examine it, as we have done many times, one finds

1902] BEAUTIFUL SNOW-CRYSTALS 31

that it is a six-pointed feathery star, quite flat and smooth on
either side. We find them sometimes as large as a shilling,
and at a short distance they might be small hexagonal pieces
of glass ; it is only on looking closely that one discovers the
intricate and delicate beauty of their design.

' The effect of these en masse is equally wonderful ; they
rest in all positions, and therefore receive the sun's rays at all
angles, and in breaking them up reflect in turn each colour of
the spectrum. As one plods along towards the midnight sun,
one's eyes naturally fall on the plain ahead, and one realises
that the simile of a gem-strewn carpet could never be more
aptly employed than in describing the radiant path of the sun
on the snowy surface. It sparkles with a myriad points of
brilliant light, comprehensive of every colour the rainbow can
show, and is so realistic and near that it often seems one has
but to stoop to pick up some glistening jewel.

' We find a difficulty now in gaining even four miles a day;
the struggle gets harder and harder. We should not make any
progress if we did not pull hard ourselves ; several of the dogs
do practically nothing, and none work without an effort.
Slowly but surely, however, we are " rising " the land. Our
sastrugi to-day, from the recent confused state, have developed
into a W.N.W. direction; it looks as though there was a local
wind out of the strait.'

' December 5. — At breakfast we decided that our oil is going
too fast ; there has been some wastage from the capsizing of
the sledge, and at first we were far too careless of the amount
we used. When we came to look up dates, there was no doubt
that in this respect we have outrun the constable. We started
with the idea that a gallon was to last twelve days ; ours have
averaged little over ten. As a result we calculate that those
which remain must be made to last fourteen. This is a distinct
blow, as we shall have to sacrifice our hot luncheon meal and
to economise greatly at both the others. We started the new
routine to-night, and for lunch ate some frozen seal-meat and
our allowance of sugar and biscuit. The new conditions do not
smile on us at present, but I suppose we shall get used to them.

32 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

' The events of the day's march are now becoming so dreary
and dispiriting that one longs to forget them when we camp j
it is an effort even to record them in a diary. To-night has
been worse than usual. Our utmost efforts could not produce
more than three miles for the whole march, and it would be
impossible to describe how tiring the effort was to gain even
this small advance. We have an idea we are rising in level
slightly, but it is impossible to say so with certainty.

* Shackleton broke the glass of his watch yesterday after-
noon ; the watch still goes, but one cannot further rely on it,
and I am therefore left with the only accurate time-keeper. It
is a nuisance to lose a possible check on future observations,
but luckily my watch seems to be a very trustworthy instrument ;
its rate on board the ship was excellent, and I have no reason
to suppose that it has altered much since we left. My watch
was presented to me by Messrs. Smith & Son, of the Strand,
and I believe it to be an exceptionally good one, but the
important observations which we take ought not to depend on
a single watch, and future expeditions should be supplied with
a larger number than we carry.'

1 December 6. — ... A dire calamity to-day. When I went
outside before breakfast I noticed that " Spud " was absent
from his place. I looked round and discovered him lying on
the sledge with his head on the open mouth of the seal-meat
bag ; one glance at his balloon-like appearance was sufficient to
show what had happened. As one contemplated the impossi-
bility of repairing the mischief and of making him restore his
ill-gotten provender, it was impossible not to laugh ; but the
matter is really serious enough : he has made away with quite
a week's allowance of our precious seal-meat. How he could
have swallowed it all is the wonder, yet, though somewhat
sedate and somnolent, he appeared to suffer no particular
discomfort from the enormously increased size of his waist.
We found of course that he had gnawed through his trace, but
the seal-meat bag will be very carefully closed in future.

* Whilst we were making preparations for a start last night
we were overtaken by a blizzard and had to camp again in a

i902] DOGS WEAKENING 33

hurry. The barometer has been falling for two days, and
Wilson has had twinges of rheumatism ; the former we took
for a sign that we were rising in altitude, but we ought to have
been warned by a further drop of two-tenths of an inch whilst
we were in camp. The blizzard was ushered in with light flaky
snow and an increasing wind, and a quarter of an hour later
there was a heavy drift with strong wind. We have been
completing our calculations of what is to be left at the depot
and what carried on to the south.'

' December 8. — . . . Our poor team are going steadily
downhill j six or seven scarcely pull at all, perhaps five or six
do some steady work, and the remainder make spasmodic
efforts. The lightening of the load is more than counter-
balanced by the weakening of the animals, and I can see no
time in which we can hope to get the sledges along without
pulling ourselves. Of late we have altered our marching
arrangements ; we now take the first half-load on for four
miles, then return for the other half, eating our cold luncheon
on the way back. To-day it took us three and a half hours to
get the advance load on, and I who remained with it had to
wait another five and a half before the others came back — nine
hours' work to gain four miles.

' Before supper we all had a wash and brush-up. We each
carry a tooth-brush and a pocket-comb, and there is one cake of
soap and one pocket looking-glass amongst the party; we use
our tooth-brushes fairly frequently, with snow, but the soap
and comb are not often in request, and the looking-glass is
principally used to dress our mangled lips. Snow and soap
are rather a cold compound, but there is freshness in the
glowing reaction, and we should probably use them oftener if
the marches were not so tiring. To-night the tent smells of
soap and hazeline cream.'

' December 10. — Yesterday we only covered two miles, and
to get on the second load at all we had to resort to the igno-
minious device of carrying food ahead of the dogs.

' " Snatcher " died yesterday ; others are getting feeble — it
is terrible to see them. The coast cannot be more than ten or
VOL, 11, d

34 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

twelve miles, but shall we ever reach it ? and in what state
shall we be to go on? The dogs have had no hesitation in
eating their comrade ; the majority clamoured for his flesh this
evening, and neglected their fish in favour of it. There is the
chance that this change of diet may save the better animals.

' This evening we were surprised by the visit of a skua
gull ; even our poor dogs became excited. We are nearly
1 80 miles from any possible feeding-ground it may have, and
it is impossible to say how it found us, but it is curious that it
should have come so soon after poor "Snatcher" has been
cut up.'

1 December 11. — Last night I had a terrible headache from
the hot work in the sun and the closeness of the tent. I
couldn't sleep for a long time, though we had the tent open
and our bags wide; sleep eventually banished the headache,
and I awoke quite fit. The weather has improved, for although
still hot a southerly breeze has cooled the air. In covering
three and a half miles we have altered several bearings of the
land, so that it cannot now be far off. As we travel inward
the snow-covered ridges of our cape are blocking out the
higher range to the north.

'About 1 a.m. a bank of stratus cloud came rapidly up
from the south; it looked white and fleecy towards the sun
and a peculiar chocolate-brown as it passed to the northward
and disappeared. It must have been travelling very fast and
about two or three thousand feet above us ; in an hour we had
a completely clear sky.

1 Hunger is beginning to nip us all, and we have many
conversations as to the dainties we could devour if they were
within reach.'

1 December 14. — We have arrived at a place where I think
we can depot our dog-food, and none too soon ; I doubt if we
could go on another day as we have been going. We have
just completed the worst march we have had, and only
managed to advance two miles by the most strenuous exer-
tions. The snow grows softer as we approach the land ; the
sledge-runners sink from three to four inches, and one's feet

!

1902] SLOW PROGRESS 35

well over the ankles at each step. After going a little over a
mile things got so bad that we dropped one sledge and pushed
on to bring some leading marks in line. Then Shackleton
and I brought up the second half- load with the dogs some-
how ; after which, leaving the dogs, we all three started back
for the sledge that had been dropped. Its weight was only
250 lbs., yet such was the state of the surface that we could
not drag it at the rate of a mile an hour.

'The air temperature has gone up to + 270, and it feels hot
and stuffy; the snow surface is +220. It would be difficult
to convey an idea of what marching is like under present con-
ditions. The heel of the advanced foot is never planted
beyond the toe of the other, and of this small gain with each
pace, two or three inches are lost by back-slipping as the
weight is brought forward. When we come to any particularly
soft patch we do little more than mark time.

1 The bearings of our present position are good but distant.
To the west we have a conspicuous rocky patch in line with
one of three distant peaks, and to the north another small patch
in line with a curious scar on the northern range. The back
marks in each case are perhaps twenty or thirty miles from us,
and, though they will be easy enough to see in clear weather,
one cannot hope to recognise them when it is misty. It is for
this reason that I propose to-morrow to take our own food, on
which our safety depends, closer in to the land, so that there
may be no chance of our missing it.'

'■December 15 (3.15 a.m.). — As soon as we had lightened
our load last night we started steering straight for the rocky
patch to the westward. The sky was overcast and the light
bad, and after proceeding about a quarter of a mile we found
that we were crossing well-marked undulations. Still pushing
on, we topped a steep ridge to be fronted by an enormous
chasm filled with a chaotic confusion of ice-blocks. It was
obvious that we could go no further with the sledges, so we
halted and pitched camp, and after eating our meagre lunch
set forth to explore. The light was very bad, but we roped
ourselves together, and, taking our only ice-axe and the meat-

36 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

chopper, descended cautiously over a steep slope into the
rougher ice below. Taking advantage of the snow between
the ice-blocks we wended our way amongst them for some
distance, now and again stepping on some treacherous spot
and finding ourselves suddenly prone with our legs down a
crevasse and very little breath left.

' At first we could get some idea of where these bad places
lay, but later the light grew so bad that we came on them quite
without warning, and our difficulties were much greater, whilst
the huge ice-blocks about us swelled to mountainous size in
the grey gloom, and it was obvious that we could make no
useful observations in such weather. We stumbled our way
back with difficulty, and, cutting steps up the slope, at length
caught a welcome view of the camp.

'The dogs were more excited than they have been for
many a day ; poor things, they must have been quite non-
plussed when we suddenly vanished from sight. We can
make little out of the chasm so far, except that it quite cuts us
off from a nearer approach to the land with our sledges, so that
we shall have to depot our own food with the rest of the dog
food and trust to fortune to give us clear weather when we
return.'

' December 16. — There was bright, clear sunshine when we
awoke yesterday afternoon, and we not only had a good view
of the chasm, but Shackleton was able to photograph it. It
looks like a great rift in the barrier which has been partly filled
up with irregular ice-blocks; from our level to the lowest point
in the valley may be about a hundred feet, and the peaks of
some of the larger blocks rise almost to our level. The rift is
perhaps three-quarters of a mile broad opposite to us, but it
seems to narrow towards the south, and there is rather~~a
suggestion that it ends within a few miles. The general lie of
the rift is N.N.W. and S.S.E. j on the other side the surface
appears to be level again, and probably it continues so for five
or six miles to the land ; however, it is certainly not worth our
while to delay to ascertain this fact. In the sunlight the lights
and shadows of the ice-blocks are in strong contrast, and

i902] DEPOT 'B' 37

where the sun has shone on blue walls, caverns have been
melted and icicles hang over glassy, frozen pools. We found
some of the icicles still dripping.

'Intent on wasting no more of our precious time, we got
back to our depot as quickly as possible, and set about re-
arranging the loads, taking stock, and fixing up the depot.
Whilst we were thus employed a very chill wind came up from
the south, and we did not escape without some frost-bitten
fingers ; however, after luncheon we got away and started
head to wind and driving snow at n p.m. At midnight I got
an altitude which gives the latitude as 80.30, and at 1.30 we
camped, as we have decided now to start our marches earlier
every day until we get back into day routine.

' As I write I scarcely know how to describe the blessed
relief it is to be free from our relay work. For one-and-thirty
awful days have we been at it, and whilst I doubt if our human
endurance could have stood it much more, I am quite sure
the dogs could not. It seems now like a nightmare, which
grew more and more terrible towards its end.

' 1 do not like to think of the difference between the state
of our party now and as it was before we commenced this
dreadful task; it is almost equally painful to think of the gain,
for during all this time we have advanced little more than half
a degree of latitude, though I calculate we have covered
330 miles (380 statute miles).

1 But it is little use thinking of the past ; the great thing is
to make the best of the future. We carry with us provisions
for four weeks and an odd day or two, a little dog-food, our
camp equipment, and, for clothing, exactly what we stand in.

' At the depot, which I have now called Depot " B," we
have left three weeks' provision and a quantity of dog-food.
This should tide us over the homeward march, so that the
present stock can all be expended before we return to
Depot "B "; and all will be well if we can get back within
four weeks, and if we have a clear day to find the spot.

'Poor "Vic" was sacrificed to-night for the common
good.'

38 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

''December 17. — We roused out yesterday afternoon at
3 p.m. in very bright sunshine. To our astonishment, a couple
of hundred yards behind us lay the end of the chasm which
stood between us and the coast ; it gradually narrows to a
crevasse, which in places is bridged over with snow, but in
others displays a yawning gulf. We must have crossed it
within a few feet of such a gulf; our sledge track could be
seen quite clearly leading across the bridge. Not suspecting
anything of this sort we were quite regardless of danger
during our last march, and unconsciously passed within an
ace of destruction. It certainly has been a very close shave,
as we could scarcely have escaped at the best without broken
limbs had we fallen into the hole, and one doesn't like to
contemplate broken limbs out here.

'This new light on the chasm seems to show that it is
caused by a stream of ice pressing out through the strait to the
north against the main mass of the barrier ; this would naturally
have such a rending effect on either side of the entrance. We
have got the dogs on seven miles to-night ; they need a lot of
driving, especially as the surface has become irregular, with
wavy undulations. It is almost impossible to make out how
these waves run. As the chill of the evening comes on
now, a mist arises along the whole coastline and obscures
the land; for this reason we are the more anxious to get
back into day-marches, and we shall make a much earlier
start to-morrow.'

' December 18. — Started at 5 p.m. and finished at midnight.
The short hours are to get to earlier marches, but I begin to
doubt whether we shall ever be able to work the dogs for much
more than eight hours again ; the poor creatures are generally
in a healthier state with the fresh food, but all are very weak
and thin. With such a load as we now have there would have
been no holding them when we left the ship ; as someone said
to-day, " If only we could come across some good, fat seals,
we could camp for a week and start fair again." It is curious
to think that there is possibly not a living thing within two
hundred miles of us. Bad as the dog-driving is, however, the

i9o2] PUSHING SOUTHWARD 39

fact that each mile is an advance, and has not to be covered
three times, is an inexpressible relief.

• We are gradually passing from the hungry to the ravenous ;
we cannot drag our thoughts from food, and we talk of little
else. The worst times are the later hours of the march and
the nights ; on the march one sometimes gets almost a sickly
feeling from want of food, and the others declare they have an
actual gnawing sensation. At night one wakes with the most
distressing feeling of emptiness, and then to reflect that there
are probably four or five hours more before breakfast is posi-
tively dreadful. We have all proved the efficacy of hauling our
belts quite tight before we go to sleep, and I have a theory
that I am saved some of the worst pangs by my pipe. The
others are non-smokers, and, although they do not own it, I
often catch a wistful glance directed at my comforting friend ;
but, alas ! two pipes a day do not go far, even on such a
journey as ours.'

1 December 19. — We are now about ten miles from the land,
but even at this distance the foothills cut off our view of the
higher mountains behind, save to the north and south.
Abreast of us the sky-line is not more than three or four
thousand feet high, though we know there are loftier peaks
behind. The lower country which we see strongly resembles
the coastal land far to the north ; it is a fine scene of a lofty
snow-cap, whose smooth rounded outline is broken by the
sharper bared peaks, or by the steep disturbing fall of some
valley. Here and there local glaciers descend to barrier level ;
the coastline itself winds greatly, forming numerous headlands
and bays ; we are skirting these and keeping our direct course,
a little to the east of south. The coast is fringed with white
snow-slopes, glaciers, and broken ice-cascades; but in many
places black rocky headlands and precipitous uncovered cliffs
serve more clearly to mark its windings. Perhaps one of the
most impressive facts is that we see all this above a perfectly
level horizon line. Everywhere apparently there is as sharp
and definite a line between the land and the level surface of
the barrier as exists on an ordinary coastline between land and

4o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

water. When it becomes at all thick or gloomy the rocks
stand out and the white, snowy surfaces recede, giving rise to
curious optical illusions. The high, curiously shaped rocky
patches seem to be suspended in mid-air j there was one a few
days ago, long and flat in shape, which appeared to be so
wholly unsupported that it was named " Mahomet's Coffin,"
but when the weather cleared we could see that the snow about
it was really closer than the rock itself.

1 Wilson is the most indefatigable person. When it is fine
and clear, at the end of our fatiguing days he will spend two
or three hours seated in the door of the tent sketching each
detail of the splendid mountainous coast-scene to the west.
His sketches are most astonishingly accurate ; I have tested
his proportions by actual angular measurement and found them
correct. If the fine weather continues we shall at least have a
unique record of this coastline. But these long hours in the
glare are very bad for the eyes ; we have all suffered a good
deal from snow-blindness of late, though we generally march
with goggles, but Wilson gets the worst bouts, and I fear it is
mainly due to his sketching.

* " Wolf " was the victim to-night. I cannot say " poor
% Wolf,' " for he has been a thorn in the flesh, and has scarcely
pulled a pound the whole journey. We have fifteen dogs left,
and have decided to devote our energies to the preservation of
the nine best ; we have done nearly eight miles to-day, but at
such an expenditure of energy that I am left in doubt as to
whether we should not have done better without any dogs
at all.'

' December 20. — . . . Poor " Grannie " has been ailing for
some time. She dropped to-day. We put her on the sledge,
hoping she might recover, and there she breathed her last ;
she will last the others three days. It is little wonder that we
grow more and more sick of our dog-driving.

1 The sky has been overcast with low stratus cloud, but it is
wonderfully clear below ; we have had this sort of weather for
some time. One looks aloft and to the east and finds the
outlook dull and apparently foggy, when it is surprising to turn

i902] HOPELESS CONDITION OF THE DOGS 41

to the west and get a comparatively clear view of all the low-
lying rocks and snow- slopes which are now ten or a dozen
miles from us.

1 My tobacco supply is at such " low water " that to-day I
have been trying tea-leaves : they can be described as nothing
less than horrid.'

1 December 21. — We are now crossing a deep bay, but the
sky is still overcast and our view obscured ; the surface was
particularly heavy to-day, and our poor dogs had an especially
bad time. After a few miles we determined to stop and go on
at night again, as the heat was very great ; the thermometer
showed 2 70, but inside the instrument-box, which is covered
with white canvas, it showed 520. There must be an astonish-
ing amount of radiation, even with the sun obscured. Starting
again at 8 p.m., we found that matters were not improved at
all. Very few of the dogs pulled, whilst "Stripes" and
" Brownie " were vomiting. Things began to look very hope-
less, so we thought it would be wise to see what we could do
alone without assistance from our team. We found that on
ski we could just move our own sledges, but only just ; on
foot, after going for ten minutes, we found we were doing
something under a mile an hour, but only with much exertion.
After this experiment we camped again, and have been dis-
cussing matters. We calculate we were pulling about 170 lbs.
per man ; either the surface is extraordinarily bad or we are
growing weak. It is no use blinding ourselves to facts : we
cannot put any further reliance on the dogs. Any day they
might all give out and leave us entirely dependent on our-
selves. In such a case, if things were to remain just as they
are, we should have about as much as we could do to get home ;
on the other hand, will things remain just as they are? It
seems reasonable to hope for improvement, we have seen so
many changes in the surface ; at any rate, we have discussed
this matter out, and I am glad to say that all agree in taking
the risk of pushing on.

1 Misfortunes never come singly ; since starting we have
always had a regular examination of gums and legs on Sunday

42 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

morning, and at first it seemed to show us to be in a very
satisfactory condition of health, but to-night Wilson told me
that Shackleton has decidedly angry-looking gums, and that
for some time they have been slowly but surely getting worse.
He says there is nothing yet to be alarmed at, but he now
thought it serious enough to tell me in view of our future plans.
We have decided not to tell Shackleton for the present ; it is a
matter which must be thought out. Certainly this is a black
night, but things must look blacker yet before we decide to
turn.'

*■ December 22. — . . . This morning we had bright sun-
shine and a clear view of the land ; the coastline has receded
some way back in a deep bay, beyond which the land rises to
the magnificent mountain ranges which evidently form the
backbone of the whole continent. There are no longer high
snow-covered foothills to intercept our view of the loftier back-
ground ; it is as though at this portion of the coast they had
been wiped out as a feature of the country, though farther to
the south where the coastline again advances they seem to
recur.

1 But just here we get an excellent view of the clean-cut
mountain range. Abreast of us is the most splendid specimen
of a pyramidal mountain ; it raises a sharp apex to a height of
nine thousand feet or more, and its precisely carved facets
seem to rest on a base of more irregular country, fully four
thousand feet below. With its extraordinary uniformity and
great altitude it is a wonderfully good landmark. Close to the
south of this is an equally lofty table mountain, the top of
which is perfectly flat though dipping slightly towards the
north; this tabular structure is carried on, less perfectly, in
other lofty mountain regions to the south ; we have not seen it
so well marked on any part of the coast since the land we
discovered south of Cape Washington, which seems to indicate
some geological alliance with that part. We can now see also
the high land that lies beyond the foothills we have lately been
skirting ; it is more irregular in outline, with high snow-ridges
between the sharper peaks. To the south one particular

1902] FURTHER LAND 43

conical mountain stands much closer to the coast than the
main ranges. It looks to be of great height, but may not be
so distant as we imagine ; it will form our principal landmark
for the next week. It is noticeable that along all this stretch
of coast we can see no deep valley that could contain a glacier
from the interior ice-cap (if there is one).

' The beauty of the scene before us is much enhanced when
the sun circles low to the south : we get then the most delicate
blue shadows and purest tones of pink and violet on the hill-
slopes. There is rarely any intensity of shade — the charm lies
in the subtlety and delicacy of the colouring and in the clear
softness of the distant outline.

1 We have decided to cease using our bacon and to increase
the seal allowance, as the former seems the most likely cause
of the scurvy symptoms. To Shackleton it was represented as
a preventive measure, but I am not sure that he does not
smell a rat. The exchange is not quite equal in weight ; we
again lose a little. We cannot certainly afford to lose more,
as we are already reduced to starvation rations. Our allowance
on leaving the ship ran to about i 'q lb. per man per day, but
various causes have reduced this. At first we went too heavy
on our biscuit ; then we determined to lay by two extra weeks
out of eleven ; then " Spud " had his share of the seal-meat
bag ; altogether I calculate we are existing on about a pound
and a half of food a day ; it is not enough, and hunger is
gripping us very tightly. I never knew what it was like before,
and I shall not be particularly keen on trying it again.

' Our meals come regularly enough, but they are the poorest
stop-gaps, both from want of food and want of fuel. At
breakfast now we first make tea — that is to say, we put the tea
in long before the water boils, and lift and pour out with the
first bubbling. The moment this is over we heap the pemmican
and biscuit into the pot and make what we call a " fry " ; it
takes much less time than a hoosh. The cook works by the
watch, and in twenty minutes from the time it is lighted the
Primus lamp is out ; in two or three more the breakfast is
finished. Then we serve out luncheon, which consists of a

44 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

small piece of seal-meat, half a biscuit, and eight to ten lumps
of sugar. Each of us keeps a small bag which, when it contains
the precious luncheon, is stowed away in the warmth of a
breast-pocket, where it thaws out during the first march.
Absurd as it may sound, it is terribly difficult not to filch from
this bag during the hours of the march. We have become
absolutely childish in this. We know so perfectly the contents
of the bags that one will find oneself arguing that to-day's piece
of seal is half an inch longer than yesterday's ; ergo, if one
nibbles half an inch off, one will still have the same lunch as
yesterday.

1 Supper is of course the best meal ; we then have a hoosh
which runs from between three-quarters to a whole pannikin
apiece, but even at this we cannot afford to make it thick.
Whilst it is being heated in the central cooker, cocoa is made
in the outer. The lamp is turned out directly the hoosh boils,
usually from twenty-eight to thirty minutes after it has been
lighted ; by this time the chill is barely off the contents of the
outer cooker, and of course the cocoa is not properly dissolved,
but such as it is, it is the only drink we can afford. We have
long ceased criticising the quality of our food ; all we clamour
for now is something to fill up, but, needless to say, we never
get it. Half an hour after supper one seems as hard set
as ever.

' My companions get very bad " food dreams " ; in fact,
these have become the regular breakfast conversation. It
appears to be a sort of nightmare ; they are either sitting at
a well-spread table with their arms tied, or they grasp at a dish
and it slips out of their hand, or they are in the act of lifting a
dainty morsel to their mouth when they fall over a precipice.
Whatever the details may be, something interferes at the last
moment and they wake. So far, I have not had these dreams
myself, but I suppose they will come.

'When we started from the ship we had a sort of idea that
we could go as we pleased with regard to food, hauling in
automatically if things were going too fast ; but we soon found
that this would not do at all — there must be some rigid system

1902] THE NOBLE GAME OF 'SHUT-EYE' 45

of shares. After this we used to take it in turns to divide
things into three equal portions j it is not an easy thing to do
by eye, and of course the man who made the division felt
called upon to make certain that he had the smallest share. It
was when we found that this led to all sorts of absurd remon-
strances and arguments that Shackleton invented the noble
game of " shut-eye," which has solved all our difficulties in this
respect. The shares are divided as equally as possible by any-
one ; then one of the other two turns his head away, the
divider points at a " whack " and says, " Whose is this ? " He
of the averted head names the owner, and so on. It is a very
simple but very efficacious game, as it leaves the matter entirely
to chance. We play it at every meal now as a matter of
course, and from practice we do it very speedily; but one
cannot help thinking how queer it would appear for a casual
onlooker to see three civilised beings employed at it.'

1 December 23. — We have been getting on rather faster than
we thought, though we had a suspicion that the sledge-meter
was clogging in the very soft snow. Our latitude is now about
8 1 \° S. To-day I had to shift the balance-weight on the
theodolite compass needle; the dip must be decreasing
rapidly. Theodolite observations are now difficult, as the
tripod legs cannot be solidly planted. I find it a good plan
to leave it up for the night, as in the morning there is always a
little cake of ice under each leg. The surface is so soft that
one can push the shaft of the ice-axe down with a finger.

' The dogs of course feel it much, but the leaders have the
worst time, for they have to make the foot-prints ; the others
step carefully into them, and are saved the trouble of making
their own. Several times lately, and especially to-day, the
dogs have raised their heads together and sniffed at the breeze ;
with a northerly wind one might suppose that their keen scent
might detect something, but it is difficult to imagine what they
can find in air coming from the south. Shackleton, who
always declares that he believes there is either open water or an
oasis ahead, says that the dogs merely confirm his opinion.

1 We felt the chill wind in our faces much, owing to their

46 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

very blistered state. We have especial trouble with our nostrils
and lips, which are always bare of skin ; all our fingers, too,
are in a very chapped, cracked condition. We have to be very
economical with our eyes also, after frequent attacks of snow-
blindness; all three of us to-day had one eye completely
shaded, and could see only by peering with the other through
a goggle. But all our ailments together are as nothing beside
our hunger, which gets steadily worse day by day.'

'December 24. — Wilson examined us again this morning. I
asked him quietly the result, and he said, " A little more." It
is trying, but we both agree that it is not time yet to say
"Turn." But we have one fact to comfort us to-night — we
have passed on to a much harder surface, and though it still
holds a layer of an inch or two of feathery snow, beneath that
it is comparatively firm, and we are encamped on quite a hard
spot; the sastrugt are all from the S.S.E. parallel to the land.
If the dogs have not improved, they have not grown much
worse during the past day or two ; their relative strength alters
a good deal, as the following tale will show : " Stripes " and
"Gus" pull next one another; a week ago one had great
difficulty in preventing " Stripes " from leaping across and
seizing " Gus's " food. He was very cunning about it ; he
waited till one's back was turned, and then was over and back
in a moment. Time has its revenges: now "Gus" is the
stronger, and to-night he leapt across and seized " Stripes's "
choicest morsel. At other times they are not bad friends these
two ; loser and winner seem to regard this sort of thing as part
of the game. After all, it is but "the good old rule, the
simple plan," but of course we right matters when we detect
such thefts.

1 To-night is Christmas Eve. We have been thinking and
talking about the folk at home, and also much about our
plans for to-morrow.'

1 December 25, Christmas Day. — . . . For a week we have
looked forward to this day with childish delight, and, long
before that, we decided that it would be a crime to go to bed
hungry on Christmas night ; so the week went in planning a

1902] CHRISTMAS DAY 47

gorgeous feed. Each meal and each item of each meal we
discussed and rediscussed. The breakfast was to be a glorious
spread ; the Primus was to be kept going ten or even fifteen
minutes longer than usual. Lunch for once was to be warm
and comforting ; and supper ! — well, supper was to be what
supper has been.

1 In fact, we meant this to be a wonderful day, and every-
thing has conspired to make it so.

'When we awoke to wish each other "A merry Christmas "
the sun was shining warmly through our green canvas roof.
We were outside in a twinkling, to find the sky gloriously clear
and bright, with not a single cloud in its vast arch. Away to
the westward stretched the long line of gleaming coastline ;
the sunlight danced and sparkled in the snow beneath our
feet, and not a breath of wind disturbed the serenity of the
scene. It was a glorious morning, but we did not stay to
contemplate it, for we had even more interesting facts to
occupy us, and were soon inside the tent sniffing at the
savoury steam of the cooking-pot. Then breakfast was ready,
and before each of us lay a whole pannikin-full of biscuit and
seal-liver, fried in bacon and pemmican fat. It was gone in
no time, but this and a large spoonful of jam to follow left a
sense of comfort which we had not experienced for weeks,
and we started to pack up in a frame of mind that was wholly
joyful.

' After this we started on the march, and felt at once the
improvement of surface that came to us last night ; so great was
it that we found we three alone could draw the sledges, and
for once the driver was silent and the whip but rarely applied.
The dogs merely walked along with slack traces, and we did
not attempt to get more out of them. No doubt an outsider
would have thought our procession funereal enough, but to us
the relief was inexpressible; and so we trudged on from 11.30
to 4 p.m., when we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch, which con-
sisted of hot cocoa and plasmon with a whole biscuit and
another spoonful of jam. We were off again at 5.30, and
marched on till 8.30, when we camped in warmth and comfort

48 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

and with the additional satisfaction of having covered nearly
eleven miles, the longest march we have made for a long time.

'Then we laid ourselves out for supper, reckless of con-
sequences, having first had a Christmas wash and brush-up.
Redolent of soap, we sat around the cooking-pot, whilst into
its boiling contents was poured a double " whack " of every-
thing. In the hoosh that followed one could stand one's
spoon with ease, and still the Primus hissed on, as once
again our cocoa was brought to the boiling-point. Meanwhile
I had observed Shackleton ferreting about in his bundle, out
of which he presently produced a spare sock, and stowed away
in the toe of that sock was a small round object about the size
of a cricket ball, which when brought to light, proved to be a
noble "plum-pudding." Another dive into his lucky-bag and
out came a crumpled piece of artificial holly. Heated in the
cocoa, our plum-pudding was soon steaming hot, and stood
on the cooker-lid crowned with its decoration. For once we
divided food without " shut-eye."

* I am writing over my second pipe. The sun is still
slowly circling our small tent in a cloudless sky, the air is
warm and quiet, all is pleasant without, and within we have a
sense of comfort we have not known for many a day; we
shall sleep well to-night — no dreams, no tightening of the belt.

1 We have been chattering away gaily, and not once has
the conversation turned to food. We have been wondering
what Christmas is like in England — possibly very damp,
gloomy, and unpleasant, we think ; we have been wondering,
too, how our friends picture us. They will guess that we are
away on our sledge journey, and will perhaps think of us on
plains of snow; but few, I think, will imagine the truth, that
for us this has been the reddest of all red-letter days.'

1962] 49

CHAPTER XIV

RETURN FROM THE FAR SOUTH

Result of Shortage of Food — Nature of the Coastline — Snow-blindness —
Approaching the Limit of our Journey — View to the South — New
Mountains — Blizzard at our Extreme South — Turning Homeward —
Attempt to Reach the Land— The Passing of our Dog Team — Help from
our Sail — Difficult Surfaces — Running before a Storm — Finding Depot
'B' — Scurvy Again — Shackleton Becomes 111 — The Last of our Dog
Team —Bad Light for Steering — Anxious Days — Depot * A ' — Over-
eating— The Last Lap — Home Again— Our Welcome.

How many weary steps
Ot many weary miles you have o'ergone,
Are numbered to the travel of one mile.

Shakespeare.

* An' we talks about our rations and a lot of other things.'

Kipling.

Our Christmas Day had proved a delightful break in the
otherwise uninterrupted spell of semi-starvation. Some days
elapsed before its pleasing effects wore off, and for long it
remained green in our memories. We knew by this time that
we had cut ourselves too short in the matter of food, but it
was too late to alter our arrangements now without curtailing
our journey, and we all decided that, sooner than do the latter,
we would cheerfully face the pangs that our too meagre fare
would cost.

Looking back now on the incidents of this journey, the
original mistake is evident, and even at the time, apart from
the physical distress which it caused us, it is clear that we
suspected, what was indeed the case, that we were slowly but

VOL. II. E

50 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

surely sapping our energies and reducing ourselves to the
condition of our more willing dogs, who, with every desire to
throw their weight on the traces, were incapable of doing so.
Of course we never sank into the deplorable state of these
poor animals, but there is no doubt that from this time on we
were gradually wearing out, and the increasing weariness of
the homeward marches showed that we were expending our
energies at a greater rate than we were able to renew them
with our inadequate supply of food, and thus drawing on a
capital stock which must obviously have restricted limits.

Such a state of affairs is, as I have pointed out elsewhere, a
false economy, and the additional weight which we should
have carried in taking a proper allowance of food would have
amply repaid us on this occasion by the maintenance of our
full vigour.

A shortage of food has another great disadvantage which
we experienced to the full : our exceptionally hungry condition
caused our thoughts and conversation to run in a groove from
which it was almost impossible to lift them. We knew
perfectly well how ridiculous this was, and appreciated that
it was likely to increase rather than diminish the evil, but we
seemed powerless to prevent it. After supper, and before its
pleasing effects had passed, some detachment was possible,
and for half an hour or more a desultory conversation would
be maintained concerning far-removed subjects ; but it was
ludicrous to observe the manner in which remarks gradually
crept back to the old channel, and it was odds that before we
slept each one of us gave, all over again, a detailed description
of what he would now consider an ideal feast.

On the march it was even worse ; one's thoughts were
reduced to the most trivial details of the one unsatisfying
subject. One would find oneself calculating how many foot-
steps went to the minute, and how many, therefore, must be
paced before lunch; then, with a sinking heart, one would
begin to count them, suddenly lose count, and find oneself
mentally scanning the contents of the pemmican bag and
wondering exactly how much could be allowed for to-night's

i902] RECORD-MAKING 51

hoosh. This would lead to the stock of pemmican on board
the ship, and a recollection of the gorgeous yellow fat with
which it was incorporated ; the ship would recall feasts of seal,
thick soup, and thicker porridge, and on one would speed to
the recollection of special nights when our fare had been still
more bountiful, and on again to all the resources of civilised
life ; the farewell dinner at So-and-so, what would it be like if
it was spread out here on the barrier ? One remembers
declining a particularly succulent dish ; what an extraordinary
thing to do ! What a different being one must have been in
those days ! And so one's thoughts travelled on from place
to place, but always through the one medium of creature
comfort.

It is natural that a diary kept through these long weeks
should have reflected the subject that most fully occupied our
thoughts and our conversation, and, as the weakness of the
dogs curtailed our marches and left ample time for writing, I
find copious allusions to the somewhat distressing circum-
stances which attended our experiences in this respect.

But it must not be supposed that we were wholly absorbed
by this subject ; if there were trials and tribulations in our
daily life at this time, there were also compensating circum-
stances whose import we fully realised. Day by day, as we
journeyed on, we knew we were penetrating farther and farther
into the unknown ; each footstep was a gain, and made the
result of our labour more solid It would be difficult to
describe with what eagerness we studied the slowly revolving
sledge-meter, or looked for the calculated results of our obser-
vations, while ever before our eyes was the line which we were
now drawing on the white space of the Antarctic chart. Day
by day, too, though somewhat slowly, there passed on that
magnificent panorama of the western land. Rarely a march
passed without the disclosure of some new feature, something on
which the eye of man had never yet rested ; we should have
been poor souls indeed had we not been elated at the privilege
of being the first to gaze on these splendid scenes.

On December 26 we had another brilliant, calm and

52 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

cloudless day, with a clear view to the west ; the coastal ice-cape
again obscured our view of the higher ranges behind, but now
it rose to a more considerable altitude, being at least three or
four thousand feet above our level ; it undulated in long
sweeping curves, with here and there a black jagged outcrop
of rock, and elsewhere a steep crevassed fall. Our track had
been taking us close to the coast, and as we had skirted along,
past pointed snow-capes and rocky headlands, we had gradually
blocked out the remarkable tabular and pyramidal mountains
which had been abreast of us a week before; behind us
also we had left the sharp conical peak which had been our
principal landmark for many days.

When, far to the north, we had first seen this mountain,
we had exaggerated both height and distance, and when things
had gone badly with us we had wondered if our fortunes would
ever allow us to pass it. On Christmas Day, however, we were
abreast of it, and though I calculated its height to be under
seven thousand feet, this was no mean altitude for so remark-
able a peak. Since in preserving its uniform, sharp, conical
appearance, it was still the most salient feature in our view, we
dubbed it ' Christmas Mountain ' in honour of the day. We
passed within eighteen miles of it, according to my calculations,
and by the 26th it was ' abaft the beam.' Whilst still retaining
its pointed appearance, it seemed from this new aspect to have
assumed a certain resemblance to the higher pyramidal hills of
the north.

Perhaps the most interesting part of our view just at this
time was the coastline itself. We were from eight to ten miles
from it, and at such a distance one could see very distinctly in
that clear air ; it was comparatively steep all along — that is to
say, the undulating ice-cap fell gradually to a height of one or
two thousand feet and then abruptly to the barrier level. In a
few places this fall was taken by steep but comparatively
smooth snow-slopes, in others the snow seemed to pour over in
beautiful cascades of immense ice-blocks, and in others, again,
the coast was fringed by huge perpendicular cliffs of bare rock.
On this day we were abreast of the highest cliffs we had seen,

i902] NATURE OF THE COASTLINE 53

and my angles, roughly computed, gave a height of 1,800 feet
between their base and the white snow-line on top, and they
were so impressive even in the distance that I cannot believe
them to have been much under. In many places the rock-
face must have been sheer to this great height, for where it fell
away a white splash showed where the snow had found lodg-
ment.

Even at a distance of ten miles these cliffs were magnificent,
and how grand they would have appeared had we been able to
get close beneath them we could well imagine. In colour they
were a rich, deep red, though a little farther to the south this
rock was confusingly bedded with a darker, almost black one ;
this alternation of black and red occurred along the whole coast
south of our position at this time, always in the same irregular
fashion, but always with a definite line between the red and
the black. At this time we were all under the impression that
these rocks were of the same recent volcanic nature as those
about the ship, but later on, after my visit to the western hills,
I came to doubt this belief. It is possible that if at this time
we had known more of the structure of the mainland to the
north we should have been able to note points of similarity or
difference which threw more light on this southern land, but it
is doubtful whether in any case we could have discovered
much that was definite at the distance from which we saw it.

It can be imagined that as we travelled onward our eyes
were most frequently lifted towards the south. It is always
bewildering to look along a coastline at such an oblique angle.
Shortly before this the south had meant a long succession of
dark rock-masses and hazy snow-capes, but during the last few
days we had ' risen ' a feature of noticeable distinction, and now
we knew that we looked on a lofty mountain whose eastern
slopes fell to the long snow-cape which for the present bounded
our view.

The very gradual unfolding of its details told us that this
mass of land was both distant and lofty, and as we approached
the limit of safe endeavour we knew that here was an object
that we could not hope to reach ; though we might approach

54 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

it by many miles and be able to examine it with care, we
should never . know definitely what lay beyond. We felt that
it was the most southerly land to which we should be able to
apply a name, and we thought that the fine peak which for the
present must remain the southerly outpost of all known lands
could bear no more fitting title than one derived from the con-
tributor whose generous donation had alone made our
expedition possible. On the night of the 26th, therefore, we
christened this distant peak ' Mount Longstaff,' but it was only
on our return to the ship that I was able to fix its position as
well beyond the 83rd parallel.

From a point of view of further exploration our position
on the 26th did not promise great things. On our right lay
the high undulating snow-cap and the steep irregular coast-
line ; to the south lay a cape, beyond which we could not hope
to pass ; and to all appearance these conditions must remain
unaltered to the end of our journey. We argued, however,
that one never knows what may turn up, and we determined,
in spite of the unpromising outlook, to push on to our utmost
limit. As events proved, we argued most wisely, for had we
turned at this point we should have missed one of the most
important features of the whole coastline ; it was only one
more instance of the happening of the unexpected.

In spite of the comforting nature of our Christmas festivi-
ties, worry was never long absent from what was now becoming
rather a forlorn party, as the following extract shows :

' December 26. — . . . Poor Wilson has had an attack of
snow-blindness, in comparison with which our former attacks
may be considered as nothing ; we were forced to camp early
on account of it, and during the whole afternoon he has been
writhing in horrible agony. It is distressing enough to see,
knowing that one can do nothing to help. Cocaine has only
a very temporary effect, and in the end seems to make matters
worse. I have never seen an eye so terribly bloodshot and
inflamed as that which is causing the trouble, and the inflam-
mation has spread to the eyelid. He describes the worst part
as an almost intolerable stabbing and burning of the eyeball ;

i9o2] NEW MOUNTAINS 55

it is the nearest approach to illness we have had, and one can
only hope that it is not going to remain serious.

' Shackleton did butcher to-night, and " Brownie " was
victim. Poor little dog ! his life has been very careworn of
late, and it is probably a happy release.'

''December 27. — Late last night Wilson got some sleep, and
this morning he was better ; all day he has been pulling along-
side the sledges with his eyes completely covered. It is
tiresome enough to see our snowy world through the slit of
a goggle, but to march blindfolded with an empty stomach for
long hours touches a pitch of monotony which I shall be glad
to avoid. We covered a good ten miles to-day by sledge-
meter, though I think that instrument is clogging and showing
short measure. The dogs have done little, but they have all
walked, except "Stripes," who broke down and had to be
carried on the sledge ; he was quite limp when I picked him
up, and his thick coat poorly hides the fact that he is nothing
but skin and bone. Yesterday I noticed that we were ap-
proaching what appeared to be a deeper bay than usual, and
this afternoon this opening developed in the most interesting
manner.

' On the near side is a bold, rocky, snow-covered cape, and
all day we have been drawing abreast of this ; as we rapidly
altered its bearing this afternoon it seemed to roll back like
some vast sliding gate, and gradually there stood revealed one
of the most glorious mountain scenes we have yet witnessed.
Walking opposite to Wilson I was trying to keep him posted
with regard to the changes, and I think my reports of this part
must have sounded curious. It was with some excitement
I noticed that new mountain ridges were appearing as high as
anything we had seen to the north, but, to my surprise, as we
advanced the ridges grew still higher, as no doubt did my
tones. Then, instead of a downward turn in the distant out-
line came a steep upward line ; Pelion was heaped on Ossa,
and it can be imagined that we pressed the pace to see what
would happen next, till the end came in a gloriously sharp
double peak crowned with a few flecks of cirrus cloud.

56 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

1 We can no longer call this opening a bay ; it runs for
many miles in to the foot of the great range, and is more in
the nature of an inlet. But all our thoughts in camp to-night
turn to this splendid twin-peaked mountain, which, even in
such a lofty country, seems as a giant among pigmies. We
all agree that from Sabine to the south the grandest eminences
cannot compare in dignity with this monster. We have
decided that at last we have found something which is fitting
to bear the name of him whom we must always the most
delight to honour, and " Mount Markham " it shall be called
in memory of the father of the expedition.'

' December 28. — Sights to-day put us well over the 82nd
parallel (82.11 S.). We have almost shot our bolt. If the
weather holds fine to-morrow, we intend to drop our sledges
at the midday halt and push on as far as possible on ski. We
stopped early this afternoon in order to take photographs and
make sketches. Wilson, in spite of his recent experiences,
refuses to give in ; whatever is left unsketched, and however
his eyes may suffer, this last part must be done.

'It is a glorious evening, and fortune could not have
provided us with a more perfect view of our surroundings.
We are looking up a broad, deep inlet or strait which stretches
away to the south-west for thirty or forty miles before it reaches
its boundary of cliff and snow-slope. Beyond, rising fold on
fold, are the great neVe fields that clothe the distant range ;
against the pale blue sky the outline of the mountain ridge
rises and falls over numerous peaks till, with a sharp turn
upward, it culminates in the lofty summit of Mount Markham.
To the north it descends again, to be lost behind the bluff
extremity of the near cape. It seems more than likely that
the vast inlet before us takes a sharp turn to the right beyond
the cape and in front of the mountains, and we hope to
determine this fact to-morrow.

' The eastern foothills of the high range form the southern
limit of the strait ; they are fringed with high cliffs and steep
snow-slopes, and even at this distance we can see that some
of the rocks are of the deep-red colour, whilst others are black.

i9o2] VIEW TO THE SOUTH 57

Between the high range and the barrier there must lie immense
undulating snow-plateaux covering the lesser foothills, which
seem rather to increase in height to the left until they fall
sharply to the barrier level almost due south of us.

1 To the eastward of this, again, we get our view to the
farthest south, and we have been studying it again and again
to gather fresh information with the changing bearings of the
sun. Mount Longstaff we calculate as 10,000 feet. It is
formed by the meeting of two long and comparatively regular
slopes ; that to the east stretches out into the barrier and ends
in a long snow-cape which bears about S. 14 E. ; that to the
west is lost behind the nearer foothills, but now fresh features
have developed about these slopes. Over the western ridge
can be seen two new peaks which must lie considerably to the
south of the mountain, and, more interesting still, beyond the
eastern cape we catch a glimpse of an extended coastline ;
the land is thrown up by mirage and appears in small white
patches against a pale sky.

We know well this appearance of a snow-covered country ;
it is the normal view in these regions of a very distant lofty
land, and it indicates with certainty that a mountainous country
continues beyond Mount Longstaff for nearly fifty miles. The
direction of the extreme land thrown up in this manner is
S. 17 E., and hence we can now say with certainty that the
coastline after passing Mount Longstaft continues in this
direction for at least a degree of latitude. Of course one can-
not add that the level barrier surface likewise continues, as
one's view of it is limited to a very narrow horizon ; but anyone
who had travelled over it as we have done, and who now, like
us, could gaze on these distant lands beyond its level margin,
could have little doubt that it does so.

1 It is fortunate to have had such glorious weather to give
us a clear view of this magnificent scene, for very soon now
we must be turning, and though we may advance a few miles
we cannot hope to add largely to our store of information.'

'It has been a busy evening, what with taking angles,
sketching, and attending to our camp duties, but hours so full

58 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

of interest have passed rapidly ; and now the sun is well to the
south, and from all the coast is rising the thin night mist ex-
actly as it does after a hot day in England, so we are preparing
to settle down in our sleeping-bags, in the hope that to-morrow
may prove equally fine.

' A great relief comes to us in this distant spot at finding
that our slight change of diet is already giving a beneficial
result; late to-night we had another examination of our
scurvy symptoms, and there is now no doubt that they are
lessening.'

1 December 29. — Instead of our proposed advance we have
spent the day in our tent, whilst a strong southerly blizzard has
raged without. It is very trying to the patience, and to-night,
though the wind has dropped, the old well-known sheet of
stratus cloud is closing over us, and there is every prospect of
another spell of overcast weather which will obscure the land.
This afternoon for the third time we have seen the heavens
traced with bands and circles of prismatic light, and, if any-
thing, the phenomenon has been more complicated than
before ; it was a very beautiful sight.

' Only occasionally to-day have we caught glimpses of the
land, and it is not inspiriting to lie hour after hour in a sleeping-
bag, chill and hungry, and with the knowledge that one is so
far from the region of plenty.'

1 December 30. — We got up at six this morning, to find a
thick fog and nothing in sight ; to leave the camp was out of
the question, so we packed up our traps and started to march
to the S.S.W. This brought us directly towards the mouth of
the strait, and after an hour we found ourselves travelling over
a disturbed surface with numerous cracks which seemed to
radiate from the cape we were rounding. After stumbling on
for some time, the disturbance became so great that we were
obliged to camp. If the fates are kind and give us another
view of the land, we are far enough advanced now to see the
inner recesses of our strait.

' After our modest lunch Wilson and I started off on ski to
the S.S.W. We lost sight of the camp almost immediately,

i9o2] OUR SOUTHERLY LIMIT 59

and were left with only our tracks to guide us back to it, but
we pushed on for perhaps a mile or more in hopes that the
weather would clear ; then, as there was no sign of this, and
we could see little more than a hundred yards, we realised
there might be considerable risk and could be no advantage
in proceeding, and so turned and retraced our footsteps to the
camp.

1 This camp we have now decided must be our last, for we
have less than a fortnight's provision to take us back to Depot
" B," and with the dogs in their present state it would be im-
possible to make forced marches ; we have, therefore, reached
our southerly limit. Observations give it as between 82.16 S.
and 82.17 S. l if this compares poorly with our hopes and
expectations on leaving the ship, it is a more favourable result
than we anticipated when those hopes were first blighted by
the failure of the dog team.

1 Whilst one cannot help a deep sense of disappointment
in reflecting on the " might have been " had our team remained
in good health, one cannot but remember that even as it is
we have made a greater advance towards a pole of the earth
than has ever yet been achieved by a sledge party.

' We feel a little inclined to grumble at the thick weather
that surrounds us ; it has a depressing effect, and in our state
of hunger we feel the cold though the temperature is + 150 ;
but we must not forget that we had great luck in the fine
weather which gave us such a clear view of the land two days
ago.'

1 December 31. — As we rose this morning the sun was
still obscured by low stratus cloud, which rapidly rolled away,
however; first the headlands and then the mountains stood
out, and we could see that we had achieved our object of
yesterday in opening out the inlet ; but in this direction the
cloud continued to hang persistently, so that it was to little
purpose that we had obtained such a position. We could see
now that the inlet certainly turned to the north of west ; on
either side the irregular outlines of the mountains were clear
against a blue sky, and, descending gradually towards the level,

60 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

left a broad gap between, but low in this gap hung the tanta-
lising bank of fog, screening all that lay beyond. By turning
towards the strait we had partly obscured our clear view of
Mount Longstaff and quite cut off the miraged images of the
more distant land, but we had approached the high cliffs
which formed the southern limit of the strait, and in the
morning sun could clearly see the irregular distribution of red
and black rock in the steep cliff faces.

'In hope that the fog-bank to the west would clear, we
proceeded with our packing in a leisurely manner, and when
all was ready, turned our faces homewards. It was significant
of the terrible condition of our team that the turn produced no
excitement. It appears to make no difference to them now in
which direction they bend their weary footsteps; it almost
seems that most of them guess how poor a chance they have
of ever seeing the ship again. And so we started our home-
ward march, slowly at first, and then more briskly as we realised
that all chance of a clearance over the strait was gone.

' In the flood of sunlight which now illumined the snow
about us, we were able to see something of the vast ice
upheavals caused by the outflow of ice from the strait ;
pushing around the cape, it is raised in undulations which
seem to run parallel to the land. We directed our course
towards the cape with the hopes of getting to the land, but
were obliged to keep outwards to avoid the worst disturbances ;
this brought us obliquely across the undulation, and as we
travelled onward they rose in height and became ridged and
broken on the summit. Now, too, we came upon numerous
crevasses which appeared to extend radially from the cape,
and these, with the cracks and ridges, formed a network of
obstruction across our path through which we were forced to
take a very winding course.

'We extended our march until we had passed the worst
of this disturbance, and by that time we were well to the north
of the cape and abreast of one of the curious rocky groins that
occur at intervals along the coast. This showed samples of
both the red and the black rock, which seem to constitute the

1902] ATTEMPT TO REACH THE LAND 61

geological structure of the whole coast, and we decided to pitch
our camp and make an excursion to the land on our ski. By
the time that we had swallowed our luncheon the clouds had
rolled away, leaving us in the same brilliant sunshine that we
have enjoyed so frequently of late, and in which even at a
distance of five or six miles every detail of the high groin could
be distinctly seen.

'Not knowing what adventures we might encounter, we
thought it wise to provide ourselves with a second luncheon,
which we safely stowed in our breast-pockets, and taking our
ice-axe and Alpine rope, we set out for the shore. It looked
deceptively near, nor was it until we had marched for nearly an
hour without making any marked difference in its appearance
that we realised we were in for a long job.

'By this time we were again crossing long undulations
which increased in height as we advanced ; soon from the
summits of the waves we could see signs of greater disturbances
ahead, and at five o'clock we found ourselves at the edge of
a chasm resembling that which had prevented us from reaching
the shore farther to the north. This was not an encouraging
spectacle, but on the opposite side, a mile or so away, we could
see that a gentle slope led to the rocks, and that once across
this disturbance we should have no difficulty in proceeding.
On the near side the spaces between the ice-blocks had been
much drifted up with snow, so that we found no great difficulty
in descending or in starting our climb amongst the ice-blocks ;
but as we advanced the snow became lighter and the climbing
steeper. We could get no hold with our finneskoes on the
harder places, and in the softer we sank knee-deep, whilst the
lightly-bridged crevasses became more difficult to avoid, and
once or twice we were only saved from a bad fall by the fact
of being roped together. Constantly after circling a large block
with difficulty we found in front of us some unclimbable place,
and were obliged to retrace our steps and try in some new
direction; but we now knew that we must be approaching
the opposite side, and so we struggled on.

'At length, however, when we thought our troubles must

62 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

surely be ending, we cut steps around a sharp corner to find
the opposite bank of the chasm close to us, but instead of the
rough slopes by which we had descended, we found here a
steep, overhanging face of ice, towering some fifty feet above
us. To climb this face was obviously impossible, and we were
reluctantly forced to confess that all our trouble had been in
vain. It was a great disappointment, as we had confidently
hoped to get some rock specimens from this far south land,
and now I do not see that we shall have a chance to do so.

1 Before starting our homeward climb we sat down to rest,
and, of course, someone mentioned the provisions — it was
to-morrow's lunch that we carried — and someone else added
that it would be absurd to take it back to the camp. Then
the temptation became too great j though we knew it was
wrong, our famished condition swept us away, and in five
minutes not a remnant remained. After this we started our
return climb, and at ten o'clock we reached the camp pretty
well " done."

'There can be little doubt, I think, that the chasm we
have seen to-day is caused by the ice pushing out of the
southern strait against the barrier, and possibly it may end
a little farther to the north, but I could not see any signs of its
ending ; the blocks of ice within seem to have been split off
from the sloping ice- foot — in fact, we saw some in the process
of being broken away — and the fact that there is so much less
snow towards the land seems to show that the inner ones are
of more recent origin. The ice-foot is fed by the ice-cap on
the hills above, which at this part flows over in a steep cascade.
I do not see that we can make another attempt to reach the
land before we get back to Depot " B " ; in fact, we shall have
none too easy a task in doing that alone. We shall have to
average more than seven miles a day, and the dogs are now
practically useless ; but, what is worse, I cannot help feeling
that we ourselves are not so strong as we were. Our walk
to-day has tired us more than it ought.

1 To-night Shackleton upset the hoosh pot. There was an
awful moment when we thought some of it was going to run

h

Y*>

i902] THE PASSING OF OUR DOG TEAM 63

away on to the snow ; luckily it all remained on our waterproof
floorcloth, and by the time we had done scraping I do not
think that any was wasted.'

'Jamiary 1, 1903. — We have opened the new year with
a march which is likely to be a sample of those which will
follow for many a day to come. The state of our dog team is
now quite pitiable; with a very few exceptions they cannot
pretend to pull ; at the start of the march some have to be
lifted on to their feet and held up for a minute or two before
their limbs become stiff enough to support them. Poor
" Spud " fell in his tracks to-day ; we carried him for a
long way on the sledge, and then tried him once more,
but he fell again, and had to be carried for the rest of the
journey tucked away inside the canvas tank. Towards the
end of our day's march it has always been possible to get
a semblance of spirit into our poor animals by saying, "Up
for supper." They learnt early what the words meant, and
it has generally been "Spud" who gave the first responsive
whimper. This afternoon it was most pathetic ; the cheering
shout for the last half-mile was raised as usual, but there was
no response, until suddenly from the interior of the sledge-
tank came the muffled ghost of a whimper. It was "Spud's"
last effort : on halting we carried him back to his place, but in
an hour he was dead.

'The whole team are in a truly lamentable condition ;
" Gus " and " Bismarck " are tottering ; " Lewis " and " Birdie "
may fail any moment ; " Jim " is probably the strongest — he
had reserves of fat to draw on, and has been a great thief;
" Nigger " is something of a mystery : he is weak, but not
reduced to the same straits as the others, and seems capable
of surprising efforts.

1 This afternoon a southerly breeze sprang up, and we
improvised a sail out of our tent floorcloth ; it makes an
excellent spread of canvas. Some time ago I fixed up our
bamboo mast as a permanency by stepping it in the runner
and binding it with wire to one of the standards. On this we
hoisted our sail, spreading it with two bamboo ski-poles. This

64 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' Qad.

evening we saw the last of Mount Markham, and Mount Long-
staff is already growing small in the distance.'

iJa?iuary 3. — We are not finding our homeward march so
easy as we expected, and we are not clearing a large margin
over the distances which are actually necessary for each day;
it is plain that if there are blizzards now we must go on right
through them. But to-day we have done rather better than
before. This morning there was a hot sun, which brought
the snow-surface nearly up to freezing-point, and we found the
sledge drew easily. This afternoon there was a fresh breeze,
when we got a great deal of help from our sail. The dogs
have not pulled throughout the day — we do not expect it of
them now — and this afternoon Shackleton was ahead dragging
on those who could not walk. Wilson was carrying their long
trace in rear to prevent it getting foul of the sledges, whilst I
was employed in keeping the latter straight before the wind
and in helping them over the rough places ; the sail did most
of the pulling. We have only two sledges left now, as we find
this is sufficient to carry our much-lightened load.

'To walk eight or nine miles in a day does not sound
much of a task for even a tired dog, yet it is too much for
ours, and they are dropping daily. Yesterday poor little
" Nell " fell on the march, tried to rise, and fell again, looking
round with a most pathetic expression. She was carried till
the night, but this morning was as bad as ever, and at lunch-
time was put out of her misery. This afternoon, shortly after
starting, "Gus" fell, quite played out. and just before our
halt, to our greater grief, " Kid " caved in. One could almost
weep over this last case ; he has pulled like a Trojan through-
out, and his stout little heart bore him up till his legs failed
beneath him, and he fell never to rise again.

■ It is useless to carry all this dog-food, so we have decided
to serve it out freely, and the seven animals that remain are
now lying about quite replete ; at any rate, poor things, they
will not die of starvation.

1 Save for a glimpse of the sun this morning, a high stratus
cloud has hung over us all day. We see the land, but not

i9o3] A NEW EXPERIENCE 65

very clearly j we are inside our course in passing down the
coast, and about ten miles from the remarkable cliffs we then
noticed. To the north-west we recognise well-known land-
marks. In spite of our troubles we managed to keep going
for seven hours to-day, but we feel that this is the utmost that
we can do at present owing to our poor team.'

1 January 6. — This morning saw us start off in overcast
weather, but with a high temperature making very wet snow,
and in consequence a comparatively easy surface. By lunch-
time it had commenced to snow in large flakes, and the
temperature had risen to + 33° by the sling thermometer ; this
is the first time the air-temperature has been above freezing ;
the snow falling on us or on the sledges immediately melted,
so that the effect was precisely the same as a shower of rain ;
and it was ludicrous to see us trying to push things into holes
and corners where they would not get sopping wet. We wore
our gaberdine blouses this afternoon, and they had the appear-
ance and the effect of mackintoshes. All this is a strangely
new experience to us, and certainly one would never have
dreamt that an umbrella might be a desirable thing on the
Great Barrier. This wave of heat with thick foggy snow came
from the south with a fairish breeze.

' We have been trying once or twice lately to go on ski as
the snow is very soft and we sink deeply, but we find that we
cannot put the same weight on the traces as we do on foot.
On the whole our ski so far have been of little value. They
have saved us labour on the rare occasions on which we have
not had to pull, such as when we returned for the second load
at our relay work ; but the labour thus saved is a doubtful
compensation for the extra weight which they add to the load.
Another thing to be remembered is that one gets used to
plodding, even in heavy snow, and, though it is very tiring at
first, one's capacity for performance on foot ought not to be
judged until one is thoroughly accustomed to the work.

' We have passed our old track once or twice lately ; it is
partly obliterated but much clearer than I expected to find it
after the recent winds. We made sail again this afternoon,

VOL. II. F

66 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

and the dogs, which have now become only a hindrance, were
hitched on behind the sledges — a very striking example of the
cart before the horse. " Boss " fell, and was put on the
sledge.'

iJa?iuary 7. — We have had a very warm and uncommonly
pleasant day. The temperature at noon rose to 340 and the
snow surface was just on the melting-point, a condition that is
excellent for the sledge-runners. We dropped all the dogs out
of the traces and pulled steadily ourselves for seven hours,
covering ten good miles by sledge-meter. " Boss," when we
left, turned back to the old camp ; later he was seen following,
but he has not turned up to-night, though supper-hour is long
past. The rest of the animals walked pretty steadily alongside
the sledges. It is a queer ending for our team; I do not
suppose they will ever go into harness again, unless it is to
help them along.

' But who could describe the relief this is to us ? No more
cheering and dragging in front, no more shouting and yelling
behind, no more clearing of tangled traces, no more dismal
stoppages, and no more whip. All day we have been steadily
plodding on with the one purpose of covering the miles by our
own unaided efforts, and one feels that one would sooner have
ten such days than one with the harrowing necessity of driving
a worn-out dog team. For the first time we were able to con-
verse freely on the march, and in consequence the time passed
much more rapidly.

' We have seen little of the land of late, though occasion-
ally our landmarks show up. The sun has been flickering in
and out all day. Much cloud hangs above the coast ; this
afternoon it developed into masses of rolled cumulus which
clung about the higher peaks like rolls of cotton wool. It is
the first time we have seen these to the south, and they are
pleasantly reminiscent of milder climates ; they would certainly
appear to have some connection with the wave of heat that is
passing over us.

' We have been arguing to-night that if we can only get to
the depot in good time we can afford to have an extra feed, a

1903] DIFFICULT SURFACES 67

sort of revival of Christmas Day j at present we have gained a
day on our allowance. We are positively ravenous, but this
thought is sending us to bed in a much happier frame of
mind.'

'■January 8. — Truly our travelling is full of surprises. Last
night we had a mild snow-storm depositing flaky crystals, but
none of us guessed what the result would be. This morning
the air temperature had fallen to 220, the snow surface was
2 30, and below the upper layer 260 ; after breakfast the fog
gradually cleared, the sun came out, and a brisk northerly
breeze sprang up. We got into our harness in good time,
and, lo ! and behold, found we could scarcely move the
sledges. We scraped the runners and tried again without any
difference ; somewhat alarmed, we buckled to with all our
energy, and after three hours of the hardest work succeeded in
advancing one mile and a quarter ; then we camped to discuss
the matter. It was evident that the surface had completely
changed : last night we could have dragged double our present
load with ease ; this morning each step was a severe strain, we
were constantly brought to a standstill and had to break the
sledges away with a jerk. As the wind came up, the loose
snow settled into little sandy heaps, and seemed actually to
grip at the runners. We have decided to remain in camp until
the surface changes, but the question one cannot help asking
is, Will it change ? I suppose it is bound to come right, but
we have less than a week's provisions and are at least fifty
miles from the depot. Consequently the prospect of a daily
rate of one mile and a quarter does not smile on us — in fact,
we are none of us very cheerful to-night ; and to add to his
discomfort poor Shackleton has another bad attack of snow-
blindness.

1 We got a clear view of the land this afternoon, and I was
able to get an excellent round of angles. We are opposite the
high pyramidal and tabular mountains once more, and get a
good idea of the general loftiness of the country.

' " Birdie " remained behind at the camp this morning, but
came on later ; " Boss " has never rejoined — he must have

F 2

68 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

sunk like the rest from sheer exhaustion, but with no one by
to give him the last merciful quietus ; " Joe " was sacrificed for
the common good to-night. It is fortunate that numbers will
not permit these massacres to continue much longer; yet, after
all, one cannot help being struck with the extraordinary and
merciful lack of intelligence that these beasts display in such
tragic moments. We have had the most impressive examples
of this.

1 When a decree has gone forth against any poor wretch, it
has been our custom to lead him some way to the rear of the
sledges and there, of course, to put an end to him as painlessly
as possible. As the intended victim has been led away, the
rest of the team have known at once what is going to happen,
and as far as their feeble state has allowed they have raised the
same chorus of barks as they used to do when they knew that
we were going to fetch their food. Of course the cause is
precisely the same ; they know in some way that this means
food. But the astonishing fact is that the victim himself has
never known : he has always followed willingly with his tail
wagging, evidently under the impression that he is going to be
taken to the place where the food comes from, nor, until the
last, has he ever shown the least suspicion of his end.

1 Thus we have seen an animal howling with joy at seeing
his comrade led to the slaughter, and the next night going on
the same road himself with every sign of pleasure ; it has a
distinctly pathetic side, but it is good to know clearly that they
have not the intelligence to anticipate their fate.

! I have used the pronoun " we " above, but I must confess
that I personally have taken no part in the slaughter ; it is a
moral cowardice of which I am heartily ashamed, and I know
perfectly well that my companions hate the whole thing as
much as I do. At the first this horrid duty was performed by
Wilson, because it was tacitly agreed that he would be by far
the most expert ; and later, when I was perfectly capable of
taking a share, I suppose I must have shrunk from it so
obviously that he, with his usual self-sacrifice, volunteered to
do the whole thing throughout. And so it has been arranged,

1903] RUNNING BEFORE A STORM 69

and I occupy the somewhat unenviable position of allowing
someone else to do my share of the dirty work.'

1 January 9. —Late last night I was awakened by a flapping
of wings, and found a solitary skua gull hovering round the
camp. One cannot guess how the creature can have spotted
us, especially as we had a northerly wind yesterday ; but what-
ever has brought him, it is cheering to see a sign of life once
more, as it is more than a month since we saw the last. It was
anxious work trying the surface this morning, and we hurried
over the breakfast to get into harness. We found the pulling
hard work, but very much better than yesterday, and in the
afternoon we were able to set our sail again. We have made a
fairly good march, but now, unfortunately, cannot tell the exact
distance covered, as this morning we found that the sledge-
meter had refused duty. An examination showed that one of
the cog-wheels had dropped off, so we detached the counter
mechanism and abandoned the rest ; it has done us good
service, and we shall miss its exact record of our work.

1 Our four remaining dogs roam around the sledges all day,
sometimes lying down for a spell, but never dropping far be-
hind. { Nigger ' and ' Jim ' are moderately well, but ' Birdie '
and 'Lewis' are very weak and emaciated. Poor 'Nigger'
seems rather lost out of harness ; he will sometimes get close
to our traces and march along as though he was still doing his
share of the pulling.'

* January 10. — We started this morning at 8.25, with a
moderately bright outlook and the land clear ; the surface was
a trifle better than yesterday, but with no helping wind we
found it heavy enough until at eleven o'clock a high stratus
cloud drifted up from the south and plunged us into gloom.
With this the temperature rose and the surface improved as if
by magic, and for the last hour before lunch we were able to
step out briskly. Soon after this the wind came, and as we
started our afternoon march it became evident that a blizzard
was beginning. It is the first time we have marched in a
blizzard, and though it has been very trying work, it has given
us several extra miles,

70 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' (Jan.

'Almost immediately after lunch the sledges began to out-
run us, and soon we were obliged to reef our sail, and even
with reduced canvas the mast was bending like a whip. The
great difficulties were to keep the course and to run the sledges
straight. At first we tried to steer by the direction of the
wind, and only discovered how wildly we were going by the
sail suddenly flying flat aback on either tack. The air was so
thick with driving snow that one could not see more than
twenty or thirty yards, and against the grey background it was
impossible to see the direction in which the snow was driving.
After this we tried steering by compass; Shackleton and
Wilson pushed on before the wind, whilst I rested the compass
in the snow, and when the needle had steadied directed them
by shouting ; then as they were disappearing in the gloom, I
had to pick up the compass and fly after them. It can be
imagined how tiring this sort of thing was to all concerned.
At length I made up my mind that we could only hope to hold
an approximate course, and getting Shackleton well ahead of
me, I observed the manner in which the snow was drifting
against his back, and for the remainder of the day I directed
him according to this rough guide.

'As it was evident that, although we were not steering
straight, we were covering the ground quickly, we decided to
go on for two hours extra and take every advantage we could
from the wind. It was as much as we could do to hold out
for this time, and when at length the halt was called we were
all thoroughly exhausted. We had difficulty in getting our
tent up in the heavy gale that was now blowing, and, as luck
would have it, our wretched Primus lamp chose this occasion
to refuse work, so that it was late before we could prepare our
hot meal.

' The march has been the most tiring we have done ; we
are more or less used to steady plodding, but to-day we have
sometimes had to run, sometimes to pull forward, sometimes
backward, and sometimes sideways, and always with our senses
keenly on the alert and our muscles strung up for instant
action. Wilson and I are very much ' done,' though only to

igo3] SHORT OF FOOD 71

the extent that needs a night's rest ; but Shackleton is a good
deal worse, I think, and I am not feeling happy about his
condition.

1 We could very rarely spare our attention for the dogs to-
day. Poor ' Birdie ' gave out early, and was carried on the
sledge ; as to-night he could not stand, we have had to give up
hope of saving him, and he has breathed his last. ' Nigger '
and ' Jim ' have kept up well, but ' Lewis ' has only done so
with great difficulty, and has sometimes dropped a long way
behind.

' We cannot now be far from our depot, but then we do not
exactly know where we are ; there is not many days' food left,
and if this thick weather continues we shall possibly not be
able to find it.' -

January n. — The surface has been truly awful to-day;
with the wind swelling our sail and our united efforts we could
scarcely budge the sledges. Nothing could be seen ; not a
sign of land ; cold snow was driving at our backs, and it was
most difficult to steer anything like a straight course. At noon
the sun peeped out for a few minutes, and I got an altitude
which gives the latitude as 80.44 S. ; to-night, therefore, we
cannot be more than ten or twelve miles from the depot.

1 Our loads are ridiculously light, and that we should be
making such heavy weather of them is very discouraging. It
may be because we are overdone, but I cannot help thinking that
the surface is getting consistently worse ; and with no know-
ledge of our climate we have certain dismal forebodings that a
snowy season has set in, which may be a regular thing at this
time of year. With no sight of landmarks and nothing about
one but the unchanging grey it is impossible to avoid a sense
of being lost ; never before have we entirely lost sight of the
land for more than twenty-four consecutive hours, and looking
at the diminished food- bag we are obliged to realise that we are
running things very close. However, it is no use meeting
troubles half-way ; the only thing now is to push on all we
can.

' We are not very comfortable in our camping equipment,

72 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5 Qan.

as everything is wet through — clothes, sleeping-bags, and tent-
gear. The canvas tanks and covers of the sledges are shrunk
and sodden ; the snow was melted as it drifted against one
side of our sail to-day, and from the other hung long icicles.

' " Lewis " dropped farther and farther astern this morning,
and as he has not come up to-night I fear we shall not see him
again.

'•January 12. — This morning as we breakfasted there was
just a glimpse of landmarks, but before we could properly
recognise them the pall of cloud descended once more ; we
saw enough to show us that we cannot be very far from the
depot. Thanks to a good southerly breeze we have done
a good march, and with the help of another latitude sight
I calculate the depot must be within a very few miles, but
the continuance of this thick weather naturally damps our
spirits.

'There is no doubt we are approaching a very critical
time. The depot is a very small spot on a very big ocean of
snow ; with luck one might see it at a mile and a half or two
miles, and fortune may direct our course within this radius of
it ; but, on the other hand, it is impossible not to contemplate
the ease with which such a small spot can be missed. In a
blizzard we should certainly miss it ; of course we must stop
to search when we know we have passed its latitude, but the
low tide in the provision-tank shows that the search cannot be
prolonged for any time, though we still have the two dogs to
fall back on if the worst comes to the worst. The annoying
thing is that one good clear sight of the land would solve all
our difficulties.

' For a long time we have been discussing the possible
advantage of stripping the German silver off the sledge-
runners. Once off it cannot be replaced, and therefore to
strip them is a serious step ; the only way in which we have
been able to guess the relative merits of the wood and metal
runners is by contrasting the sledges and the ski, and it has
always seemed to us that the latter are as likely to clog as the
former, but the differing conditions of their use make the

i9o3] FINDING DEPOT <B' 73

comparison difficult. However, the pulling has been so
severe lately that I cannot but think that, however bad the
wood may be, it cannot be worse than the German silver, and,
though we may not gain by stripping our runners, we cannot
very well lose ; so to-morrow morning I intend to strip one
of the sledges for trial, and we are looking forward with some
anxiety to the result of the experiment.'

1 January 13, noon. — This morning we stripped a sledge
and then started on our march. Everything was as bad as
it could be. There was not a sign of the land ; the whole
outlook was one monotonous grey, and when we started to
march we found the surface in the most trying condition.
Steering could only be done by one person pulling behind,
catching the shadow of the others on the light sastrugi, and
constantly directing right or left ; we were obliged to put every
ounce of our strength on the traces, and even thus advanced
at a rate which was something less than three-quarters of a
mile an hour. The whole thing was heartbreaking, and after
three hours of incessant labour we decided to halt. I am now
writing in the tent, and, I am bound to say, in no very cheerful
frame of mind. We have thought it wise to reduce our meals
still further, so that luncheon has been the very poorest ray
of comfort.

1 And so here we lie, again waiting for a favourable change.
Little has been said, but I have no doubt we have all been
thinking a good deal. The food-bag is a mere trifle to lift ;
we could finish all that remains in it at one sitting and still
rise hungry ; the depot cannot be far away, but where is it
in this terrible expanse of grey ? And with this surface, even
if we pick it up, how are we to carry its extra weight when we
cannot even make headway with our light sledges ?

CI have been staring up at the green canvas and asking
myself these questions with no very cheering result.'

1 January 13, midnight. — Catching a glimpse of the sun
in the tent to-day, I tumbled out of my sleeping-bag in hopes
of getting a meridional altitude ; it was one of those cases
which have been common of late when observation is very

74 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

difficult. Light, ragged clouds were drifting across the face
of the sun, and through the theodolite telescope at one
moment one saw its blurred, indistinguishable image, and at
the next was blinded with the full force of its rays. After
getting the best result that I could, I casually lowered the
telescope and swept it round the horizon ; suddenly a speck
seemed to flash by, and a wild hope sprang up. Slowly
I brought the telescope back ; yes, there it was again ; yes,
and on either side of it two smaller specks — 'the depot, without
the shadow of a doubt. I sprang up and shouted, "Boys,
there's the depot." We are not a demonstrative party, but
I think we excused ourselves for the wild cheer that greeted
this announcement. It could not have been more than five
minutes before everything was packed on the sledges and we
were stepping out for those distant specks. The work was
as heavy as before, but we were in a very different mood to
undertake it. Throughout the morning we had marched in
dogged silence; now every tongue was clattering and all
minor troubles were forgotten in knowledge that we were
going to have a fat hoosh at last. It took us nearly two hours
to get up, and we found everything as we had left it, and not
much drifted up with snow.

'We have had our fat Zioosk, and again, after a long
interval, have a grateful sense of comfort in the inner man.
After supper we completed our experimental comparison of
the two sledges, which have respectively metal and wood
runners ; we equalised the weights as nearly as possible, and
started to tow the sledges round singly ; we found that there
was an astonishing difference : two of us could barely move
the metalled sledge as fast as one could drag the other. We
are wholly at a loss to account for this difference ; one would
have thought that if metal was ever to give a good running
surface it would be now when the temperatures are high;
but though the result puzzles us, we have of course decided
to strip the second sledge.

' On the whole things stand favourably for us ; we have
perhaps 130 miles to cover to our next depot, but we have

1903] SCURVY AGAIN 75

a full three weeks' provisions, and it looks as though we
should not have great difficulties with our load, now that we
are on wood runners. On the other hand, I am not altogether
satisfied with the state of our health. There is no doubt that
we are not as fit as we were : we are all a bit " done." In
Shackleton's case especially I feel uneasy ; his scorbutic signs
are increasing, and he was again terribly done up when we
camped to-night. All things considered, without knowledge
of what may be before us, it is safer not to increase our food
allowance for the present, more especially as in going north
I want to steer inwards so as to examine more closely those
masses of land which we have seen only in the far distance.
But in spite of all, our circumstances are very different to-night
from what they were last night ; the finding of the depot has
lifted a load of anxiety, and I think we shall all sleep the
better for it.

1 We are all terrible-looking ruffians now ; the sun has
burnt us quite black, and for many days our only bit of soap
has remained untouched. It is some time, too, since we
clipped our beards, and our hair has grown uncomfortably
long ; our faces have developed new lines and wrinkles, and
look haggard and worn — in fact, our general appearance and
tattered clothing have been a source of some amusement to
us of late.'

'■January 14. — This morning we had a thorough medical
examination, and the result was distinctly unsatisfactory.
Shackleton has very angry-looking gums — swollen and dark ;
he is also suffering greatly from shortness of breath ; his throat
seems to be congested, and he gets fits of coughing, when he
is obliged to spit, and once or twice to-day he has spat blood.
I myself have distinctly red gums, and a very slight swelling in
the ankles. Wilson's gums are affected in one spot, where
there is a large plum-coloured lump ; otherwise he seems free
from symptoms. Both he and I feel quite fit and well, and as
far as we are concerned I think a breakdown is very far
removed.

1 Early this morning we reorganised our load, dropping

76 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' gAN.

everything that was unnecessary, overhauling mast and sail,
and generally putting everything ship-shape. When we got
away at last we carried, besides our own belongings, a small
quantity of food for our two remaining dogs, the whole
amounting to a weight of 510 lbs., or 170 lbs. per man. We
made a fairly good march, and to our surprise the sledges came
easily ; the only marring element was poor Shackleton's heavy
breathing. The sky has been overcast all day, but for a short
time we had a good view of the lower land and could very
clearly see the leading marks on which we had placed the
depot, a sight which would have meant much to us a day or
two ago.

c Soon after coming to camp I went to the sledges to feed
the dogs, and, looking round, found that Wilson had followed
me ; his face was very serious, and his news still more so.
He told me that he was distinctly alarmed about Shackleton's
condition ; he did not know that the breakdown would come
at once, but he felt sure that it was not far removed. The
conversation could only be conducted in the most fragmentary
fashion for fear it should be overheard, but it was sufficiently
impressive to make our supper a very thoughtful meal. It's a
bad case, but we must make the best of it and trust to its not
getting worse ; now that human life is at stake all other objects
must be sacrificed. It is plain that we must make a bee-line
for the next depot regardless of the northern coast ; it is plain
also that we must travel as lightly as possible.

' It went to my heart to give the order, but it had to be
done, and the dogs are to be killed in the morning. I have
thought of the instruments, which are a heavy item, but some
of them may be needed again, and I am loath to leave any
until it is absolutely necessary.

1 One of the difficulties we foresee with Shackleton, with his
restless, energetic temperament, is to keep him idle in camp,
so to-night I have talked seriously to him. He is not to do
any camping work, but to allow everything to be done for
him ; he is not to pull on the march, but to walk as easily
as possible, and he is to let us know directly he feels tired.

i9o3] SHACKXETON FALLS ILL 77

I have tried to impress on him the folly of pretending to be
stronger than he is, and have pointed out how likely he is to
aggravate the evil if he does not consent to nurse himself.
We have decided to increase our seal-meat allowance in
another effort to drive back the scurvy.

1 More than this I do not see that we can do at present.
Every effort must be devoted to keeping Shackleton on his
legs, and we must trust to luck to bring him through. In case
he should break down soon and be unable to walk, I can think
of absolutely no workable scheme ; we could only carry him
by doing relay work, and I doubt if Wilson or I am up to
covering the distance in that fashion ; it is a knotty problem
which is best left till the contingency arises.

1 It looks as though life for the next week or two is not
going to be pleasant for any of us, and it is rather curious
because we have always looked forward to this part of the
journey as promising an easier time.'

1 January 15. — This morning "Nigger "and "Jim" were
taken a short distance from the camp and killed. This was
the saddest scene of all ; I think we could all have wept.
And so this is the last of our dog team, the finale to a tale of
tragedy ; I scarcely like to write of it. Through our most
troublous time we always looked forward to getting some of
our animals home. At first it was to have been nine, then
seven, then five, and at the last we thought that surely we
should be able to bring back these two.

1 After the completion of this sad business we got into our
harness, where another shock awaited us, for we put our
weights on the traces without the least effect, and it was only
when we jerked the sledges sideways the least movement
followed. It was evident that something was wrong, and on
turning the sledges up we found the runners solidly crusted
with ice. It took us twenty minutes to clear them ; but after-
wards we got on well and have covered nearly eight miles. As
this caking of the runners is likely to happen whenever our
sledges are left long in one position, we have decided to lift
them off the snow every night.

78 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

' In the morning march we had bright sunlight, and it
cheered us all wonderfully after its long absence. We could
see the northern side of the high rounded snow-cape abreast
of which we left our depot, and which we have always known
as " Cape A." This northern side forms the southern
boundary of the great glacier which occupies the strait, and it
is very steep, with high frowning cliffs. We are now crossing
more directly across the mouth of the strait, and there are
already indications of ice disturbances ; we have been travel-
ling over slight undulations and most confused sastrugi.

' Shackleton's state last night was highly alarming ; he
scarcely slept at all, and had violent paroxysms of coughing,
between which he was forced to gasp for breath. This morn-
ing to our relief he was better, and this evening he is rather
better than last, though very fagged with the day's work. We
try to make him do as little pulling as possible until the pace
is settled, and he can lean steadily forward in his harness.

? It is early to judge, but the double ration of seal-meat
seems already to have a good effect : gums seem a trifle better.
On the other hand, I have some stiffness in the right foot,
wrhich I suppose is caused by the taint, but at present I have
not mentioned it, as my gums look so well that I am in hopes
it will pass away.'

'January 16. — The sledges have been running easily, and
we have made a good march, but the surface is getting more
uneven, and under the dark, gloomy sky we could not see the
inequalities and stumbled frequently. This sort of thing is
very bad for Shackleton ; twice he slipped his leg down a deep
crack and fell heavily, and on each occasion we had to stop
several minutes for him to recover. He has been coughing
and spitting up blood again, and at lunch time was very
" groggy." With his excitable temperament it is especially
difficult for him to take things quietly, and at the end of each
march he is panting, dizzy, and exhausted.

' It is all very dreadful to watch, knowing that we can do
nothing to relieve him ; if at the ship, he would be sent
straight to bed, but here every effort must be made to keep

1903] BAD LIGHT FOR STEERING 79

him on his feet during the marches. There is now no doubt
that the scorbutic symptoms are diminishing ; both Wilson and
I have much cleaner gums, and my leg is vastly improved.
Our seal-meat at the present rate will last another fifteen days,
by which time we ought to be within reach of safety. Six
weeks ago we were very much inclined to swear at the cook,
who had been careless enough to leave a good deal of blubber
in our seal-meat, but now we bless his carelessness, and are
only too eager to discover that our " whack " has a streak of
yellow running through the dark flesh. I could not have
believed it possible that I should ever have enjoyed blubber,
and the fact that we do is an eloquent testimony to our famished
condition.

1 This afternoon we have had some glimpses of the land
and have got some bearings, but there are still masses of cloud
over the mountains. We can see the steep cliffs on the
northern side of Cape A, and similar cliffs fringing the foot-
hills on the opposite side of the strait, but what stands behind
we cannot hope to know, unless the weather clears. So far
as exploring is concerned, on these overcast days one might
just as well be blindfolded.

' The sunlight this afternoon showed that we are crossing
a very peculiar surface of hard, cracked, lateral ridges, with
softish snow between, due no doubt to the pressure of the
ice-mass pushing out through the strait.'

'January 17. — . . . The continuance of our overcast
weather has brought a trouble which is now becoming a
serious matter, and that is the difficulty of steering. I take
it on myself to do most of it now, sometimes by a cloud,
sometimes by the sun, and sometimes by sastrngi, and in half
an hour it often happens that each of these methods has to be
employed in turn.'

It would perhaps be as well here to make a short digression
to explain the difficulties connected with this matter in such
a journey as ours. It will be understood that we carried a
compass in our instrument-box, but to have held this in one's
hand as one marched would have been quite useless, as it was

80 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5 [jA*,

not until several minutes after it was placed firmly on the snow
that the card ceased to swing and indicated a definite direction ;
the compass was therefore of little use to us on the march.

Knowing that this would be so, and expecting to travel
out of sight of land, I had prepared a device for steering by
the sun, and as this was constantly in use, and can be highly
recommended to future expeditions, it deserves a short de-
scription. It consisted of a small wooden dial in the centre
of which was a shadow-pin. The edge was marked with two
circles, one showing the points of the compass and the other
a twenty-four hour clock-face subdivided to half-hours ; the
relation of these circles involved a consideration of mean
latitude and equation of time, details which are somewhat
technical, but will be understood by the navigator.

The use of the instrument was extremely simple. It was
held in the hand in such a position that the shadow of the pin
fell on the hour, and when so held the outer circle showed the
true north and south, or the true bearing of any object. Thus
one could march straight on in any required direction by
occasionally consulting one's watch and more frequently the
dial. Whenever the sun was out, therefore, with this instru-
ment we had no difficulty at all in keeping a straight course ;
and it served yet another practically useful purpose, for when
it was put down correctly at night, it gave the time to anyone
leaving the tent later on.

But when the sun disappeared this instrument was useless.
Then it was that our troubles began, and we were reduced to
all sorts of shifts and devices to steer a course. When possible
we would take the bearing of a cloud and march on this for
some time until we were conscious that its direction was
altered and a fresh mark must be sought. Occasionally the
low, rocky patches on the distant coastline formed a guide,
but on the majority of overcast days the land was not visible,
and the cloud-forms had no definite shape. At such times
one looked on a monotonous, uniform sheet of grey which
extended from under foot to the zenith. The leader could see
nothing, but others might catch an idea of the direction of the

1903]

ANXIOUS DAYS 81

snow-waves in his shadow. But the expedients to which we
were reduced and the troubles they brought can be gathered
from my tale, and it will be understood why the continuance
of overcast weather should have caused them to be so frequently
mentioned at this time.

'■January 1 7 {continued). — This morning we started with an
overcast sky and an unshaded wall of grey ahead. A rapidly
closing bright patch on our starboard beam was the only guide.
After two hours I had to give up leading ; Wilson went ahead,
but by lunch his eyes had had enough, and I finished the
afternoon. It is difficult to describe the trying nature of this
work ; for hours one plods on, ever searching for some more
definite sign. Sometimes the eye picks up a shade on the sur-
face or a cloud slightly lighter or darker than its surroundings ;
these may occur at any angle, and have often to be kept in the
corner of the eye. Frequently there comes a minute or two of
absolute confusion, when one may be going in any direction
and for the time the mind seems blank. It can scarcely be
imagined how tiring this is or how trying to the eyes ; one's
whole attention must be given to it, without relaxing for a
moment the strain on the harness. At lunch to-day I fixed up
a new device by securing a small teased-out shred of wool to
the end of a light bamboo to act as a wind vane. The wind
was light and shifty, but the vane relieved my eyes.'

1 January 18. — We started to-day on another abominable
" blind " march. For half an hour I could just see some ridges
and the slightest gleam in the sky to the north ; for another
spell, a very light easterly breeze kept my vane on the flutter.
The sastrugi under foot are light and confused, and when at
last the wind fell we were left with no guide at all, and were
forced to camp ; for the last ten minutes we had been four
points off* our course. Wilson says his eyes are on the point
of going ; mine, on which I see the party must principally
depend, are not quite right, but not yet painful. The situation
is startling, but we have not yet exhausted our resources. If
there is no improvement after lunch, Shackleton will start on
ahead with a flag, and when he has been directed for half a
VOL. 11. g

82 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

mile, Wilson and I propose to bring on the sledges ; it promises
to be slow work, but we must get on somehow.'

' Midnight. — All was going well with our march this after-
noon, when Shackleton gave out. He had a bad attack of
breathlessness, and we are forced to camp in a hurry ; to-night
matters are serious with him again. He is very plucky about
it, for he does not complain, though there is no doubt he is
suffering badly.'

''January 19. — Another long "blind" march. It is very
distressing work, and the gloom does not tend to enliven our
spirits ; but Shackleton was better this morning and is still
better to-night. We have now had overcast weather almost
continuously for ten days.'

' January 20. — At luncheon we found ourselves in
latitude 79.51 S., and on coming out of the tent were rejoiced
to find a sight of the land on our left, though as yet but hazy.
It rapidly cleared as we resumed our march, and soon a new
scene was unfolded to our view. An opportunity of this sort
was not to be missed, and we camped early, since which we have
been busy taking angles and sketching. The temperature has
fallen to zero, so that both these tasks have been pretty "nippy."
The beautiful feathery hexagonal ice-crystals are falling again,
and came floating down on our books and instruments as we
worked.

1 The land is a long way from us, but much closer than it
was on the outward march ; the detached appearance which it
then had is still maintained to some extent, but there is now
every indication that a still closer view would show a continuous
coastline, and that in the gaps between the nearer high
mountain ranges would be found lower and perhaps more
distant hills.

' Cape A is far behind us ; we get a distant view up the
strait on its northern side, and see only enough to show that it
must penetrate deeply into the land before it rises in altitude
to any extent. If, as one cannot but suppose, it contains a
glacier, that glacier must be the largest yet known in the world;
but with ice disturbance commencing nearly thirty miles from

I9o3] IMPROVING PROSPECTS 83

its mouth, one can imagine that to travel up it would not be
an easy task. Through the gap of the strait we get a distant
view of more mountains — in fact, at any place on this coastline
one is struck with the vast numbers of peaks that are within
sight at the same moment. There are far more than one could
hope to fix on such a journey as ours : to plot the coastal
ranges alone would be a big task, but wherever we get a view
behind them it is to see a confusion of more distant hills.

'Northward of the strait we again see the high flanking
range end on ; northward of this, again, are three distinct
coastal ranges. The farthest may possibly be the Royal Society
range, though of this we cannot be sure at present ; but
perhaps the most pleasing sight to-night is the glimpse we get
of Mount Discovery; its conical peak rises just above our
horizon, and the sight of that well-known landmark has seemed
to bring us miles nearer to home and safety.'

lJa?iuary 21. — The clouds have drawn down on us again,
shutting out the land, but we have had a brisk southerly breeze,
and, setting our sail, got along at a fine rate. For a time
Shackleton was carried on the sledges, but for most of the
march he walked along independently, taking things as easily
as possible. Our sail did most of the pulling. I, hitched to
the bow of the front sledge, kept it straight, and helped it over
the rough places ; Wilson hitched to the back of the rear sledge,
and by hauling sideways acted as a sort of rudder. We got on
fast, but it was by no means easy work, being so extraordinarily
jerky and irregular. Shackleton is improving, but takes his
breakdown much to heart.'

'January 22. — The southerly wind continued to-day; it is
a godsend, and is taking us to the north faster than we ever
hoped for. The masses of low heavy cumulus and stratus cloud
and the higher cirro-cumulus, all hurrying to the north, have
given us the most beautiful cloud effects. The sun has
peeped forth occasionally, but the land is still heavily overcast.
We are beginning to hope that we shall soon be able slightly
to increase our food allowance.'

1 January 23. — I think the fates have decided in our favour.

84 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5 [Jan.

We got off another excellent march to-day. The wind holds
from the south, sometimes falling light, but on the whole giving
us great help. This wind is the greater blessing because it was
so wholly unexpected.

1 We have slightly increased our food allowance, but we feel
that it would take weeks of such feeding to make up for arrears.
I went out late to-night and, as usual, inspected our biscuit
tank ; it looked so healthy that I suggested a biscuit all round.
There was loud applause from the tent, and we munched away
at our small extra meal with immense joy.

1 Ever since the warmer weather set in we have had to be
very careful to keep our provisions out of the sun's rays. Our
first warning was when an ominous splash on the canvas showed
where the grease of the pemmican had melted its way through.
Since then this class of food has been put in the middle and
banked round with sugar and other non-meltable articles j and
after supper every night the ready provision-bag is buried under
the snow. In spite of such precautions, we are rather afraid that
our seal-meat has suffered from the heat, and that it is not so
anti-scorbutic as it was ; our scurvy symptoms for the last few
days have remained about the same, no better and no worse.'

'January 24. — Things are still looking well. Shackleton
remains about the same ; he is having a cruel time, but each
march brings us nearer safety. The overcast weather still
holds, and we cannot see the main land, although, to our
great joy, we caught a glimpse of the Bluff to the north this
afternoon.

1 We have got on to a new form of surface which makes
the pulling very wearisome. There is a thin crust an inch or
so beneath the soft snow surface ; this crust is almost sufficient
to bear our weight, but not quite ; the consequence is that as
one steps on it, one is held up until the whole weight comes on
the advanced foot, when the crust breaks and one is let down
some three or four inches. To go on breaking the surface like
this throughout a long day is extremely tiring. Such work
would finish Shackleton in no time, but luckily he is able to
go on ski and avoid the jars altogether. In spite of our present

i9o3] NEARING HOME 85

disbelief in ski, one is bound to confess that if we get back
safely Shackleton will owe much to the pair he is now using.'

'January 25. — At last we have sunshine again and a grand
opportunity for sketches and angles. The surface is bad and
the work increasingly heavy, but Wilson and I are determined
to leave as little as possible to chance and to get our invalid
along as quickly as his state will allow. We start him off
directly our breakfast is over, and whilst we are packing up
camp he gets well ahead, so that he is able to take things easy ;
we follow on and gradually catch him up, and after lunch the
same procedure is adopted. At the night halt he sits quietly
while the tent is pitched, and only goes into it when all is
prepared. He feels his inactivity very keenly, poor chap, and
longs to do his share of the work, but luckily he has sense
enough to see the necessity of such precaution.

' The Bluff looks delightfully close in the bright sunshine,
but the depot must still be twenty or thirty miles away. Just
before we camped to-night we could see a little round cloud
over the centre of the Bluff ridge, and as we "rose " it further,
we made it out to be the smoke of Erebus ; it was cheerful to
think that here was something which was beyond the ship j it
is more than a hundred miles away from us, but we are too
well accustomed to see things at a distance to treat this fact as
wonderful.'

1 January 26. — Plodding on in our usual style this afternoon,
we suddenly saw a white line ahead, and drawing closer found
a sledge track ; it must have been Barne's, on his return from
his survey work to the west. Thinking over it to-night, it is
wonderful what that track told us. We could see that there
had been six men with two sledges, and that all the former had
been going sound and well on ski ; the sledge runners had
been slightly clogged. From the state of the track it was
evident that they had passed about four days before on the
homeward route, and from the zigzagging of the course we
argued that the weather must have been thick at the time.
Slight discolouration of the snow showed that two or three
had been wearing leather boots, and so on : every imprint in

86 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

the soft snow added some small fact, and the whole made an
excellent detective study. The main point is that we know
now, as certainly as if we had been told, that Barne and his
party are safe and in good health, and this is no small relief
after our own experiences.'

'January 27. — The temperature has again fallen to zero,
but it has been brisk and pleasant in the sun. Old and familiar
landmarks have been showing up one by one. Erebus raised
its head above the Bluff range ; Terror opened out to the east ;
the western range developed into better-known shape. It has
been grand to watch it all. We calculate to get to the depot
to-morrow, and have been wondering whether we shall find all
the good things we expect.'

'■January 28. — Things did not look so bright this morning ;
low, suspicious-looking clouds came up from the south with a
bitterly cold wind, and soon they were about us, obscuring
everything. Shackleton had a bad return of his cough, but
said he thought he could manage to get along ; so we spread
our sail and proceeded. One has to be prepared for very quick
changes in these parts, and by nine o'clock the whole sky had
cleared again, and the wind had gone round to W.S.W. ; this
was an awkward angle for our sail, and resulted in frequent
capsizes of the sledges, which brought a considerable strain on
our tempers. We hoped to reach the depot by lunch, but it
was an hour after that meal before Shackleton, who was ahead,
spotted the flag, and we turned our course to make for it. As
can be imagined, the last of the march was as near a rush as
our tired legs could command. At length and at last we have
reached the land of plenty ; the one great and pressing evil
will grip us no more.

1 Directly our tent was up we started our search amongst
the snow-heaps with childish glee. One after another our
treasures were brought forth : oil enough for the most lavish
expenditure, biscuit that might have lasted us for a month,
and, finally, a large brown provision-bag which we knew would
contain more than food alone. We have just opened this
provision-bag and feasted our eyes on the contents. There

i9o3] DEPOT 'A' 87

are two tins of sardines, a large tin of marmalade, soup squares,
pea soup, and many another delight that already make our
mouths water. For each one of us there is some special trifle
which the forethought of our kind people has provided, mine
being an extra packet of tobacco ; and last, but not least, there
are a whole heap of folded letters and notes — billets-doux
indeed. I wonder if a mail was ever more acceptable.

1 All the news seems to be good ; the weather at the ship
has been wonderfully warm and fine, and the glare of the sun
so great that our people have had to wear goggles at their
work. After long and trying labour Royds tells me he has
succeeded in rescuing all the boats, though not without
damage. Armitage has not returned, but is expected soon.
So far there has been no sign of a return of scurvy. Blissett
has discovered an Emperor penguin's egg, and his messmates
expect him to be knighted. With all this to gossip about, we
are a pretty cheerful party to-night, and I can only write
scrappily. Meanwhile our hoosh is preparing ; we are putting
a double " whack " of everything into the cooking-pot, and
when in doubt as to what is double, we put in treble. The
smell of this savoury mess is already arising, so I cease.'

''January 29. — I intended to finish writing up my diary
last night, but I couldn't, and I'm afraid it's no use trying to
disguise the fact that this was due to nothing but a condition
of horrible surfeit. The tale is really lamentable ; we have
got into a habit of eating our food in the most wolfish fashion,
and last night no sooner was our first pannikin of hoosh served
out than it was gone, the unusual second pannikin vanished
almost as quickly, and even when it came to the hitherto un-
known third, there was not much slackening in the pace.
Then, having exhausted the contents of the inner cooking-pot,
in almost less time than it takes to tell, we passed on to the
thickest brew of cocoa with "lashings" of jam and biscuit.
Supper did not last more than twenty minutes, but the amount
we put away in that time would have excited the envy of any
gourmand.

* For the first half-hour everything was pure joy ; we

88 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5 [Jan.

revelled in the sense of repletion, and read once more all the
good news that had come from the ship. But after this there
slowly crept on us a feeling that something was going wrong ;
our clothes seemed to be getting extraordinarily tight, and the
only conclusion we could come to was that the concentrated
food was continuing to swell.

' For me at least discomfort speedily gave place to acute
suffering. From a sitting position I lowered myself until I was
stretched out at full length, but this did not ease matters at all,
and, with many groans, I was obliged to hoist myself to my
knees, and, later, to as near a standing position as I could
assume in the confined space of our small tent. In this trying
attitude I remained until explosion seemed so imminent that I
was forced to gasp, " For heaven's sake, undo the door," and
directly the string was untied I dived out with a feeling that
nothing less than the vault of heaven could hold me.

' But if I expected relief outside it was very slow in
coming. Round and round our small tent I paced with
measured tread until the minutes grew into hours, a well-
beaten track had been worn, and I began to wonder whether I
should ever return to a sense of normal dimensions. I don't
think I have ever spent a more unpleasant time, and it did not
make matters easier to know that it was entirely the result of
my own greediness. Moreover, although Shackleton had not
been in a fit state to over-indulge himself as I had done, I felt
distinctly aggrieved that Wilson had not been obliged to join
me in my midnight walk, and such sympathy as I got from
these others very thinly disguised their inclination to find the
whole incident extremely amusing.

1 However, when at length my pangs subsided sufficiently
to allow me to return to the tent I had some revenge, for as I
was about to enter, Wilson realised that his acutest suffering had
only been deferred, and as I approached he burst into the open
with a pea-green face, and I had some consolation in knowing
that we had changed places. It will be a long time before any
of us over-eat ourselves again, and it is certainly an object-
lesson on the effects of hunger ; but one of the most curious

1903] SHACKLETON'S RELAPSE 89

points is that at the worst, when we felt that we carried a great
deal more than we ought, and were suffering in consequence,
we still craved for more. Our appetites are in a state which
it seems impossible to satisfy, and this morning we are as
hungry as ever.

'A few hours of fitful sleep followed this uncomfortable
experience, and we awoke to find a heavy blizzard and the
usual obscurity without. The first thought of pushing onward
was speedily abandoned when we found that Shackleton had
relapsed into the worst condition. To the reaction from the
excitement of last night is added the most trying condition of
weather. The result is very dreadful. Our poor patient is
again shaken with violent fits of coughing and is gasping for
breath ; it looks very serious.'

1 Later. — There is no doubt Shackleton is extremely ill;
his breathing has become more stertorous and laboured, his
face looks pinched and worn, his strength is very much
reduced, and for the first time he has lost his spirit and grown
despondent. It is terrible to have to remain idle knowing that
we can do nothing to help. I have talked to Wilson to-night,
who thinks matters are very critical, and advises pushing on to
the ship at all hazards. The only chance of improvement lies
in a change of weather, and if this blizzard continues the worst
consequences may ensue. We have enough food now to carry
him on the sledge, but to-night one may well doubt whether
he will be well enough for that. It is a great disappointment ;
last night we thought ourselves out of the wood with all our
troubles behind us, and to-night matters seem worse than
ever. Luckily Wilson and I are pretty fit, and we have lots
of food.'

1 January 30. — Shackleton scarcely slept at all last night ;
his paroxysms of coughing grew less only from his increasing
weakness. This morning he was livid and speechless, and his
spirits were very low. He revived a little after breakfast, and
we felt that our only chance was to get him going again. It
took him nearly twenty minutes to get out of the tent and on
to his ski ; everything was done in the most laboured

9o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

fashion, painful to watch. Luckily the weather had cleared,
and, though there was a stiff south-westerly breeze and some
drift, the sun was shining brightly. At last he was got away,
and we watched him almost tottering along with frequent pain-
ful halts.

1 Re-sorting our provisions, in half an hour we had packed
our camp, set our sail, and started with the sledges. It was
not long before we caught our invalid, who was so exhausted
that we thought it wiser he should sit on the sledges, where
for the remainder of the forenoon, with the help of our sail,
we carried him. After lunch he was better, and in one way
and another we have brought off a very long march. If he can
only sleep to-night there is a chance of further improvement ;
much depends on this. It is all very anxious work ; if there
is no improvement I half think of pushing on to the ship for
assistance. Wilson thinks that the relapse is mainly due to
the blizzard, and doubts if he can stand another ; one would
give much to ensure three or four fine days. Nothing could
be better than the weather to-night, and the surface is
excellent. Just here it is swept hard by the wind, and the
relief of treading on something solid and firm is enormous. I
did not fully realise what terribly bad surfaces we had been
struggling with until we got back on this hard one.'

1 February i. — For two days the weather has been glorious,
and has had a wonderful effect on our invalid, who certainly
has great recuperative powers. He managed to sleep a little
last night, and to-day has kept going on his ski. After the
last halt he had an attack of vertigo and fell outside the tent,
which alarmed us greatly ; but after about ten minutes it
passed off, and to-night he is better again.

1 All day we have been travelling along outside the White
Island. So many parties have passed to and fro to the depot
that there is now a regular beaten track, and one's eye can
follow this highway for miles with a very cheering effect. This
afternoon to the north we had a glorious view of Erebus
and Terror ; the smoke of the former trailed away in a long
streamer to the east, and most curiously a second similar

i9o3] THE LAST LAP 91

streamer floated away from the summit of Terror ; one could
have sworn that both mountains were active.'

' February 2. — Awaking to another fine day, we saw at last
the prospect of an end to our troubles, and since that we have
got off a long march and cannot now be more than ten or
twelve miles from home. It was not till the afternoon that we
surmounted a slight rise and altered our course in passing
around the corner of the White Island ; as we did so the
old familiar outline of our friendly peninsula burst on our
view ; there stood Castle Rock like some great boulder
dropped from the skies, and there to the left the sharp cone 'of
Observation Hill. Almost one could imagine the figures on it
looking eagerly out in our direction. Away to the west were
all the well-known landmarks which led back to the vast
western range, and to-night, therefore, on every side we have
suggestions of home.

1 That it is none too soon is evident. We are as near
spent as three persons can well be. If Shackleton has shown
a temporary improvement, we know by experience how little
confidence we can place in it, and how near he has been and
still is to a total collapse. As for Wilson and myself, we have
scarcely liked to own how " done " we are, and how greatly
the last week or two has tried us. We have known that our
scurvy has been advancing again with rapid strides, but as we
could do nothing more to prevent it, we have not looked
beyond the signs that have made themselves obvious. Wilson
has suffered from lameness for many a day ; the cause was
plain, and we knew it must increase. Each morning he has
vainly attempted to disguise a limp, and his set face has
shown me that there is much to be gone through before the
first stiffness wears off. As for myself, for some time I have
hurried through the task of changing my foot-gear in an
attempt to forget that my ankles are considerably swollen.
One and all we want rest and peace, and, all being well,
to-morrow, thank Heaven, we shall get them.'

At this point my sledge diary comes to an end, for on the
following day I had neither time nor inclination to write, but

92 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

the incidents of such a day leave too deep an impression to
need the aid of any note to recall them.

Nature wore its brightest aspect to welcome us home, and
early in the brilliant, cloudless morning we packed up our camp
for the last time, and set our faces towards Observation Hill.
We had plodded on for some hours when two specks appeared
ahead, which at first we took to be penguins, but soon made
out were persons hurrying towards us. They proved to be
Skelton and Bernacchi. We had been reported early by
watchers on the hills ; these two had hastened out to meet us,
and soon we were gathered in our small tent whilst cocoa was
made, and we listened to a ceaseless stream of news, for now
not only had all our other travellers returned safe and sound
with many a tale to tell, but our relief-ship, the 'Morning/
had arrived, bringing a whole year's news of the civilised
world.

And so at our last sledging lunch, and during the easy
march which followed, we gradually gathered those doings of
the great world which had happened between December 1901
and December 1902, and, as can be imagined, these kept our
thoughts full until we rounded the cape to see once more our
beloved ship.

Though still held fast in her icy prison, our good vessel
looked trim and neat. She was fully prepared to face again
the open seas, and the freshly painted side glistened in the
sunlight. A fairer sight could scarcely meet our snow-tried
eyes ; and to mark the especial nature of the occasion a brave
display of bunting floated gently in the breeze, while, as we
approached, the side and the rigging were thronged with our
cheering comrades.

But how can I describe this home-coming ; how we again
clasped the hands of our friends ; how our eyes wandered about
amongst familiar faces and objects ; how we dived into our
comfortable quarters to find every want forestalled and every
trouble lifted from our shoulders by our kind companions ;
how for the first time for three months we shaved our ragged
chins and sponged ourselves in steaming hot water ; how in

i9o3] OUR WELCOME 93

the unwonted luxury of clean raiment we sat at a feast which
realised the glories of our day-dreams ; how in the intervals of
chatter and gossip we scanned again the glad tidings of the
home-land ; and how at last in the comfort of our bunks, the
closely written sheets fluttered from our hands, and we sank
into the dreamless sleep of exhaustion ?

It was a welcome home indeed, yet at the time to our worn
and dulled senses it appeared unreal : it seemed too good to
be true that all our anxieties had so completely ended, and that
rest for brain and limb was ours at last.

And so our southern sledge journey came to an end on
February 3, 1903, when for ninety-three days we had plodded
with ever-varying fortune over a vast snow-field and slept
beneath the fluttering canvas of a tent. During that time we
had covered 960 statute miles, with a combination of success
and failure in our objects which I have endeavoured to set
forth in these pages.

If we had not achieved such great results as at one time
we had hoped for, we knew at least that we had striven and
endured with all our might.

94 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902-

CHAPTER XV

WHAT HAD HAPPENED DURING OUR ABSENCE IN THE SOUTH

Royds' Journey to CapeCrozier — The King's Birthday — Athletic Sports —
The Western Journey— Difficulties amongst the Mountains — Ascent of
the Ferrar Glacier — Approaching the Summit — First Party on the
Interior of Victoria Land — Return of Western Party — Summer Thaw-
ing— About the Islands to the South-West — Curious Ice Formations —
Recovery of the Boats— Preparing for Sea —History of the Relief
Expedition — Arrival of the ' Morning.'

Up along the hostile mountains where the
Hair-poised snow-slide shivers. — Kipling.

As cold waters to a thirsty soul,

So is good news from a far country. — Proverbs.

During our long absence in the south much work had been
done both on board the ship and by parties travelling in
various directions, wherefore it can be imagined that I set
myself with no little eagerness to gather the particulars of this
employment, and especially to learn how it had fared with
those who had undertaken the more extended journey to the
west.

It was soon evident that since our departure the sledging
resources of the ship had been utilised to the fullest extent ;
the ship herself had become the centre of the busiest activity,
and throughout the summer parties had been going and
coming, ever adding something to the knowledge of our
surroundings.

On November 2, Royds had again journeyed to Cape
Crozier to see how matters went with the Emperor penguins,

i9o3] ANOTHER TRIP TO CAPE CROZIER 95

and this short trip produced one or two interesting results. It
can be seen from the chart that from the elevated land at this
cape an excellent view of the Ross Sea can be obtained, and it
will be remembered that Royds on his last visit, little more
than a fortnight before, had seen this sheet of water swept
clear of ice. We had thought that this was the last of the ice
in this direction, and that it would have continued to drift to
the north ; but now, to his astonishment, he found the whole
sea thickly packed, and although the pack sometimes drifted
away from the land, leaving some miles of open water, it was
evident that no general exodus had yet commenced.

Descending to the Emperor rookery, he found several
hundred adult birds, but not a single chick except those which
lay dead on the floe ; this was a most surprising fact, as it
seemed impossible that the small downy chicks of a fortnight
before could have already taken to the sea. It was not until
the following year that we learnt the interesting manner in
which these small creatures leave their birthplace.

Pushing farther on, Royds found that he must have just
missed the occupation of the Adelie penguin rookery. These
small birds had returned in their thousands, and were just
commencing to lay their eggs ; a few had laid their second, a
larger number their first, but the majority had as yet laid none
at all. From one point of view the moment could not have
been more opportune, and it was not long before the party were
enjoying the greatest delicacy which the Antarctic Regions can
afford. In their good fortune, moreover, they did not forget
their comrades, but loaded their sledges with a supply of eggs
sufficient to provide at least one feast for those on board the
ship. It was on taking a last look at the spot where the
Emperor penguins had reared their young that Blissett called
Royds' attention to a rounded object almost buried in the
snow, which on being dug out proved to be an egg — the first
that had been found. The joy was great, and soon after the
party hastened back with their treasure.

Meanwhile on board the ship all efforts were devoted to the
preparations of the western party, and it was hoped that in

96 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY ' [1902-

spite of the difficulties of providing for the large numbers who
were to be employed, all would be ready before the end of the
month. Progress was so satisfactory that it was decided that,
November 9 being the King's birthday, there should be a
general holiday, and it seemed no more fitting occasion could
present itself for holding the athletic sports which we had often
discussed. Accordingly, in the early morning the ship was
dressed with flags, the large silken Union Jack was hoisted at
Hut Point, and marks were placed and arrangements made
for the various competitions. The events were entered into
with the keenest delight, and as they were of a somewhat novel
character for English sports, some of them deserve notice.

Since our men had become expert on ski, competitions
connected with them were bound to be included ; in the flat
ski race it was impossible to say who would win, as so many
could now go at a great pace ; for the first half mile this event
was wildly exciting, the leaders passing and repassing one
another ; but after that, staying powers showed up, and the
race was won by Evans 'in a canter.' Next came a ski race
down one of the steep hill-slopes which had given us so much
amusement in the previous autumn ; here of course it • was
skill and dexterity rather than strength which won the prize.

A very sporting event was the half-mile race on foot between
teams of officers and men dragging heavy loaded sledges ; at
the start the teams went off at a gallop, but this pace was very
soon reduced, and as the officers staggered back and won by a
small margin they felt that they had had enough racing to last
them for a long time.

Perhaps the keenest interest had been taken in the toboggan
race. For this the men had entered in pairs, and each pair
had been obliged to provide their own toboggan, subject to
the rule that no sledge, or part of a sledge, and no ski could be
used. The start was to be made from high up the hillside,
and as the time for it approached there were gradually assem-
bled perhaps the queerest lot of toboggans that had ever been
seen together. The greater number were made from old boxes
and cask staves, but the manner in which these were put

i9o3l KING'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION 97

together and the ideas they embodied were widely divergent ;
at last our canny Scotch carpenter's mate arrived with a far
more pretentious article, though fashioned from the same
material. He had devoted his skill in secret to making what
was really a very passable sledge, and when he and his com-
panion proceeded to secure themselves to this dark horse the
result seemed a foregone conclusion. But after the start it
was seen that these worthies had over-reached themselves, for
though at first they shot ahead, the speed was altogether too
great ; in a brief space they lost control of their machine, and
a moment after were rolling head- over-heels in clouds of snow,
and whilst the hare thus disported itself the tortoises slid past
and won the race.

Another competition that had to be arranged and managed
with care was the rifle-shooting match. On this occasion
there was keen competition to hit the bull's-eye, and amongst
the competitors was our redoubtable cook, who claimed to
be a marksman of the highest order. But by this time
the cook's capacity for the narration of fables had become
proverbial. It first became evident from varying accounts
of the number of places in which he had been born, and
later, when the long hours of the winter had given him an
opportunity of relating his adventures in many countries, one
of the sailors computed that the sum total of these thrilling
experiences must have extended over a period of five hundred
and ninety years, which, as he said, was a fair age even for a
cook. So when this winner of many competitions possessed
himself of a rifle at the firing-point, the markers disappeared
with extraordinary promptitude behind the butt, and after the
first two bullets had buried themselves in that obstruction the
cook was informed that whoever won the prize the honours of
the day were certainly his, and it would be quite unnecessary
for him to exert himself further.

And so the King's birthday was kept merrily on board the
1 Discovery,' and the first Antarctic athletic meeting was pro-
nounced by all to have been a distinct success.

By November 29 the preparations for the western journey
voL. 11, n

98 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902-

had been completed, and it was a formidable party that set
out on that day to cross McMurdo Sound and attack the
mainland. In Armitage's own party were included Skelton
and ten men, whilst the supports consisted of Koettlitz,
Ferrar, and Dellbridge, with six men. In all twenty-one
souls went forth to try to surmount that grim-looking barrier
to the west. I have already pointed out that Armitage's plan,
formed on the observations of his reconnaissance journey, was
to attempt an ascent of the mountain region in the vicinity of
that vast pile of morainic material which had erroneously been
termed the ' Eskers.'

In pursuance of this plan, late on December 2, the party
started to ascend the steep snow-slope which, as can be seen
on the chart, divides two masses of bare, rocky foothills, and
rises to a plateau separating them from the higher mountains
beyond.

As the party ascended the gradient became steeper, and
it was soon necessary to divide the loads and make double
journeys in the usual tedious manner of relay work. It was
not until the 7th that they reached the summit of the slope
and found themselves on a plateau with the lofty mountain
range in front and the high granite foothills behind. They
were now at a height of 5,000 feet. The mer de glace on
which they stood seemed to have an outlet far to the south ;
there was another over which they had ascended, and yet a
third to the north-west, which appeared to them the most
hopeful direction in which to find a pass to the west. To the
south of this outlet there rose a mass of magnificent rocky
cliffs, which Armitage named the Cathedral Rocks, and which
he thought he recognised as being the southern boundary of
the New Harbour Glacier ; it was this glacier which had
appeared to him so unpromising in the lower reaches, and
which he now hoped to reach at some higher point.

Advancing over a wavy, uneven surface of neve, they
reached the vicinity of the outlet by the 9th. It was evident
that it descended steeply into the New Harbour Glacier,
which in future I shall call by its subsequent name, the Ferrar

i903l THE WESTERN JOURNEY 99

Glacier ; but, in order to see its details more clearly, the
officers were obliged to leave the camp and travel some
distance to a more elevated position. On reaching this, they
looked directly down on the Ferrar Glacier, and saw that it
wound its way between high rocky cliffs far to the inland ; but
the prospect of reaching this and of travelling on its surface
did not at this time look hopeful.

To quote Armitage's report : ' After putting on the rope,
which Koettlitz held, I went as close to the edge of the slope
overlooking the pass as possible. It certainly did not look
promising. Unfortunately, I could not see its juncture with
the glacier. After consulting Dr. Koettlitz, I came to the
conclusion that it would be best to seek a passage across
the western range. . . . If we find it impossible to drag
the sledges over the mountains, we must try the glacier,
although Koettlitz considers that it would be madness to
attempt it.' This was an unfortunate decision, and delayed
the party greatly. It appears that in addition to the uncertainty
of the steep road which led to it, the observers on this occasion
were very distrustful of the appearance of the glacier itself ;
the blue ice, with no snow on its surface, apparently promised
great dangers and difficulties. However, the decision being
made, on the 10th the parties separated, the supports turning
towards the ship, whilst the main party continued to ascend
the rising snow-slopes which led towards the higher mountains.

The slopes quickly increased in gradient, and the ascent
became the most arduous and toilsome work. Armitage's
report says : ' The following was our mode of procedure : two
men carried the crowbar and two ice-axes up the slope to the
available length of rope (about 180 feet). The crowbar was
then driven into the ice, and the ice-axes served as a backing ;
a strong lashing connected the three. A small tailed block
was made fast to the crowbar, the Alpine rope rove through it,
and the other end made fast to a sledge. Eight hands then
walked downwards with the upper end of the rope, hauling
the sledge upwards as they did so ; two men guided the up-
going sledge, and when it arrived at the top it was secured,

ioo THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902-

and another was hauled up. Three hauls made one fleet of
the four sledges.' After proceeding for two days in this
fashion and reaching a height of 6,000 feet, they suddenly
found further progress barred by an outcrop of rock j ' beyond
this was an undulating plain in which we could see large ugly-
looking crevasses and holes. To my intense disappointment
there was no route by which I could justifiably lead my party.'
They had little difficulty in descending the steep hillside
towards their former camps, but, delayed by blizzards, it was
not until the 16th that they could make a fresh examination
of the pass to the Ferrar Glacier, which they were now obliged
to consider the only possible route to the west.

At this time the party were by no means in a pleasant
position. The plateau on which they stood was 1,800 feet
above the glacier which they wished to reach ; it was evident
that the pass which lay between, and which they now called
' Descent Pass,' was filled with snow, but how steep the slope
might be, or how broken and crevassed its surface, they could
not guess. They attempted to make a reconnaissance without
the sledges, but after descending a few hundred feet found the
valley so filled with cloud that they could see little except that
the slope appeared to get steeper as they proceeded. In this
quandary they determined to take their fortunes in their hands,
and, starting blindly with the sledges above, to trust to fortune
to land them safely in the valley below.

Armitage says : ' I had the sledges lashed two and two,
abreast of one another, rope breaks on each runner, and I told
the teams to use the bridles as extra breaks on the steeper
parts. Four men were told off to each sledge ; Skelton, Allan,
Macfarlane, and I led the way. We started slowly, but the
pace gradually increased until we were beyond all power of
stopping ; it seemed but a moment before we were brought to
rest on a much more gradual slope, and I stood up to find
that we had descended 630 feet by aneroid. The other sledges
came down after us with equal speed, and all arrived safely
abreast of us. From this spot there was a long gentle slope,
and then another fall of 400 feet, which, however, was not so

i9o3] ASCENT OF THE FERRAR GLACIER 101

steep as the first.' And so at length the party stood safely on
the Ferrar Glacier at a spot whence its valley could be seen
cutting deeply through the mountains, while its surface
seemed to offer a gradual ascent to the interior. The place
on which they stood was barely 2,000 feet above the sea level,
but, as will be seen, in their pioneer efforts to reach it they
had been forced to drag their heavy sledges over much difficult
country, and had at one time reached an altitude of 6,000 feet.

The route taken by the party from this point was one
which, as I shall relate in due course, I travelled myself in the
following season. I was enabled then not only to observe it
at first hand, but with much enlightenment which further
experience had given us. The result of personal observation
must ever be more satisfactory than an attempt to reproduce
the impressions of others, and although this party were the
first to see and describe the magnificent scenes of this glacial
valley, I reserve an account of them until I can tell of that
which I saw with my own eyes.

In the following year I was able to traverse this glacier at
considerable speed and to treat its difficulties and obstacles
lightly, but this, of course, was largely due to the fact that I
was travelling over a route which was to some extent known.
One is apt to forget the benefits conferred by the experience
of others, and therefore, before recounting the slow and
laborious progress of this party, I take the opportunity of
acknowledging the debt which we owed to it.

On December 18 a start was made to ascend the glacier,
and during the following days the party proceeded with great
caution ; before the new track was broken Armitage went
ahead, sounding at every other footstep with his ice-axe.
Their route gradually ascended, but though the gradient was
irregular it was never steep ; sometimes they were travelling
over long stretches of blue ice where cracks and crevasses
could be seen and avoided, but at others, the surface was
covered with a thin and treacherous layer of soft snow, and
here the greatest care had to be taken, as it was obvious that
all dangers would be hidden. On such soft places, too, even

102 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902-

a small gradient meant very heavy labour with the sledges, and
nearly every day it was necessary to divide the loads and take
the sledges on singly. The difficulty of advance was greatly
hampered by the weather ; though temperatures were high,
the wind and snow-drift constantly swept down the valley with
great force, and on many occasions masses of cloud hung
about the valley and shut off all view of the surroundings. In
bad weather it was almost impossible to proceed in a country
which was so utterly unknown, and where it was necessary to
direct a course with a view to avoiding obstacles which were
sometimes seen a great distance ahead.

On the 23rd they had reached a plateau some 4,500 feet
above the sea. Here the glacier, as may be seen on the chart,
opens out into a broad basin turning towards the right ; from
this point a slight descent led them to a lower level, where a
moraine of immense boulders ran transversely across the basin.
Christmas Day was spent amongst the huge rocks of this
moraine, but instead of the bright, cloudless weather which at
this time we were experiencing in the south, here the sky was
overcast with heavy nimbus cloud and all day long fierce
squalls swept down the valley ; nor had this party the sauce of
hunger to give that full enjoyment of their Christmas fare
which went so far to mark this day in our southern calendar.
But in spite of these facts the season seems to have been
celebrated with much merriment.

From this time the party still continued to ascend : at
first over very rough wavy ice, where the sledges skidded
but could be pulled with ease, and where neither fur nor
leather boot could get a hold, and crampons armed with steel
points had to be worn ; later they came again to snow surfaces,
and on these they turned the corner and faced once more to
the west to rise over the last stretch of the widening glacier.
The rocky boundaries of the glacier were now comparatively
lower. They had no longer frowning cliffs on each side;
gradually the bare land seemed to be sinking beneath the level
of the great ice mass, and only the higher mountains showed
as nunataks above the vast neve" fields

i9o3] FIRST EXPLORERS OF VICTORIA LAND 103

On December 31 they were abreast of one of the last of
these isolated summits, and as it formed a most conspicuous
landmark they determined to leave at its foot a depot of a
week's provision. They were able to approach the high
weathered basaltic cliffs with ease, and found a sheltered
position amongst the rough talus heaps at its base. Continuing
to the west, they were faced by a steep rise over which the
surface was much broken ; but, selecting the smoothest route,
they were able to surmount this obstacle, when, after crossing
some wide bridged crevasses, they found themselves on a
plateau which continued for many miles to a second steep rise.

New Year's Day found them on this plateau at a height of
7,500 feet; the temperature had fallen to — 20, and a strong
wind was blowing from the W.S.W. It was whilst they were
marching under these conditions that one of their number,
Macfarlane, suddenly collapsed. Armitage says : 'At first I
was very much alarmed ; he could neither move nor speak,
and his face, which had turned to a dull grey, looked positively
ghastly. I had a tent pitched immediately, and soon the colour
began to flow back into his face. He then complained of
pains under his heart and shortness of breath, but these
troubles gradually subsided. Being anxious to push on, after
waiting some time, I decided to leave half the party in camp
and continue to the west with the remainder. I came to the
conclusion that Macfarlane's breakdown was due to some form
of mountain sickness.'

Proceeding to the westward the advance party ascended
another very steep rise, and then travelled over a gradual
slope, at the top of which they camped on the night of
January 3. This Armitage decided should be his last camp.
They had now reached a height of 8,900 feet, and as far as
they could see in every direction to the westward of them there
extended a level plateau ; to the south and north could be
seen isolated nunataks, and behind them showed the high
mountains which they had passed. On the 5th the party left
their camp and proceeded to the south-west for some miles on
ski. Armitage says : ■ We ascended seventy feet in the first

io4 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5 [1902-

two miles; this was the highest elevation we reached, being
about 9,000 feet. We then proceeded along a dead level for
two miles, then we gradually descended thirty feet in a mile.
At this point we stopped ; the weather was beautifully clear,
and observations showed that the horizon was rather below our
level in every direction except to the north and north-east,
whence we had come. On all sides the surface was quite
smooth, and there was very little sign of wind ; it looked as
though the plateau on which we stood was the summit of the
ice-cap.'

On the 6th the party started to return, and whilst descend-
ing the upper falls met with an incident which shows the
treacherous nature of the irregular snow-slopes over which
they were travelling. I quote the story from Armitage's
report : ' We descended the upper falls with ease, and whilst
crossing the smooth ice at their foot I was talking casually to
Skelton when I suddenly became conscious that I was taking
a dive, then I felt a violent blow on my right thigh, and all the
breath seemed to be shaken out of my body. Instinctively I
thrust out my elbows and knees, and then saw that I was some
little way down a crevasse. It was about four feet wide where
I was, but broadened to the right and left of me; below it
widened into a huge fathomless cavern. Skelton sang out that
my harness had held, and threw down the end of the Alpine
rope with a bowline in it. I slipped this over my shoulders,
and was hauled up with a series of jerks, and landed on the
surface, feeling rather as though I had been cut in two and
with not a gasp left in me. They told me that below my face
had appeared to them to be covered in blood ; the force of
my fall had scattered everyone right and left and pulled the
sledges up to the brink of the chasm, so that I was let down
about twelve feet. It shook me up very much, and I could
only hobble very lamely after the sledges as we proceeded on
towards the camp where Macfarlane had been left.' After this
the party continued to descend, following more or less the
track by which they had come. Macfarlane, who had shown
some signs of improvement, had further trouble with his

1903] THE DESCENT 105

breathing, and was carried for most of the way on the
sledges ; but it soon became evident that there was nothing
very wrong with him, and that he was more alarmed about
himself than others were for him.

On the way down, visits were made to the cliffs on each
side, and specimens of the rock were obtained in situ as well
as from the various moraines which were passed. By January 1 1
the party were well on towards the lower reaches of the glacier,
and they found that the temperature of the valley had risen
considerably ; it was frequently above 400, and the air inside
the tents was often oppressively warm. This led to several
minor and unexpected troubles ; for instance, it was found
that the sleeping-bags gradually melted the surface of ice or
snow on which they were laid, and in the morning were sur-
rounded with a pool of water.

The high temperatures also gave rise to a very great
amount of thawing in the valley. We never again found it
in this condition, and it is probable that it only lasts for a
period of a fortnight, or at the most three weeks. This season
of thaw is an extremely interesting matter, and no doubt it
plays an important part in the denudation of the country. It
will be remembered that before our arrival in winter quarters,
in February 1902, we had landed on the tongue of a glacier
and observed the beds of considerable glacial streams, though
at that time the thaw had ceased. It may therefore be worth
while to quote some remarks from a report made by Skelton,
who, as a member of this party, saw the glacier in its most
melting mood. Skelton writes : ' During the hot days of the
latter part of December and early in January an immense
amount of melting goes on in the valley. On the glacier
surface there is quite a loud " buzzing " sound, caused by the
air bubbles confined in the ice being freed and coming to the
surface through water. On the way back we found every
boulder in the moraines standing in a large pool of water, often
three or four feet deep, and during the night frequent rumblings
could be heard as the boulders lost their equilibrium and
shifted their positions. Some boulders could be seen in the

io6 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902-

clear ice several feet below the surface, having melted their
way down. There was quite a torrent of water running down
past the Cathedral Rocks, where it flowed into a lake nearly
half a mile in diameter ; from there it ran in a rapid stream
past Descent Pass towards the sea. The water in this stream
was about nine inches deep and seven feet across, and on
measuring its speed I calculated the flow of water to be
about fifty-three tons per minute ; this was only one of many
streams.'

On January 12 the party began to climb the steep slopes
of Descent Pass, and had to resort to their old device of
hauling the sledges up with the help of ropes and blocks. As
some parts of these slopes stood at an average angle of 45 °,
the task proved so laborious that they did not reach the summit
of the pass till the evening of the 14th. From this time their
work was easy, and by the 17 th they had again reached the
sea level. Here they were fortunate enough to find numerous
seals basking on the ice, and it was not long before they
regaled themselves on fresh meat.

The remainder of the journey was uneventful, and on the
nineteenth, when the party reached the ship, Macfarlane had
practically recovered, whilst the remainder were in the best of
health and condition. Some months elapsed before I was able
to go closely into the results of this journey, and by that time
unexpected circumstances had made it evident that we should
have a further chance of exploring the interesting region which
it had brought to our knowledge. By that time also the several
rock specimens which had been secured had passed into the
hands of the geologist. A rough map had been constructed
and a series of photographs taken by Skelton had been de-
veloped, all going to show the valuable information which the
party had collected, and opening an exceptionally interesting
field of investigation for a second visit to the region.

There was no doubt that a practicable road to the interior
had been discovered and traversed, and that the grim barrier
of mountains which had seemed so formidable an obstruction
from the ship had been conquered, but the portion of this road

1 9o3] INTERESTING PROBLEMS 107

which led over the foothill plateau and down the steep slopes
of Descent Pass still appeared as a serious impediment in the
way of speedy approach to the ice-cap. It remained to be
seen whether some easier route might not be found to the base
of Cathedral Rocks, and, in spite of Armitage's observations, I
could not help thinking that there must be some way by which
sledges could be dragged from the New Harbour over the
foot of the Ferrar Glacier.

It was evident that this party had reached the inland ice-
cap and could claim to be the first to set foot on the interior of
Victoria Land ; but it was clear, too, that they had been forced
to terminate their advance at an extremely interesting point,
and to return without being able to supply very definite in-
formation with regard to the ice-cap. As I have already
pointed out, the view of the sledge- traveller on a plain is
limited to an horizon of three or four miles ; beyond this he
cannot say definitely what occurs. This party appeared to
have been on a lofty plateau, but the very short advance they
had been able to make over it could not give a clear indication
of what might lie to the westward ; the nature of the interior of
this great country was therefore still wrapped in mystery.

The photographs, the rock specimens, and the enthusiastic
descriptions of the rugged cliffs which bordered the glacier
valley showed that here lay the most promising field for
geological investigations that we could possibly hope to find,
and that at all hazards our geologist must be given the chance
of exploring it. In the original programme it had been im-
possible to guess in what direction this important officer should
direct his footsteps, and it had been decided that his ends
would best be served by making short journeys in various
directions. It was now evident that this deep glacier valley
cutting a section through the mountain ranges was incom-
parably more interesting than any other region known to us,
and what could be learnt of it from the returned travellers only
went to show more clearly the extreme importance of a second
visit. But perhaps the most promising circumstance of all
that pointed to the interest of this region was that amongst the

ioS THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902-

rock specimens brought back were fragments of quartz-grits.
These, with other observations, showed the strong probability
of the existence of sedimentary deposits which might be
reached and examined, and which alone could serve to reveal
the geological history of this great Southern continent.

On the whole, therefore, the western party had done
excellent pioneer work ; they had fulfilled their main object,
and in doing so had disclosed problems which caused the
greater part of our interest to be focussed in this direction
throughout the remainder of our stay in the South.

The extensive preparations for the western journey had
almost denuded the ship of sledge equipment, and the travellers
who embarked on the shorter journeys in the vicinity of the
ship were obliged to do as best they could with the little that
remained. It was of course a rule that everything must give
way to the extended efforts. However, this did not baulk the
energies of other travellers, who were willing to resort to all
sorts of shifts and devices rather than forego their share of
exploration, and, in consequence, many short journeys were
made which added much to our knowledge of the very interest-
ing region about the ship.

A glance at the chart will give some small idea of the con-
fused conditions which existed to the south-west of our winter
quarters, and it can be imagined that before our sledging
commenced this district, on which we gazed at a distance of
twenty or thirty miles, seemed to hold many mysteries. We
could not tell whether the closer masses of land were connected,
or whether, as seemed more probable, they were detached
islands. Far away we could see long lines of irregular debris-
strewn ice, but we could not say whence they came or what
they indicated. \

Taken as a whole, from the point of view of the map-maker,
the general outline of the coast of Victoria Land is simple.
The land is bold and well marked, and the coast is of a nature
that lends itself to rough contouring ; but, in marked distinc-
tion, the region of Ross Island has very intricate geographical
features. The complication seems to start with that very

i9o3] THE ISLANDS TO THE SOUTH-WEST 109

curious formation which we called the Bluff, and which runs
out in such a singularly thin, straight strip from the isolated
volcanic cone of Mount Discovery. North of this, as will be
seen, there are three large volcanic islands and a number of
smaller islets, amongst which lie the rock-strewn remains of an
ancient ice-sheet, with numerous vast and partly hidden
moraines ; while finally comes the great upheaval of Ross
Island itself. The land masses as a whole, with their thousands
of craters, great and small, show the result of a very remarkable
volcanic outburst. For such light as was thrown on this
region during the summer of 1902-3 we had to thank Koettlitz,
Ferrar, Hodgson, Bernacchi, and others, who managed from
time to time to collect a rough sledging outfit and to make
short trips of a week or ten days towards the various points of
interest. In this manner Koettlitz proved the insularity of the
Black Island by surmounting the obstacles which had checked
the first reconnaissance party, and succeeded in walking com-
pletely round it. On another occasion he examined the
northern side of the Bluff, and on a third traversed much rough
ice and ascended to the summit of Brown Island (2,750 feet),
whence he and his companions were able to get some idea of
what lay beyond.

In journeying to the south-west our travellers found it
advisable to make for the northern coast of Black Island. As
I have mentioned before, on such a track after crossing some
four or five miles of recently formed ice, they rose from ten to
fifteen feet in level to the surface of an older ice-sheet. The
travelling continued good till within two or three miles of the
island, when disturbances were met with, and it was necessary
to cross lines of morainic material which streamed north from
the eastern end of the island. This morainic material was
principally composed of the black volcanic rock of the island,
but amongst it could be found numerous blocks of granite,
altogether foreign to the region. The island was surrounded
by a well-marked tide-crack, which showed that the ancient
sheet of rubble-strewn ice to the north was afloat. Amongst
the huge heaps of rock material which it bore were found

no THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902-

numerous remains of marine organisms, shells, polyzoa, worm-
casts, and sponge spicules. There could be no doubt that in
some manner the movement of the ice had lifted this material
from below the water-level to its present elevation of perhaps
fifteen or twenty feet above j but precisely how this had been
accomplished it was impossible to say.

From any of the small peaks which fringed the Black
Island the travellers could get a good view of the surface of
the strait which separated them from the Brown Island, and
this was a very impressive sight. From the base of Mount
Discovery in the south, long ridges of morainic material spread
out and entirely filled the strait, where they were disposed in
wonderfully regular parallel lines which at first ran towards the
north-east, but later swept round with perfectly uniform curves
towards the north, in which direction they continued for some
fifteen miles to the sea. Here, then, was the origin of that
rough, water-worn tongue on which we had landed on our way
to winter quarters.

The finer material of these long lines of rock debris was
naturally blown by the wind in all directions, and, settling
liberally between the lines, it had caught the rays of the sun,
melted deep and irregular channels, and left standing a wild
confusion of fantastic columns and pinnacles of ice. Seen from
the distance the whole, as Koettlitz says, ' appeared like a tumul-
tuous frozen sea with high crested waves curling towards us.'

To cross this confusion was no easy matter : long distances
had to be done by portage, and in the thaw season the
travellers had sometimes to take off shoes and stockings to
cross rapid streams of water two and three feet in depth.

Whilst Black Island was formed of a very hard black
volcanic rock, Brown Island was principally composed of lava
and volcanic ash. The rock was much weathered, and had a
deep, reddish-brown appearance, while scattered over this
island to a height of 500 or 600 feet were found erratic blocks
of granite.

There seemed every reason to suppose that Brown Island
is joined to Mount Discovery, and at least our travellers were

i9o3J CURIOUS ICE FORMATIONS in

certain that there was no flow of ice between the two ; away to
the west they could see the long sweep of the Koettlitz Glacier
growing rough and disturbed as it fell to the level of the sea.

The snow plateau to the south of Black Island was found
to be from ioo to 150 feet above the level to the north, rising
to the general barrier level ; it afforded a comparatively smooth,
easy crossing, undisturbed until within two miles of the Bluff,
to reach which the travellers had again to cross lines of morainic
material in which the volcanic rocks of the region were mixed
with numerous boulders of granite. Taken together, these
various observations gave a moderately clear outline of the ice
condition in this region. The space inside the Brown Island
is governed locally by the Koettlitz Glacier, but it is evident
that the ice of the barrier itself is moving, or has moved,
around the end of the Bluff, and close along its northern shore ;
thence it is pressing, or has pressed, northward through the
two channels which separate the islands, the greater part pass-
ing round to the west of Black Island.

All this led up to a highly important and interesting dis-
covery. We could not doubt that the decayed and water-worn
ice on which we had landed on February 8, 1902, marked
what was nothing less than the end of the lateral moraine of
the Great Ice Barrier. When it is considered what a colossal
agent for transportation this moraine must be, it is curious to
find that it ends in such a tame manner.

Whilst these efforts at exploration had been going on in
various directions, the ship had been left in the charge of Mr.
Royds. With people constantly going and coming, the numbers
on board varied much; sometimes there might be ten or a
dozen hands available for work, at others no more than four or
five could be got together ; but, whatever the number, all were
kept steadily employed on the one most important task — that
of freeing the boats.

I have already explained the calamity that had befallen us
in this respect — how these indispensable articles of the ship's
furniture had been placed on the ice, how they sank below the
water level, and how we were forced to shovel away the snow

ii2 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902-

to prevent them from going still deeper. This work of clearance
was continued well on into the sledging season, as it was hope-
less to attempt extrication until the night temperature had risen
sufficiently to prevent the work of the day being wasted. This
condition was not reached until the middle of December, and
even then it was rarely that the thermometer stood above the
freezing-point of salt water throughout the whole of the twenty-
four hours, so that the work was greatly retarded.

When it was decided that the time had come to make an
effort to free the boats, many shifts and expedients were tried.
At first it was thought that something might be done by
sprinkling ashes and dark volcanic soil over the ice, but it was
found that the sun's rays were not sufficiently powerful or
constant to make this device a success. As a next step, after
all the snow was cleared off the surface of the floe, the ice-saw
was brought into action, and a complete cut was made around
that part of the ice-sheet in which the boats were embedded ;
but when this cut was finished it was found that, contrary to
our hopes, the centre square refused to rise. Then efforts
were concentrated on a single boat ; the saw-cut was com-
pleted about it, not altogether without injury to the boat, but
even this small detached piece was held down in some
inexplicable manner. Finally, in order to bring it up, small
tins of gun-cotton had to be employed, and it was only after
several explosions that the block was successfully brought to
the surface.

In this position, the men, working knee-deep in slush,
were able to dig out the inside of the boat, and bit by bit to
clear away the ice which clung to the outside ; then with
shears and tackles she was slowly dragged from her icy bed.
In this manner the first boat was got out, and then one by
one the rest were extricated in like fashion.

As can be imagined, with so much sawing and blasting
going on in the unseen depths of the ice below, it was not
likely that the task could be accomplished without considerable
injury to the boats, and when at length they had all been
brought to the surface they presented a very dilapidated

i9o3] RECOVERY OF THE BOATS 113

appearance, very different from that which they had possessed
when first they had been incautiously placed on the floe. Of
all our staunch whale-boats two only were in a condition to
float, and it was evident that there would be many weeks of
work for our carpenter before the remainder could be made
seaworthy. Still, even the skeleton of a boat is better than no
boat at all, and when on January 1 7 the last had been raised
it was justly felt that a big load of anxiety had been removed.

Long before my departure to the south I had given in-
structions that the ' Discovery ' should be prepared for sea by
the end of January ; consequently after the boats had been
freed, and as the sledge parties returned, everyone was very
busily employed. To the non-nautical reader it may not be
very clear what preparations for sea may mean in such circum-
stances, nor is he likely to understand what a lot of work they
entailed on the few men who were available.

From the deck, tons and tons of snow had to be dug out
with pickaxes and shovelled over the side; aloft, sails and
ropes had to be looked to, the running-gear re-rove, and
everything got ready for handling the ship under sail; many
things which we had displaced or landed near the shore-
station had to be brought on board and secured in position ;
thirty tons of ice had to be fetched, melted, and run into the
boilers ; below, steam-pipes had to be rejointed, glands
repacked, engines turned by hand, and steam raised to see
that all was in working order. But, not doubting that the ice
would soon break up and release us, all this work was
pushed forward vigorously, and in consequence, as I have
remarked, on returning to the ship I found her looking trim
and smart, and was told that all was ready for us to put to sea
again.

But meanwhile the great event of the season had happened.
The * Morning,' our relief ship, had arrived ; and here, per-
haps, I may be permitted to make a digression in order to
explain how this had come about.

I have already shown the manner in which the necessary
funds were raised for the ' Discovery,' and how, after arduous
vol. 11. 1

ii4 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902-

efforts, enough money was collected to equip our expedition in
a thoroughly efficient manner. This being the case, and there
being no reason to suppose that the ' Discovery ' was in distress,
it may not be quite clear why it was thought necessary to send
a relief ship in the following year. Indeed, the reason will
probably not be plain to anyone who is incapable of putting
himself into the position of those who bore the responsibility
of the expedition.

Taking any general case where an expedition is sent forth
to the Polar Regions, it is evident that when it has passed
beyond the limits of communication, the authorities who
despatched it must bear some burden of anxiety for its safety ;
whilst they may hope that all will be accomplished without
disaster, they cannot blind themselves to the risks that have
been taken, and must inevitably ask themselves whether on
their part they have done everything possible to avert mis-
chance. If the expedition has departed without any definite
plan, or has passed into a region in which it would be hopeless
to search, those at home can do nothing ; if, on the other hand,
it has planned to pass by known but unvisited places, then it
is obvious that its footsteps can be traced with the possibility
of ascertaining its condition and of relieving distress. In this
last case the proper action of the authorities is clear : they
must endeavour to take no risk of their relief arriving too late,
but do their utmost to despatch it as early as possible in the
track of the first venture. Such has always been the attitude
of those responsible for North Polar voyages, and in the South
there is a further reason for its observance in the fact that the
Antarctic Regions are surrounded by a belt of tempestuous
ocean, across which it would be impossible for explorers to
retreat should they have suffered the loss of their ship.

As soon as the ' Discovery ' had departed on her long
voyage all these facts began to be practically considered, and
the necessity of safeguarding the enterprise by the early
despatch of relief was realised.

To raise the necessary funds for this second venture was
no light task, but the Geographical Society recognised its

i9o3] THE RELIEF EXPEDITION 115

responsibility and energetically supported its President in the
campaign which he immediately opened with his customary
energy and pertinacity. Urgent appeals were issued \ a sub-
scription list was opened and graciously headed by H.M. the
King and H.R.H. the Prince of Wales; Mr. Longstaff again
came to the front with an addition of 5,000/. to his former
munificent donation ; Mr. Edgar Speyer most generously sub-
scribed a like sum.

From this start the fund gradually grew by the arrival of
gifts from the most diverse and interesting quarters — from five
great City Companies,1 from boys at school, from members of
the Stock Exchange collected by Mr. Newall, from sub-
lieutenants at Greenwich, from officers of a Gurkha regiment
in Chitral, from the New Zealand Government, from officers
in South Africa, and from a thousand private individuals who
gave what they could afford. But, great as was the interest
shown, as always on such occasions, its manifestation was
slow, and there were times when it seemed almost impossible
that the urgency of the case could be met. Sir Clements
Markham, however, refused to acknowledge defeat ; as usual,
having set his shoulder to the wheel, he worked on in good
times or bad with the same untiring zeal and singleness of
purpose, and, as all who know of this troublous time most
freely acknowledge, it was due to this alone that the sum of
22,600/. was eventually raised in time to make the despatch of
the projected relief expedition possible.

Even this sum did not admit of elaborate plans in the
equipment of the relief expedition ; the greatest economy was
necessary.

A stout wooden whaler named the ' Morgenen,' or ' Morn-
ing,' was purchased in Norway, and after being thoroughly
refitted and overhauled by Messrs. Green, of Poplar, was
stored with the requisites for the voyage.

At an early date her commander had been appointed, and
this proved in every respect a most fortunate selection.

1 Goldsmiths, Fishmongers, Drapers, Mercers, and Skinners.

I 2

n6 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [i9o2~

Lieutenant William Colbeck, R.N.R., was at this time in the
employment of Messrs. Wilson, of Hull, who generously lent
his services ; he had already been in the Antarctic Regions,
having spent a winter at Cape Adare with Sir George Newnes's
expedition, and he was therefore chosen as the most fitting
person to command this new venture. Colbeck selected some
of his officers and most of his men from amongst those with
whom he was personally acquainted ; many had served at one
time or another in the Wilson Line. The Admiralty showed
their interest in the enterprise by permitting two naval officers
to join the expedition.

At length, all being prepared, the ' Morning ' left the
London Docks on July 9, 1902, and after a long sea voyage,
in which she rounded the Cape of Good Hope without
touching land, on November 16 she duly arrived at Lyttelton,
New Zealand, the base of all our operations. Here she
received the same generous treatment which had been
accorded to the 'Discovery,' and on December 6 made her
final departure for the South, stored with many an additional
present supplied by the kindly thought of our New Zealand
friends.

Here perhaps it is necessary to pause for a moment to
consider the work which lay before Captain Colbeck and his
crew.

Long before the ' Discovery ' had left New Zealand the
idea of a relief ship had been mooted, and although I saw
the great difficulties that were to be overcome in sending her,
I felt confident that if the thing was to be done, Sir Clements
Markham would do it. From any point of view it was
desirable to leave as much information as possible in our
track, and with this idea I had foreshadowed the positions at
which I hoped to be able to leave records, and had laid down
a rough programme for any ship which might follow us.
These instructions could only be indefinite ; but such as they
were, they stated that attempts would be made to leave in-
formation at one or more of a number of places — Cape Adare,
Possession Islands, Coulman Island, Wood Bay, Franklin

i9o3] THE PRE-ARRANGED PROGRAMME 117

Island, and Cape Crozier. Especially in the last place, as the
most southerly, I hinted that news of us might be looked for ;
the relief ship was to endeavour to pick up such clues as might
be found in this way, but if this was unproductive or signified that
we had passed to the eastward without returning, she was to
turn homeward after having landed provisions and stores at
certain definite spots.

It will be seen, therefore, that it was in order to act up to
this pre-arranged plan that we had left records at such of the
named places as we could approach, and that I had been so
anxious to establish sledge communication with the record at
Cape Crozier. For this enabled me to start south with the
knowledge that a relief ship might gather meagre information
at Cape Adare and Coulman Island, whilst, should she recover
the Cape Crozier record, she would at once ascertain our
whereabouts.

Captain Colbeck's instructions were to fall in with the
purport of my letter, but the manner in which he should do so
was left entirely to his discretion, and wisely, for with such
slender information as was available no one could have acted
more promptly or with greater discretion.

Thus it came about that whilst we were surmounting the
difficulties of the great snow-plain and finding a way amongst
the mountain ranges, the gallant little ' Morning ' was hurrying
towards us, eager to perform her helpful mission and bring us
news of our distant home.

Small as she was, and without the ability to force a way
through heavy pack-ice, her voyage to the South was full of
adventure, and is a record of difficulties overcome by sturdy
perseverance ; but of this I hope that Captain Colbeck will
himself tell one day. On December 25 he crossed the Ant-
arctic Circle, and a short way to the south, to his great
surprise, discovered some small islands which he has since
done me the great honour of naming the Scott Islands. The
pack was negotiated successfully, if slowly, and on January 8
a larding was effected at Cape Adare, where the notice of the
'Discovery's' safe arrival in the South was found. The

n8 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902-

Possession Islands were drawn blank, since we had not been
able to land there. South of this the whole coast was found
thickly packed ; it was impossible to approach Coulman
Island or Wood Bay, and the ship was obliged to keep well
to the eastward to get any chance of an ice-free sea.

Franklin Island was visited on January 14, but without
result, and again quantities of pack had to be skirted in
making a way to Cape Crozier, so that it was not until 1 a.m.
on the 1 8th that a landing was effected at this spot. Captain
Colbeck himself joined the landing party, which spent some
hours in searching for a sign of us. He had almost given
the matter up in despair, and was despondently wondering
what to do next, when suddenly our small post was seen
against the horizon; a rush was made for it, and in a few
minutes the contents of the tin cylinder were being eagerly
scanned. It can be imagined with what joy the searchers
gathered all the good news concerning us and learnt that they
had but to steer into the mysterious depths of McMurdo
Sound to find the 'Discovery' herself; their work seemed
practically accomplished.

But though they got hastily back to their ship, and started
westward with a full head of steam, the goal was not yet
reached. The channel between Beaufort Island and Ross
Island was filled with an ugly pack in which the ' Morning '
could do little more than drift idly along, but fortunately this
drift carried her steadily to the west, and on the 23rd our
friends were able to free themselves from the ice, and, turning
south, to round Cape Royds and recognise the landmarks
which had been described and sketched for their instruction.

On board the ' Discovery ' the idea that a relief ship would
come had steadily grown. For no very clear reason the men
had gradually convinced themselves that it was a certainty, and
at this time it was not uncommon for wild rumours to be
spread that smoke had been seen to the north. It was there-
fore without much excitement that such a report was received
on the night of the 23rd ; but when, shortly after, a messenger
came running down the hill to say that there was a veritable

1903] ARRIVAL OF THE 'MORNING' 119

ship in sight, it was a very different matter, and few found
much sleep that night whilst waiting and wondering what news
that distant vessel might bear.

Early on the 24th a large party set out over the floe, and
after marching a few miles could see clearly the masts and
yards of the relieving vessel, which lay at the limit of the fast
ice some ten miles north of the ' Discovery,' and comparatively
close to the Dellbridge Islets. The last mile was covered with
difficulty, as here the ice was only a thin sludgy sheet which
had formed since August, and which would only bear those who
were fortunate enough to be wearing ski. There was much
shouting and gesticulation, and one or two of the most eager,
sinking waist-deep in the treacherous surface, had to be
rescued with boards and ropes ; but at last our party stood on
the deck of the ' Morning,' and the greetings which followed
can be well imagined. Those who had remained in the
1 Discovery ' were not forgotten, and soon the sledges were
speeding back, dragged by willing hands and stacked high
with the welcome mail-bags.

During the last week of the month the weather remained
gloriously fine ; some of the treacherous thin ice broke away,
allowing the ' Morning ' to approach us by about a mile ; other-
wise all was placid. In the bright sunshine parties were
constantly passing to and fro, and all gave themselves up to
the passing hour in the delight of fresh companionship and the
joy of good news from the home country, and with an unshaken
confidence that the ' Discovery ' would soon be freed from her
icy prison.

It was thus that I found things on my return on February 3,
and when I and my companions, the last to open our letters,
could report that all was well, we had the satisfaction of knowing
that the ' Morning ' had brought nothing but good news.

120 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

CHAPTER XVI

OUR SECOND WINTER

Effects of the Strain of the Southern Journey — Communication with the
' Morning ' — Change of Weather— Stores Transported — Delays in the
Break-up of the Ice -Closing of the Season — Departure of the ' Morn-
ing ' — Making Provision for the Winter — Settling Down— Hockey —
Departure of the Sun — Fishing Operations— Record Temperatures —
The Electrometer — Midwinter Feast — Our Growing Puppies — Hodg-
son at Work — The ' Flying Scud ' — Return of the Sun — Signs of
Summer — Plans for the Future — General Good Health.

And so without more circumstance at all
I hold it fit that we shake hands and part.
Shakespeare.

Come what come may
Time and the hour runs through the darkest day.

Shakespeare.

It was a curious coincidence that Colbeck should have chosen
the night of our return for his first visit to the ' Discovery.'
Up to this time he had felt reluctant to leave his ship, not
knowing when a change of weather might occur, but on this
day he had decided to visit the company to which he had
brought such welcome intelligence, and soon after I had
emerged from my first delicious bath and was revelling in the
delights of clean garments, I had the pleasure of welcoming
him on board.

In those last weary marches over the barrier I had little
expected that the first feast in our home quarters would be
taken with strange faces gathered about our festive table, but

1903] STRAIN OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 121

so it was, and I can well remember the look of astonishment
that dawned on those faces when we gradually displayed our
power of absorbing food. As we ate on long after the appe-
tites of our visitors had been satisfied, there was at first mild
surprise : then we could see politeness struggling with bewilder-
ment ; and finally the sense of the ludicrous overcame all
forms, and our guests were forced to ask whether this sort of
thing often happened, and whether we had had anything at all
to eat on our southern journey.

But although we found our appetites very difficult to
appease, for a fortnight after our return from the south our
party were in a very sorry condition. Shackleton at once took
to his bed, and although he soon made an effort to be out and
about again, he found that the least exertion caused a return
of his breathlessness, and more than once on entering or leav-
ing the living-quarters he had a return of those violent fits of
coughing which had given him so much trouble on the journey ;
now, however, after such attacks, he could creep into his cabin
and there rest until the strain had worn off and some measure
of his strength returned. With Wilson, who at one time had
shown the least signs of scurvy, the disease had increased very
rapidly towards the end. He had slightly strained his leg
early in the journey, and here the symptoms were most
evident, causing swelling and discolouration behind the knee ;
his gums also had dropped into a bad state, so he wisely
decided to take to his bed, where he remained perfectly quiet
for ten days. This final collapse showed the grim determination
which alone must have upheld him during the last marches.

If I was the least affected of the party, I was by no means
fit and well : although I was able to struggle about during the
daytime, I had both legs much swollen and very uncomfortable
gums. But the worst result of the tremendous reaction which
overcame us, I found to be the extraordinary feeling of lassi-
tude which it produced ; it was an effort to move, and during
the shortest walks abroad I had an almost unconquerable
inclination to sit down wherever a seat could be found. And
this lassitude was not physical only 5 to write, or even to think,

122 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

had become wholly distasteful, and sometimes quite impossible.
At this time I seemed to be incapable of all but eating or
sleeping or lounging in the depths of an armchair, whilst I
lazily scanned the files of the newspapers which had grown so
unfamiliar. Many days passed before I could rouse myself
from this slothful humour, and it was many weeks before I had
returned to a normally vigorous condition.

It was probably this exceptionally relaxed state of health
that made me so slow to realise that the ice conditions were
very different from what they had been in the previous season.
I was vaguely surprised to learn that the ' Morning ' had
experienced so much obstruction in the Ross Sea, and I was
astonished to hear that the pack was still hanging in the
entrance of the Sound, and as yet showed no sign of clearing
away to the north ; but it was long before I connected these
facts with circumstances likely to have an adverse bearing on
our position, and the prospect of the ice about us remaining
fast throughout the season never once entered my head.

My diary for this month shows a gradual awakening to the
true state of affairs, and I therefore give some extracts from it,
more especially as when the news of our detention first
reached England it was half suspected that the delay was
intentional, and it is doubtful whether that view has been
entirely dissipated even yet.

1 February 8. — We are expecting a general break-up of the
ice every day, but for some reason it is hanging fire. This is
the date of our arrival at Hut Point last year, and then the
open water extended as far as the Point ; it is evident that
this season is very backward, and I do not like the way in
which the pack is hanging about in sight of the " Morning."
It must go far to damp all prospects of the swell necessary for
a general break-up. The " Morning " is eight miles away ;
very slowly she is creeping closer, but I do not think that she
has advanced more than a quarter of a mile in the last week.
We have been arranging the stores which are to be transferred,
but it will be rather a waste of labour to transport them whilst
the distance remains so great.

i9o3] COMMUNICATION WITH THE 'MORNING' 123

'To-day England, Evans, and nine men came from the
" Morning," bringing us a fresh load of papers and some more
luxuries, especially potatoes. At present I feel that if I had
the power of poetic expression I should certainly write an ode
to the potato. Can one ever forget that first fresh "hot and
floury" after so long a course of the miserable preserved
article ? '

' February 10. — To-day we gave a dinner party, the invita-
tion being delivered across six miles of ice through the medium
of the semaphore. Colbeck, Doorly, Morrison, and Davidson
arrived as guests clad in good stout canvas suits and quite
ready for the feast. They brought good news, for they re-
ported that more than a mile of ice has broken away yesterday
and this morning. We entertained our guests principally on
the luxuries they had brought us, and there was little to be
complained of in the fare ; we had giblet soup, skua gull as
an entree, then our one and only turkey, and a joint of beef,
with plum-pudding and jellies to follow. Truly we are living
high in these days, and I ask myself whether it was really I
who was eating seal blubber a fortnight ago. After dinner we
had the usual musical gathering, to which our guests brought
a great deal of fresh talent. We have had a right merry night,
and now all are coiled down to sleep ; those who cannot find
berths are snoring happily on the wardroom table.'

''February 12. — The weather has changed very much for
the worse. The day of our return seemed to mark the last of
the fine sunny summer ; since that it has been almost con-
tinuously overcast, and our old enemy the wind returns at all
too frequent intervals. Colbeck was weather-bound yesterday,
but it gave us an opportunity of discussing the situation. If
the ice is to be very late in breaking up, I think it is advisable
that the " Morning " should not delay to await our release ;
she at least should run no risk of being detained, and it is to be
remembered that she has little power to push through the
young ice. We have decided to commence the transport of
stores to-morrow ; it will be tiresome work, but we ought to
get it over in less than a fortnight.'

124 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY ' [Feb.

On February 13 the work of transferring the stores was
commenced ; it was arranged that the loads should be taken
half-way by the ' Morning's ' men, and from thence brought in
by our own. It seemed at first that the ' Morning,' with her
smaller company, would have the heavier task, but this was
avoided by a very liberal interpretation of the half-way point ;
in fact, the distance they covered gradually became little more
than a quarter of the whole, whilst our parties took 3! hours
to fetch the load in from the junction. The loads ran from
1,500 lbs. to 1,800 lbs., and in good weather two could be got
across in the day, but the biting cold east wind was a great
hindrance, and was felt more keenly at the ' Discovery ' end.
It was in general especially strong about Hut Point, showing
that, as we had suspected, chance had placed our winter
quarters in the most windy spot in the vicinity.

Owing to this interference of the weather, by the 20th only
eight loads had been brought in ; on that day, therefore, we
started an extra party, which went to the ■ Morning ' in the
forenoon and returned with a whole load in the afternoon. In
this manner ten more loads were transported by the evening
of the 23rd, and this completed the work except for sundry
light articles. The manner in which the officers and men of
the relief ship stuck to this very monotonous task was beyond
praise ; if anything had been wanting to show their ardent
desire to assist us by every means in their power, this surely
would have proved it. On our side, our people laboured for
their own comfort, though, whatever the cause, they were little
likely to jib at hard work ; in fact, on this occasion there were
not a few who, like Mr. Barne, volunteered to make the double
journey each day — a matter involving eleven or twelve hours
of solid marching.

The goods which we thus obtained from our relief ship
were none of them necessary to our continued existence in the
South, but they were such as added greatly to the comfort of
our position, and I do not use the word 'necessary' here in
its strictest sense; as far as food is concerned, the absolute
necessities of life are very limited, and in the South they were

1903] STORES TRANSPORTED 125

amply provided by the region in which we lived, for life could
have been maintained on the seals alone. But although
existence may be supported in this simple fashion, it is scarcely
to be supposed that civilised beings would willingly subject
themselves to such limitations, and therefore it is reasonable
to include as necessaries such articles as not only make
existence possible, but life tolerable.

From this broader point of view we were well equipped in
the ' Discovery,' and experience had taught us that we could
continue to live with comparative comfort on very modest
requirements. We had an ample stock of flour — enough to
have lasted us for at least three years. To this might be
added a large store of biscuit, which had been rarely used
except on our sledge journeys. We were well provided with
sugar, butter, pea-flour, tea, chocolate, jam, and marmalade,
and had a moderate supply of lard, bottled fruits, pickles,
cheese, and milk. With our holds thus stored we should have
had little cause for anxiety for at least two or three years to
come, but with the relief ship so well stocked it can be
imagined that we were not long in considering how we might
still further increase our comfort and provide for a greater
variety in our fare. Our vegetables, both tinned and dried,
had been a distinct failure, and it was in this, therefore, that
we made our first call on the resources of the ' Morning.' But
besides this we had run very short of sauces, herbs, tinned
soups, and articles of this nature, which were particularly
desirable for cooking and seasoning our dishes of seal-meat.
Our cheese, too, was not very satisfactory, whereas that brought
by the ' Morning ' from New Zealand was in excellent condi-
tion ; and although our tinned butter was very good, we were
not long in discovering that the fresh New Zealand butter
brought by the ' Morning ' was a great deal better.

The sledge loads which were dragged across the ice with
so much hard labour during this month of February went,
therefore, as far as food was concerned, to supplying minor
deficiencies and to ensuring for us in the second winter a
greater degree of comfort than we had enjoyed in the first ;

126 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

but, besides food, they contained other stores which, although
we could have done without, we were exceedingly glad to have.
In this manner we took the small quantity of engine-oil which
the utmost generosity could spare, nearly a hundred gallons
of paraffin, some finneskoes, mits, and socks, and some canvas
and light material to repair our tattered garments.

' February 18. — . . . Yesterday I paid my first visit to the
"Morning," and although I took the journey very slowly, I
found it an awful grind. Hodgson accompanied me and
shared in a royal welcome. During the night the ship broke
away twice and had to steam up and re-secure to the floe ; it
was strange to feel the throD of the engines once more. A few
small pieces of ice are breaking away, but there is practically
no swell, and the pack can still be seen on the northern
horizon. At this time last year we had a constant swell rolling
into the strait, but as I returned to-day the ice conditions were
so stagnant that one begins to wonder whether our floe is
going to break up at all. It is rather late in the day, but I
have arranged to send some people down to the ice-edge to try
the effect of explosions.'

' February 22. — Yesterday I took the explosive party down
to the " Morning." We made a hole about three hundred
yards from the ice-edge, and sank a charge of 19 lbs. of gun-
cotton about six feet below the surface. It blew up a hole
about twenty feet in diameter, but the effect was altogether
local ; there were no extending cracks. We next tried closer
to the edge, and sank the charge about thirty feet. The effect
was better : a similar hole was made, but from it a few long
cracks ran to right and left. To-day two more charges were
exploded near the cracks already formed ; the cracks were
increased in length and number, but no part of the floe was
detached. I came to the conclusion that it was only a waste
of material to continue these experiments further, and sent
the party back. On the whole, I think, something might be
done in this way towards breaking up the ice, but, if so, the
business must be undertaken in a thoroughly systematic
manner j we must be prepared to employ everyone at the

1903] DELAYS IN THE BREAK-UP 127

work, and to expend gun-cotton with a lavish hand ; it is far
too late to commence such a big undertaking this year.'

''February 25. — . . . There is no doubt things are looking
serious. The ice is as stagnant as ever ; there has been
scarcely any change in the last week. I have had to rouse
myself to face the situation. The " Morning " must go in less
than a week, and it seems now impossible that we shall be free
by that time, though I still hope the break-up may come after
she has departed. I have been busy all day writing despatches,
and have drawn up a summary of our proceedings, as well as
a more detailed description of our present position.

1 Some time ago I decided that, if we are to remain on
here, it will be with a reduced ship's company, and certainly
without the one or two undesirables that we possess.

'Yesterday I had a talk to the men. I put the whole
situation before them ; I told them that I thought we should
probably get out after the "Morning" had left, but it was
necessary to consider the possibility of our not being able to
do so, and to make arrangements for such a contingency at
once. I said that I wished nobody to stop on board who did
not do so voluntarily, and I hinted that I should be glad for a
reduction in our numbers ; anyone who wished to leave would
be given a passage in the " Morning."

' To-day a list has been sent round for the names of those
who desire to quit, and the result is curiously satisfactory. I
had decided to reduce our number by eight, and there are
eight names on the list, and not only that, but these names are
precisely those which I should have placed there had I under-
taken the selection myself.

\ As regards the mess-deck, therefore, we shall be left with
the pick of our company, all on good terms, and all ready, as
they say, to stand by the ship whatever betides. Of course,
all the officers wish to remain ; but here, with much reluctance,
I have had to pick out the name of one who, in my opinion,
is not fitted to do so. It has been a great blow to poor
Shackleton, but I have had to tell him that I think he must
go ; he ought not to risk further hardships in his present state

i28 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5 [FriJ.

of health. But we cannot afford to lose officers, and Colbeck
has already kindly consented to replace Shackleton by his
Naval sub-lieutenant, Mulock, and the latter is most anxious
to join us.'

1 February 26. — We have 84 tons of coal left in the
" Discovery." This will be enough for more than one winter,
but will not be sufficient to allow us to do any further
exploration if, as I hope, we get out of the ice ; so I asked
Colbeck to leave 20 tons on the Erebus glacier tongue. He
came on board to-night with Skelton and Davidson to say that
this was done yesterday. It appears that they had a great
excitement last night, for as they came back to the ice-edge,
for the first time they found a northerly swell rolling into the
strait, and the ice was breaking up with extraordinary rapidity.
In little more than half an hour nearly a mile and a quarter
went out, and bets were being freely made that they would be
up to Hut Point in the morning ; but, alas ! the swell lasted
little beyond the half-hour, and after that all was quiet again.'

' February 28. — Colbeck has spent the last few days with
us ; he goes back to-morrow early, and with him go those of
our party who are homeward bound. Then in the evening we
are invited to a last feast before our gallant little relief ship
turns her bows to the north.'

' March 2. — . . . Yesterday early our guests left us, and
our returning members soon followed with their baggage. In
the afternoon all our company, except two or three men and
Wilson, set forth for the " Morning," there to be entertained
for the last time by our good friends ; there was much revelry
on the small mess-deck forward, and at the eight-o'clock
dinner aft seats had to be found for no fewer than sixteen ; as
the utmost seating capacity of the wardroom table was eight,
the overflow had to be accommodated in the tiny cabins at the
side, but this in no way detracted from the excellence of the
dinner or the merriment of the evening. After a most satisfy-
ing meal we all gathered about the piano, the air became thick
with tobacco smoke, and for the last time we raised our voices
in the now familiar choruses. It was well into the small hours

1903] DEPARTURE OF THE 'MORNING' 129

before this final merry-making came to an end, and the
occupants of the crowded wardroom rolled themselves into
blankets to snatch a few hours' rest.

1 During the night the temperature had fallen to zero, and
young ice had formed over the open water ; it needed no great
experience to see that it was quite time that our farewells were
said. The morning proved overcast and gloomy, and as we
snatched a hasty breakfast a strong south-easterly wind sprang
up, drifting thick clouds of snow across the floe and dissipating
the young ice to seaward. It was not a cheering scene for our
leave-taking, but delay was impossible.

1 At length we of the " Discovery," with our belongings,
were mustered on the floe ; the last good-byes had been said,
and the last messages were being shouted as the " Morning "
slowly backed away from the ice-edge ; in a few minutes she
was turning to the north, every rope and spar outlined against
the black northern sky. Cheer after cheer was raised as she
gradually gathered way, and long after she had passed out of
earshot our forlorn little band stood gazing at her receding hull,
following in our minds her homeward course and wondering
when we too should be permitted to take that northern track.

1 Then we turned our faces to the south, and, after a long
and tiring walk against the keen wind, have reached our own
good ship ; so now we must settle down again into our old
routine. If the ice does not break up we are cut off from
civilisation for at least another year, but I do not think that
prospect troubles anyone very much. We are prepared to
take things as they come, but one wonders what the future has
in store for us.'

1 March 13. — I have abandoned all hope of the ice going
out. The most optimistic members of our community still
climb up the Arrival Heights in hopes of bringing back favour-
able reports, but it is long since they have been able to return
with cheerful faces. We had a strong north-easterly blow on
the 5 th and 6th, during which hope ran high, and was followed
by much excitement when Dellbridge dashed on board to say
that nearly all the ice had gone out, and that the open water

VOL. II. K

i3o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Mar.

was little more than a mile from us. We ran out to see this
pleasing prospect, but only to find that the report was based
on a curious mirage effect, and that it would have been nearer
the mark to have given four miles instead of one as the distance
of the open sea. Since this incident there has been no change ;
heavy pack has again been seen to the north, and it is evident
that there is no swell entering the strait.

1 The weather is a great deal worse than it was last year ;
we have had much more wind and much lower temperatures ;
the thermometer has not been above zero since the 6th, but
possibly this is due to the absence of open water about us.
We were frozen in last year on the 24th, but the old ice had
ceased to break away some time before that, and so I fear the
chance of more ice going out now is very small.

' But meanwhile we have not been idle ; we have deter-
mined to stick rigidly to our fresh-meat routine throughout the
winter, and whenever the weather has permitted, our seal-killing
parties have been away on their murderous errand. Already
the snow-trench larder contains 116 frozen carcases. We have
now thirty-seven mouths to feed, and an average seal lasts
about a day and a half ; later, when appetites fall off, it ought
to run to two or two and a half days, so that we shall be safe
in allowing an average of two days per seal.

1 Our sportsmen, too, have been adding to our food supply,
and have succeeded in killing over five hundred skuas ; one
would not have thought there were so many to be killed.
These birds will form a good change to the regulation seal.
Our ideas and customs 'liave certainly changed : last year we
regarded the skua as an unclean, carrion-feeding bird. It was
Skelton who first discovered the error of our ways. Whilst
sledging to the west he caught one in a noose, and promptly
put it into the pot ; the result was so satisfactory that the skua
has figured largely on our menu ever since. In summer each
appetite demands its whole skua, but in winter a single bird
ought to do for two people ; the legs and wings are skinny, but
the breast is full and plump. Like all polar animals it is
protected with blubber, and unusual precautions have to be

1903] PREPARING FOR OUR SECOND WINTER 131

taken to prevent the meat being impregnated with its rancid
taste. The birds that have been shot for the winter have been
cleaned and hung in the rigging, with their skins and plumage
still on. It is found that when they are taken below and
thawed out the skin can be removed without difficulty,

' Summing up our food supply for the winter, therefore, we
seem to be in pretty good case :

116 seals should last about 230 days

551 skuas ,, ,, „ 25 ,,
20 sheep „ ,, ,, 20 ,,

Total 275 11

Of course some of the seal-meat will be required for sledging
operations, and we must allow margins for accidents, but on
the whole I think we ought to steer through the winter without
difficulty. We deplore very heartily that we cannot add pen-
guins to the variety of our fare, but it is long since any have
approached the ship, and they are not likely to come now,
across so many miles of ice.

1 March 14. — We have admitted the certainty of a second
winter, and to-day orders have been given to prepare the ship
for it. It is like putting the clock back : all our care and
trouble in getting ready for the sea voyage are wasted. The
boilers will be run down again, the engines pulled to pieces,
small steam-pipes disconnected, ropes unrove and coiled away,
the winter awning prepared, and snow brought in on the decks.
The awning is in a very dilapidated state, and looks anything
but fit to face the rigours of another season, but I suppose we
shall be able to patch it up somehow. One thing we shall not
do this year, and that is, place the boats out on the floe ; those
in the way of the awning will be carried over on to the land, in
which it is to be hoped they will not sink out of sight'

''March 20. — To-day I went out on ski to Cone Hill, close
to Castle Rock. The day has been fine, calm, with a bright
sun, but the temperature has fallen to — 200. From the hill it
was clear that the old ice had broken away a good deal since
the " Morning " left, but it is still a long way from the ship—

K 2

132 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Ma*.

quite three and a half miles. The young ice nearly covers the
sea, and must be getting pretty solid. There were a good
many open leads in it, but very few seals were up, which is
curious on such a fine day ; yesterday we added twenty-eight
to our stock, which ought now to be ample.

1 On my walks I can rarely think of much else but our
position and its possibilities. What does our imprisonment
mean ? Was it this summer or the last which was the excep-
tion ? Does the ice usually break away around the cape, or
does it usually stop short to the north ? For us these must be
the gravest possible questions, for on the answers depend our
prospects of getting away next year or at all. It is little wonder
that I think of these things continually and scan every nook
and corner in hopes of discovering evidences to support my
views ; for I hold steadily to a belief that the answers are in
our favour, and that our detention is due to exceptional
conditions.

\ The Ross Sea has certainly never been found in such a
heavily packed state as it was this year, but how far this bears
on the question one can only surmise. Coming more im-
mediately to our neighbourhood, we have but one thing which
can help us in the comparison of the two seasons — namely, the
state of the old ice on our arrival. If this was one year's ice,
as we supposed, then there must have been open water round
the cape for two years in succession, and we could reasonably
complain of ill fortune if there are many close seasons to
follow ; but the question is, Was what we found one year's ice?
On our arrival we never doubted the fact, but for this reason
we never looked critically at it, and now it is most difficult to
remember the indications which we observed so casually more
than a year ago. All sorts of complicated difficulties arise in
thinking out this problem, yet if it were purely an academic
one, I should long ago have given my opinion unhesitatingly
in the direction I have indicated. But, alas ! it is far too
serious to be disposed of by the strongest expression of opinion,
and no certain answer will come until we have waited to see
what happens next year.

1903] SETTLING DOWN 133

1 So at the end of all my cogitations on this most important
matter, I get little further than the knowledge that patience is
an invaluable quality, and that it is not the least use worrying
about the question now. I think this is pretty well the attitude
of everyone on board, for although the subject sometimes
crops up in conversation, it is generally dismissed as unprofit-
able : all are content to make the best of the present and hope
for the best in the future.

1 It is certainly a great matter for congratulation that we
are rid of the undesirable members of our community ;
although they were far too small a minority to cause active
trouble, there was always the knowledge that they were on
board, mixing freely with others, ready to fan the flame of dis-
content and exaggerate the smallest grievance. No doubt it
would have been possible to suppress this element as effectually
during a second winter as during the first, but one grows tired
of keeping a sharp eye on disciplinary matters, and it is an
infinite relief to feel that there is no longer the necessity for it.
With such an uncertain future before us, it is good to feel that
there is not a single soul to mar the harmony of our relations,
and to know that, whatever may befall, one can have complete
confidence in one's companions.

'It is not until lately also that I realised how easily we
could spare the actual services of those who have left ; in fact,
the manner in which the work is done now seems to show that
they were a hindrance rather than a help to it. For instance,
though I was unaffectedly glad to see the last of our cook, I
was a little doubtful as to how we should manage in the galley
department, but as things have turned out, we are doing
infinitely better. It has been arranged that the cook's mate,
Clarke, should be nominally the cook, and that volunteers
from the crew should take spells of a fortnight or more as his
assistant ; this means practically that Clarke continues to make
the excellent bread and cakes which we have always enjoyed,
whilst the cooking is conducted more or less by a committee
of taste, who collectively bring considerable knowledge to bear
on the subject and take a huge delight in trying to make

134 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Mar.

pleasing dishes. Of course, as is natural with such an arrange-
ment, there are occasional failures, but on the whole it works
admirably ; the men are delighted with what might be termed
the freedom of the galley, and at least they know now that
everything is prepared with a proper regard for cleanliness.'

1 March 23.— The sun is sinking rapidly, and already lamps
are lit for dinner. It is curious to observe the varying effect
which the summer has had on the ice about us. At the end
of the winter it was from six to seven feet thick, but now at its
thickest, in Arrival Bay, it is only five feet, whereas a few
hundred yards away off Hut Point at one time it was almost
melted through, while off Cape Armitage there was a large hole
where it had disappeared altogether. Under this hole we have
recently found a shallow bank of three fathoms, and we know
there is another bank off Hut Point ; there can be no doubt,
therefore, that the melting takes place where the current runs
rapidly over shallow places. In our small bay the ice is eight
or nine feet thick, and in some places much more, but this is
due to the quantity of snow which has fallen on its surface.

' It is strange how the tracks of footsteps remain indicated
in the snow round about; as a rule, the compressed snow
under each footprint remains firm, and is left like a small islet
after the surrounding deposit has been swept away by the wind.
In this manner the whole nature of the surface about our
colony has been altered ; it is surrounded by a hard trodden
area from which radiate beaten highways in all directions.
The hill slopes round about are quite spoiled for skiing
purposes.'

* April 7. — With the exception of spreading the awning
our preparations for winter are now pretty well completed.
Snow has been brought in and distributed liberally over the
decks, and has been banked up on each side opposite the
living-quarters ; guide-ropes to the screen and to the huts have
been erected ; one of the boats has been placed on the ice-
foot, and the remainder so secured that they will be clear of
the awning ; leading away in various directions can be seen
long lines of sticks and cask staves, which go to different

i9o3] HOCKEY 135

fishing holes and other outlying stations for work. All these
are due to the industry of Hodgson and Barne.

1 The great game for the season is hockey ; whenever the
weather permits all hands join in the keen contests we hold on
the floe. The game is played with light bandy-sticks and a
hard ball made on board ; it is just as well we have not the
heavier sticks, as few rules are observed and figures can be seen
flying about with sticks held high above their heads ready to
deliver the most murderous blows, back-handed or front, as
suits best. There is really no time to consider rules, and
although there is the proper organisation of backs and forwards
on each side, no one wants to take the part of umpire.
Occasionally there is a cry of " Off side ! " but no one pays
very much attention.

1 However, in spite of this, we have very exciting matches.
Sometimes the officers play the men, sometimes we divide by
an age limit, and sometimes in other ways. To-day it has
been " Married and Engaged v. Single," and as the former side
lacked numbers we had to include in it those who were
accused of being engaged, in spite of protest. The match" was
played in a temperature of — 400, and it was odd to see the
players rushing about with clouds of steam about their heads
and their helmets sparkling with frost. We played half-an-hour
each way, which was quite enough in such weather. We shall,
I hope, keep to this capital exercise until the light fails.'

' April 24. — On Wednesday the sun left us, and darkness
is coming on apace ; and so we are entering on the course of
our second winter, but withal in the highest spirits, just as
happy and contented a community as can be. It would be
agreeable to know what is going to happen next year, but
otherwise we have no wants. Our routine goes like clock-
work ; we eat, sleep, work, and play at regular hours, and are
never in lack of employment. Hockey, I fear, must soon
cease, for lack of light, but it has been a great diversion,
although not unattended with risks, for yesterday I captured a
black eye from a ball furiously driven by Royds.

' Our acetylene plant is now in full swing, and gives us

136 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [May

light for twelve hours at an expenditure of about 3 lbs. of
carbide. The winter awning is spread, and all is as snug as
we can make it; but the temperature is extremely low, and
we have the old trouble with the ice inside our living-spaces.'

' May 6. — A brilliant idea struck us a fortnight ago. We
thought of putting our large fish-trap down on the shallow
bank off the cape, and weighing it every few days to see what
it contained. Visions of supplying our whole company with
this delightful luxury were before our eyes. The fish-trap
consists of a large pyramidal frame, six feet square on the
base, and covered with wire netting, in which there are cone-
shaped openings.

' In accordance with our idea, this trap was taken out to
the bank, which is about a mile from the ship, and over which
the ice is still comparatively thin. Here a high tripod was
erected, a hole made, and the trap lowered ; two days after it
was got up again, and to our great joy we found it contained
105 fish. Our visions seemed realised ; down went the trap
again, and without a moment's delay we set about making
another and digging a second hole close to the ship. This
was no light task, and the workers were lost to view from
above long before they reached the bottom of our solid ice,
which proved to be more than eight feet thick. However, at
length both traps were down, and since that we have been
getting them up every other day ; but, alas ! there has been a
most terrible falling-off in the catches. The outer trap fell
from 105 to thirty, then to ten, and lately we are lucky if we
find more than five or six. The inner has never had more
than this last number, and sometimes comes up empty. One
of the reasons for the failure of the outer trap is, I think, that
the seals have found it, and feel that they ought to have first
choice of the fish that it attracts, and this would naturally not
be encouraging to the latter. Sometimes the seals must run
full speed into the trap, because it often comes up badly
dented ; one can only hope it gives them a bad headache.
Another great enemy to our fishing industry is the small
shrimp -like amphipod ; these small creatures collect in

1903] FISHING OPERATIONS 137

millions, and eat things up with extraordinary rapidity ; they
are submarine locusts, and vast armies of them settle on the
bait, or even on the live fish, and in a few hours not a remnant
remains of what they have attacked.

' The small bottom fish which we catch are very ugly little
creatures; they have an enormous head, a protruding under
lip, and a gradually tapering body — rather the shape of a
whiting, only exaggerated. They are extremely good eating,
but unfortunately the majority are very small ; it takes two of
the largest to make a decent meal for one person, and of the
average size four or five will scarcely suffice. They are of the
genus Notathenia, and I believe there is more than one species ;
the Weddell seals feed principally on these, but they also catch
other sorts, whose present habitat we cannot discover by any
of our fishing methods. Besides what we may call the Ant-
arctic whiting, our people caught a quantity of a surface fish
that frequented the pools and cracks in the ice during the
summer. This was whilst I was absent from the ship, and I
have neither seen nor tasted this fish, but I hear that it gave
very good sport. Some of the men would go out for an hour
or two with quite a short line and bread for bait, returning
with a dozen or two decent-sized fish, which report declares to
have been much better eating than even the whiting. Now
that all the cracks are frozen over we do not get a glimpse of
these fish, except when they are brought to view from the
interior of a seal. We know that there must be lots of fish
about from the continuance of the seals in our region, and we
have strong reason for supposing that there must be some of a
much greater size than any we have caught, but we have tried
all sorts of methods and all sorts of baits without success in
capturing anything but our whiting.

1 The seal is certainly the best fisherman, and very frequently
when one is captured our people have the benefit of its latest
prey as well as the animal itself.

1 As far as our fish-traps are concerned, I'm afraid as the
darkness deepens our catches are likely to get smaller and
smaller. Recently we have been saving up, so that the mess-

138 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [May

deck should have a fish breakfast one Sunday and the officers
the same on the next, but this will not continue, as we cannot
hope to keep up the supply for so many months.

' Our winter routine of feeding is now pretty well fixed.
We shall have mutton on Sunday as long as it will last, skua on
Tuesday, seal's heart on Thursday, and plain seal on the other
days. The kidneys are used to make seal-steak pie, an excel-
lent dish ; the liver comes at breakfast twice a week ; and the
sweetbreads I suppose pass as cook's perquisites, as we
never see them aft. I am thinking of having cold tinned
meat one night a week, so as to give the galley people a
night off.'

1 May 1 6. — We are getting record temperatures. Yester-
day the minimum at the outer thermometer was — 66°, and
to-day I read it myself at— 67*7°; the screen thermometer
has not been below— 55 °, showing that we still enjoy the
shelter of our comparatively warm corner. It would appear
that this year is going to be much colder than last, but since
March we have had far less wind than during the corresponding
period of last year, and we could welcome a far severer cold if
it assures us an absence of this scourge.

'Some of our costumes this year are very quaint. Our
gaberdine wind clothes are badly worn, and what remains of
them is being reserved for sledging ; to take the place of these
we have served out all sorts of odd scraps of material together
with a large green tent which was brought south by the
' Morning.' This has resulted in the most curious outer
garments, and one may see a figure approaching in a pair of
gaily striped and patched trousers and a bright green jumper,
a combination of colour which in any other place could
scarcely fail to attract marked attention.'

'June 12. — This week we have had the first blizzard for the
winter, with some rather novel features. The wind has come
and gone with surprising rapidity. Sometimes it has been
blowing with extreme violence, harder than I have ever known
it ; at others it has been almost calm, with the air still filled
with snow. The barometer has been hurrying down and up

1903] THE ELECTROMETER 139

over a range of nearly an inch, and the thermometer rose at
one time to + 17^°. Last night the floor of the entrance
porch was a swamp, whilst water was dripping from the sides
and roof. It has never been in this state before during the
winter. In many respects the gale has been the worst we have
had, and yet, thanks to experience, we have weathered it with-
out any of the minor mishaps of last year, except the temporary
loss of our stove-pipe exhaust. From without the ship looks
to be completely buried in snow.

1 We are still at a loss for any warning of our approaching
blizzards. The barometer only commences its vagaries after
the storm is on us. There has been a suggestion that strong
mirage is a sign of bad weather to come, but this fortunately is
not the case, as very extraordinary mirage effects are constantly
seen. At one time we had an idea that the electrometer might
be taken as a guide, but this, again, seems to show little until
the gale has actually begun.

1 But although the electrometer may not serve us in this
way, it has yielded some extremely interesting results.
Bernacchi has continued to take regular observations with
this instrument ; he mounts it on a tripod and takes observa-
tions with the match conductor just above it, or hoisted on a
pole fifteen feet high. He is thus able to discover the electrical
potential at both these heights, though the task is not always a
pleasing one, as the small screws of the instrument have to be
manipulated with bared fingers. Once or twice Skelton has
assisted Bernacchi in taking hourly observations over a con-
siderable period. Perhaps the most interesting point is that
there is almost continuously a negative potential in our regions,
whereas in temperate regions the air is generally electro-positive
to the earth.

'The observations at four feet and fifteen feet show that the
difference of potential increases considerably with the altitude.
During the summer months there is a perceptible daily range,
with a maximum at midnight and a minimum at noon, and the
potential is higher than in winter when there is no measurable
range. When the air is filled with falling or drifting snow the

140 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [June

potential becomes very large and the tension is often great
enough to discharge the instrument.'

'June 23. — Our second mid-winter day has come and gone,
finding us even more cheerful than the last. We made a great
night of it last night ; the warrant officers dined aft, and we
had soup made from a real turtle sent to us by our kind friend
Mr. Kinsey, of Christchurch, and brought over in the last
sledge-load from the "Morning." After this came tinned
halibut, roast beef with artichokes, devilled wing of skua as
savoury, and the last of our special brand of champagne. On
ordinary nights we are now reduced to enamelled plates and
mugs, but we still hold in reserve some crockery and glass for
these special occasions, and it adds to our cheer to see our
table well appointed again.

1 After dinner we felt we must have some novelty, so some-
one suggested a dance. The table was got out of the way,
Royds went to the piano, and the rest of us assembled for a
set of lancers, one of the most uproarious in which I have
ever indulged. Then came cock-fighting and tugs of war, and
altogether we had as festive an evening as we have ever spent.'

'July 3. — Our winter is speeding along in the pleasantest
fashion, and all are keeping in good health and spirits. Our
puppies of last year are puppies no longer, but have developed
into dogs, showing all the unmerciful, bullying traits of
character of their parents. In all there are eight survivors
of last year's litters: " Blackie," "Nobby," "Toby," and
" Violet " are descendants of poor " Nell," " Roger " and
"Snowball" of "Blanco," and "Wolf" and "Tin-tacks" of
" Vincka." The different families are not at all fond of one
another, nor is there any wild attachment between members of
the same. However, we have decided they must take care of
themselves and settle their own grievances, as, although they
may be useful next year, we do not propose to take them on
long journeys ; they are therefore allowed to roam about as
they please, though kennels are provided for them, and of
course they are regularly fed. The result of this freedom is
that there are already new families of puppies arriving on the

1903] HODGSON AT WORK 141

scene. The greater number of these must be removed, as it
cannot be hoped that they will be anything but poor creatures ;
meanwhile there has been a searching for names, and the
latest suggestion is a series including " Plasmon," " Soma-
tose," and " Ptomaine " !

1 1 am taking rather longer walks over the hills than I did
last winter, as I want to be thoroughly fit for the sledging. As a
rule four or five of the dogs come with me, and my appearance
outside is the signal for a chorus of welcome ; as we go up the
hills my companions scrimmage, playfully or otherwise, the
whole time ; then their delight is for me to roll stones down
the steeper slopes, when they dash after them at a prodigious
speed and in a smother of snow. They are wonderfully sure-
footed, and will sometimes bring themselves up in mid-career
with extraordinary suddenness, and come trotting up the slope
as though it was the easiest of feats.'

''July 13. — Yesterday Wilson reported an eruption of
Erebus, a considerable sheet of flame bursting forth and light-
ing up the rolls of vapour, so that he could clearly see the
direction in which they were going — a fact impossible to dis-
tinguish either before or after ; the flare only lasted for five or
ten seconds. These eruptions have been seen before, and
possibly many have occurred without being seen, but they are
certainly not frequent, and never last for more than a few
seconds. I myself have never seen more than a red glare on
the cloud of vapour immediately over the crater.'

1 Tidy 16. — Hodgson has been working away throughout the
winter in the same indefatigable manner as before. His fish-
traps and tow-nets merely go down through a hole in the ice,
and there is no great difficulty about working them, but the
manner in which he has carried out his dredging is really very
cunning, and deserves description. Now and again, and
especially after a cold snap, fresh cracks are formed in the ice-
sheet across the strait, and these open out perhaps two or three
inches. Before the space left has time to freeze thickly,
Hodgson goes out with a long line, and presses the bight down
between the sides of the crack until it is hanging in a long

142 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [July

loop between points two or three hundred yards apart. Then
at each end of the loop he starts to dig a large hole ; this is the
work of several days, and meanwhile the ice along the crack
has become solid and thick, but this does not matter when
once he has got what he wants — namely, two holes connected
by a line which passes underneath the ice.

' Eater on, when the holes are completed and shelters have
been erected about them, the more important work commences.
A net is secured to the line and lowered to the bottom at one
hole, whilst at the other the line is manned and gradually
hauled in ; thus the net is dragged along the bottom to the
second hole, where it is hoisted out and its contents emptied
into a vessel. Then the process is repeated by hauling the
net back to the first hole. Finally the vessel, usually an old
tin-lined packing-case, with its precious contents of animals
buried in a mass of hardening slush, is sledged back to the ship
and deposited close to the wardroom fire.

• On the following day the table is littered with an array of
glass jars and dishes, with bottles of alcohol, formalin, and
other preservatives, and soon we are able to examine the queer
denizens of our polar sea-floor, and to watch their contortions
as they are skilfully turned into specimens for the British
Museum.'

lJu/y 31. — For some days there has scarcely been any
wind, and we have been able to enjoy delightful walks in the
light noontide. The northern horizon at this hour is dressed
in gorgeous red and gold, and the lands about are pink and
rosy with brightness of returning day. I am not sure that a
polar night is not worth the living through for the mere joy of
seeing the day come back.

1 The latest addition to our forces, in the shape of Mulock,
has been a great acquisition. In one way and another we have
collected a very large amount of surveying data, but the
trouble was that we none of us had sufficient knowledge to
chart it. Mulock came in the nick of time to supply the
deficiency ; he has been trained as a surveyor, and has extra-
ordinary natural abilities for the work, He has done an

1903] THE ' FLYING SCUD ' 143

astonishing amount this winter, first in collecting and reworking
all our observations, and later in constructing temporary charts.
A special table was fixed up for him in my cabin, where he
now spends most of his time. The result of his diligence is
most useful to me, as I can now see much more clearly what
we ought to try to do during our next sledging season.'

1 August 1. — Walks over the hills are now delightful.
However cold one may be on starting, by the time one reaches
the crest one's blood is circulating freely, and the rest is wholly
enjoyable. A good look at the glorious scene round about, a
long trot over the hill plateau, an observation of Erebus with
its gilded coil of smoke, a half slide, half shuffle down some
convenient snow-slope amidst two or three scrambling, sky-
larking dogs, a sharp walk back over the level, and a glorious
appetite for tea to follow : there is not much hardship about
this sort of life.

1 Perhaps Barne has enjoyed himself as much as anyone
this winter in his own queer way. The improved weather has
given him a chance to spend many a day at his distant sound-
ing holes, and he has constantly departed soon after breakfast
to vanish from our ken until dinner. But this winter he has
rigged his small sledge with sails, and if it has not aided his
work much, it has given him a deal of extra amusement. The
sledge carries a small sounding machine, mounted high on a
box in the centre. The box contains a miscellaneous collection
of sinkers, thermometers, &c, together with the owner's light
midday repast. In front of and behind the box are the main
and mizzen masts, to which are hoisted a dashing suit of sails,
made from the drop scene of the Terror Theatre. There is
also a drop keel or lee board, made from a piece of boiler-
plate, and a wooden outrigger, which can be placed on either
side and weighted with a sinker to increase the stability of the
machine. Barne declares that if there is any breeze his noble
craft sails like a witch, on or off the wind, but this is scarcely
the opinion of others who have watched his movements. How-
ever, when the " Flying Scud," as she is called, is lying astern
of the " Discovery " with sails neatly furled, or when with all

144 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Aug.

canvas spread she is prepared for her voyage over the floe, she
at least looks a very imposing and business-like tender.'

1 August 13. — For three days we have had a furious blizzard,
which has kept us closely confined. On the few occasions
when we attempted to reach the ship side we found it almost
impossible to stand, and there was a curious suffocating feeling
in battling with the whirling drift. Some gusts were so violent
that the ship was shaken, and things hanging in the wardroom
were set on the swing, notwithstanding that the ice must now
be from eighteen to twenty feet thick immediately around us.
On Tuesday, with a lull, the glass rose three-quarters of an inch
in six hours — about the steepest gradient we have known. It
then fell again sharply, and the wind returned in full force.
To-day it is quite calm again, and we can see that there has
been an immense deposition of snow ; the ice-sledges are
covered, and the surface has risen to the level of the meteoro-
logical screens. From the hills I could see no sign of open
water — a curious difference from last year, when after such a
gale the sea would certainly have been open up to the Northern
Islets.'

* August 20. — Sometime ago poor little "Tin-tacks," who
has a litter of pups in the after deckhouse, was found with her
mouth covered with blood; she was unable to eat, and on
examination Wilson found that her tongue had been torn or
cut off within an inch or two of the root. The only fitting
theory seems to be that the poor beast got it frozen to a tin
and then became frightened, and jagged or bit it off. It was a
horrible accident, but it shows the astonishing vitality of these
dogs that within a few days she was able to eat and ran about
as though nothing had happened ; she had evidently quite
ceased to suffer pain. But although she can feed herself she
cannot keep herself clean, and she is likely to get into such a
bad state in this way that I fear we shall have to kill her.

1 Wilson has found a hard, calcareous growth in the seals'
hearts which appears to show that these animals suffer from
gout !

'We have seen some very beautiful "mother-of-pearl"

1903] RETURN OF THE SUN 145

clouds to the north lately — little patches of yellowish-white
close to the horizon, edged with pale green passing to red
and yellow, this bordering extending all around. The pris-
matic colouring we have hitherto seen in the light high cirrus
has been horizontal only. The Danish Lapland Expedition
noted prismatic clouds as having a height of thirty miles ; ours
are certainly nothing like so high.'

1 August 21. — The rim of the refracted sun could just be
seen above the northern horizon at 12.30 to-day. I climbed
Arrival Heights and got a view of the golden half-disc. It was
a glorious day ; everything was inspiriting. For the first time
for many a month the sun's direct rays were gilding our sur-
rounding hills ; little warm, pink clouds floated about, growing
heavier towards the south, where the deepening shadow was
overspread with a rich flush \ the smoke of Erebus rose straight
in a spreading golden column. It was indeed a goodly scene !
One feels that the return of day is beyond all power of descrip-
tion— that splendid view from the hills leaves one with a sense
of grandeur and solemnity which no words can paint.

1 And now our second long polar night has come to an end.
I do not think there is a soul on board the " Discovery " who
would say that it has been a hardship. All disappointment at
our enforced detention has passed away, and has been replaced
by a steady feeling of hopefulness. There is not one of us
who does not believe that we shall be released eventually,
however difficult he might find it to give his reasons. All
thoughts are turned towards the work that lies before us, and
it would be difficult to be blind to the possible extent of its
usefulness. Each day has brought it more home to us how little
we know and how much there is to be learned, and we realise
fully that this second year's work may more than double the
value of our observations. Life in these regions has lost any
terror it ever possessed for us, for we know that, come what
may, we can live, and live well, for any reasonable number of
years to come.'

' August 25. — The earth shadows on the southern sky
thrown by the sun as it skims along the northern horizon have
VOL. i|. l/

i46 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Sept

been very distinct this year, and there is much that cannot be
explained and therefore gives rise to hot argument. Between
nine and ten in the morning a dark shaded line, inclined to
the right at an acute angle to the horizon, appears to the west-
ward of the Black Island; this line gradually rises to the
vertical to the east of Black Island, and then sinks to the left
with a diminishing angle. Just before noon its extremity rests
on the Bluff, when it is inclined well to the east, but sometimes
at about this time two other shadows spring up, one vertical
and the other inclined to the west; the whole phenomenon
then has the appearance of an inverted broad arrow.

f It is very curious and interesting, and we have failed to
produce any sound explanation for it. It must in some way
be connected with Erebus, as it is on the opposite side of it to
the sun ; but what particular parts of the mountain mass trace
these confused shadowy lines we cannot guess. Some of us
have tried to drag in the western mountains as reflecting
agents, but I think this theory has little to support it. Mean-
while we have all been busy with candles and sheets of paper
trying to reproduce the various effects, but so far without much
success.

1 Beyond the region of our bay the snow which has fallen
during the winter is heaped into patches which are clearly
distinguishable from the old surface, on which can still be seen
in large numbers the pellets of the cartridges used in the skua
battues of last autumn. We have started our hockey matches
again, and had some excellent games, but the ground is in very
poor condition, with patches of soft snow where the ball gets
half buried.'

1 September 3. — After the return of the sun there are some
very pleasing signs of summer, for which we watch eagerly.
Amongst these are the first records of our solar instruments,
one of which, the radiation thermometer, gave its first indica-
tion on the 28th, when there was an extremely slight difference
between the black and silvered bulb thermometers. This
instrument faces the sun on Hut Point, and to-day it showed
a very marked difference between the two readings ; and at the

i9o3] SLEDGING PREPARATIONS 147

same time another instrument, the sunshine recorder, gave its
first sign of life. The sunshine recorder consists of a crystal
sphere, by which the sun rays are focussed on a circular strip
of graduated paper ; when the sun is out, the track of the focus
is marked by a burnt line, and in this way the hours during
which the sun shows are recorded. Last year we got several
papers burnt for the complete'twenty-four hours, and doubtless
we shall get the same again ; I believe this is the first time such
a record has been got.'

Such extracts as I have given from my diary show that our
second winter passed away in the quietest and pleasantest
fashion. Throughout the season the routine of scientific
observations was carried out in the same manner as it had
been during the previous year, whilst many new details of
interest were added. The weather on the whole, though
colder, had been far less windy, and this, together with the help
which experience gave to our methods of living, had greatly
added to our comfort. Whilst everything was taken calmly
and easily, the work of preparation for the coming season had
been steadily pushed forward. An examination of our sledge
equipment showed that there was scarcely an article which
did not need to be thoroughly overhauled and refitted, and
throughout the winter our men had been systematically em-
ployed in repairing the sledges, sleeping-bags, tents, &c, in
weighing out and packing the various provisions, and generally
in preparing for the long journeys which had been arranged.
With our best efforts, however, it was evident that our outfit
for this seasoa would be a somewhat tattered and makeshift
affair compared with what it had been at the commencement
of the last. For our sleeping-bags we were obliged to employ
skins that we knew to be of inferior quality ; our tents were
blackened with use, threadbare in texture, and patched in
many places ; our cooking-apparatus were dented and shaky ;
our wind clothes were almost worn out ; and for all the small
bags which were required for our provisions we were obliged
to fall back on such sheets and tablecloths as could be scraped
together.

l 2

i48 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Sept.

As in the previous year, the plan of campaign for the
coming season had been drawn up in good time, so that
everyone might have ample opportunity of preparing himself
for the work ; and in the peaceful quiet of the winter it had
been easy to see the weak places in our former explorations
and the directions in which the future journeys should be
made.

Perhaps here, therefore, it would be well to mention briefly
the considerations which led me to the adoption of the pro-
gramme of sledging carried out during our second year.

The first point was of course to review our resources ; as
before, I knew that extended journeys could only be made by
properly supported parties, and an easy calculation showed me
that our small company would only admit of two such sup-
ported journeys, though numbers might permit of a third more
or less lengthy journey without support.

The next thing was to decide in what direction these
parties should go. In this connection, as I have already
explained, the principal interest undoubtedly lay in the west ;
to explore the Ferrar Glacier from a geological point of view
and to find out the nature of the interior ice-cap were matters
which must be attempted at all hazards.

In the south it was evident to me that however well a
party might march, or however well they might be supported,
without dogs they could not hope to get beyond the point
which we had reached in the previous year ; but our journey
had been made a long way from land, and had consequently
left many unsolved problems, chief amongst which were the
extraordinary straits which had appeared to us to run through
the mountain ranges without rising in level. It was obviously
absurd for us to pretend that we knew all about these places
when we had only seen them at a distance of twenty or thirty
miles ; any further light thrown on these, or on the junction
of the barrier with the land, must prove of immense interest
to us. It was therefore with the main object of exploring one
of these straits that I decided that the second supported party
should set forth,

X903] THE PROGRAMME 149

The credit for arranging the direction in which the un-
supported party should go really belongs to Bemacchi, for it
was he who first asked me what proof we had that the barrier
surface continued on a level to the eastward. Since the
previous year, and having regard to the barrier edge in this
direction, we had assumed this fact, but when I came to look
into it I found we really had no definite proof. The only way
to obtain it was to go and see, and this was therefore named as
the objective of the unsupported party, who affected to believe
that they were destined to discover all sorts of interesting land
arising through the monotonous snow-plains for which they
were bound. Besides the longer journeys, the programme for
the season included, as before, a number of short journeys for
specific purposes. The most important of these were periodic
visits to the Emperor penguin rookery, as we hoped that this
year our zoologist would be able to observe the habits of these
extraordinary creatures from the commencement of their
breeding season.

The next step in this programme was the most difficult of
all j it was to name the individuals for the various journeys.
When all had supported me so loyally, and when all were so
eager to go to the front, it can be imagined what a hard task
lay before me in making a selection. However, this difficulty,
like others, was gradually overcome by much thought, and the
various parties were told off. The journey to the west I de-
cided to lead myself, that to the south I entrusted to Barne
and Mulock, whilst the two officers named for the south-eastern
effort were Royds and Bernacchi.

Finally, it was decided that one important factor must
dominate all our sledging arrangements. We knew that we
were mainly at the mercy of natural causes as to whether the
1 Discovery ' would be freed from the ice in the coming year,
but at least I determined that as far as man's puny efforts could
prevail, nothing should be left undone to aid in the release of
the ship. At the earliest date at which we could hope to make
any impression on the great ice-sheet about us, the whole force
of our company must be available for the work of extrication ;

150 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Sept.

consequently the last of the summer must be sacrificed, and it
was ordered that all sledging journeys should start at such a
date as to assure their return to the ship by the middle of
December.

Thus when the sun returned again in 1903 it found us
ready to start on our journeys once more, and only waiting with
impatience for the light which was to guide us on our way.
The story of these journeys I reserve for a future chapter, but
in what state of health and spirits we undertook them can be
gathered from the following : —

' September 6. — To-morrow we start our sledging j the
Terror party go to Cape Crozier. The ship is in a state of
bustle, people flying to and fro, packing sledges, weighing
loads, and inspecting each detail of equipment. To judge by
the laughter and excitement we might be boys escaping from
school. The word "scurvy" has not been heard this year,
and the doctor tells me there is not a sign of it in the ship.
Truly our prospects look bright for the sledge-work of the
future.'

1903] I5I

CHAPTER XVII

COMMENCEMENT OF OUR SECOND SLEDGING SEASON

Parties Starting — Away to New Harbour — We Find a Good Road, Es-
tablish a Depot, and Return— Sledging in Record Temperatures-
Experiences in Different Directions— Emperor Penguin Chicks— Eclipse
of the Sun— A Great Capture— Preparing for the Western Journey-
Ascending Ferrar Glacier— Our Sledges Break Down — Forced to
Return— Some Good Marching— Fresh Start— More Troubles with the
Sledges— A Heavy Loss— Wind from the Summit — The Upper Glacier
— A Week in Camp — We Break Away and Reach the Summit— Hard
Conditions— Party Divided — Eight Days Onward — An Awe-inspiring
Plain — We Turn as the Month Ends.

Where the great sun begins his state

Robed in flames and amber light. — MiLTON.

Path of advance ! but it leads

A long steep journey through sunk

Gorges, o'er mountains in snow. — M. Arnold.

When the great sun had begun his state in 1903 we were all,
as I have said, eager to be off on our travels once more.

Royds and Wilson were the first to get away, on Septem-
ber 7 ; they had with them four men — Cross, Whitfield,
Williamson, and Blissett ; their mission lay on the old track
to Cape Crozier, and the object of going thus early was to
catch those mysterious Emperor penguins before they should
have hatched out their young.

Barne and his party were timed to start some days later,
with the idea of laying out a depot beyond the White Island,
in preparation for the longer journey to come.

On the 9th I got away with my own party, which included
Mr. Skelton, Mr. Dailey, Evans, Lashly, and Handsley. Our

152 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Sept.

object was to find a new road to the Ferrar Glacier, and on it
to place a depot ready for a greater effort over the ice-cap. I
pause a moment to recall to the reader the position of affairs
in this region. The Ferrar Glacier descends gradually to the
inlet, which we named New Harbour, but it will be remembered
that Mr. Armitage had reported most adversely on this inlet
as a route for sledges, and in conducting his own party had
led it across the high foothills. I had not been to this region,
but in the nature of things I could not help thinking that
some practicable route must exist up the New Harbour inlet,
and I knew that if it could be found our journey to the west
would be made far easier. It was in this direction, therefore,
that I set out with my party.

Half-way across the strait we had the misfortune to en-
counter a blizzard, which delayed us in our tents and effectually
covered all our camping equipment with ice ; then the tem-
perature fell rapidly, and we knew that our discomfort for the
trip was ensured. Owing to the delay we did not reach the
New Harbour until the 13th, and it took us the whole of
the daylight hours of the 14th to struggle up the south side
of the inlet to the commencement of the disturbances caused
by the glacier.

The night of the 14th was an anxious one, and I remem-
ber it well. On each side of us rose the great granite foothills.
The light had been poor in the afternoon march, and now
that the sun had sunk behind the mountains in a crimson
glow, we were left with only the barest twilight. We had been
forced to camp when we had suddenly found ourselves on a
broken surface, and all about us loomed up gigantic ice-blocks
and lofty morainic heaps. To-morrow was to decide whether
or not these obstructions could be tackled ; meanwhile the
temperature had fallen to — 490, and in the frigid gloom our
prospects did not look hopeful.

On the following day, however, with cheerful sunshine to
aid our efforts, we proceeded for some way up the bed of a
frozen stream, still on the south side of the glacier. On our
right was the glacier itself, distorted into a mass of wall faces

*J§

•' \5ffll

,::

V',

1903] A GOOD ROAD 153

and pinnacles, which looked unscalable, whilst on our left
were the steep bare hillsides ; soon the glacier stream came
to an end, and we were forced to consider what was next to be
done.

As a result of our consultation some of the party climbed
the hillside to prospect, whilst Skelton and I attacked the
glacier. We fully expected to discover a mass of broken ice
extending right across the inlet, but were agreeably surprised
to find, first, that by carefully selecting our route we could
work our way to the summit of the disturbance ; and, secondly,
that beyond our immediate neighbourhood the high, sharp
ice-hillocks settled down into more gradual ridges. This im-
plied that to the north things were smoother, and after our
short reconnaissance and a confirming report from the hills,
we occupied the rest of the day in carrying our loads and
sledges in the direction we had chosen across the disturbance.
It was a difficult portage, but by night we were camped in a
small dip well in on the glacier surface.

Those who have seen glaciers in a mountainous country
will recall the regular and beautiful curves they present in
sweeping around the sharp turns of the valleys they occupy.
It was such a curve that the Ferrar Glacier now showed us as
we looked westward on the morning of the 16th; its surface,
as we afterwards found, was comparatively regular, but in the
distance it looked like a smooth polished road — a ribbon of
blue down the centre of which ran a dark streak caused by a
double line of boulders. On each side towered the massive
cliffs and steep hillsides which limited its course. But the
foot of this promising road was some way from us, and we
had still four or five miles of unviewed surface to cross before
we could reach it. Here, again, we were agreeably surprised,
for instead of further ice disturbances we found our way
gradually growing smoother, and in the afternoon we reached
the incline without further difficulty.

What followed was easy. We proceeded to ascend the
smooth icy surface of the glacier until we came abreast of
Cathedral Rocks, and when their lofty pinnacles towered three

i54 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Sept.

or four thousand feet immediately above our heads we selected
a conspicuous boulder in the medial moraine, about 2,000 feet
above the sea, and, ascertaining its bearings, ' cached ' the
provisions which we had brought, and turned homeward.

The result of our short journey had been really important.
It had taken the western party of the previous year three
weeks to reach the spot at which we had left our depot; I
knew now it would go hard with us if we could not get there
well within the week, and if in the future we found a still easier
road, avoiding the portage stage, we might hope to journey out
in four or five days.

On our return, therefore, we steered more to the north,
and to our further delight found that the route in that direc-
tion was much easier, so that eventually we reached the sea-
ice without having to carry our sledges across any difficult
places.

The fact which was thus discovered, and which was amply
supported by further observations, is a general one that is
highly important to future explorers. In all cases in the
Antarctic Regions where glaciers run more or less east and
west, the south side will be found very much broken up and
decayed, whilst the north side will be comparatively smooth
and even. The reason is a very simple one— so simple that it
seems to argue some obtuseness that we did not guess its
effect. The sun of course achieves its greatest altitude in the
north, and consequently its warmest and most direct rays fall
on the south side of a valley, and on the loose morainic
material and blown debris that rest on that side of a glacier.
Here, therefore, the greater part of the summer melting takes
place with irregular denudation, causing the wild chaos of ice
disturbance that I have described.

At the foot of the Ferrar Glacier, Armitage had seen the
disturbance on the south side, and had concluded that it must
extend right across ; our fortunate step had been to push
over the southern disturbance and find the easier conditions
beyond.

Throughout this short journey we had exceedingly low

i9o3] EXPERIENCES IN OTHER DIRECTIONS 155

temperatures. Nearly every night the thermometer fell below
— 500, and in the daytime it was very little above that mark.
After the effects of our blizzard we were extraordinarily un-
comfortable ; it was partly for this reason, and partly to test
the real marching capabilities of my party, that, our object
attained, I decided to put on the speed in crossing the fifty
miles of sea-ice which lay between us and our snug ship. We
crossed this stretch in less than two and a half days ; we were
to do better marching still under better conditions, but at the
time we were very pleased with this effort, and considering the
excessive cold and our heavily clad and ice-encumbered con-
dition, it was certainly worthy of note. It was on the night of
the 20th, therefore, that we tramped into our small bay and
saw the pleasantly familiar outlines of the ship.

We were inclined to be exceedingly self-satisfied ; we had
accomplished our object with unexpected ease, we had done a
record march, and we had endured record temperatures— at
least, we thought so, and thought also how pleasant it would
be to tell of these things in front of a nice bright fire. As we
approached the ship, however, Hodgson came out to greet us,
and his first question was, ' What temperatures have you had ? '
We replied by complacently quoting our array of minus fifties,
but he quickly cut us short by remarking that we were not in
it. It was evident, therefore, that we should have tales to
Jisten to as well as to tell.

For such tales I draw once more on my diary :
' September 22. — It is pleasant to be back in the ship again
after our hard spring journeys. They have awakened us all
and given us plenty of fresh matter to talk about, so that
there is a running fire of chaff and chatter all day. Every-
thing looks very bright and hopeful : the journeys have accom-
plished all that was expected of them, and there is not a sign
of our old enemy the scurvy ; and this in spite of the fact
that our travellers have endured the hardest conditions on
record.

1 It is no small tribute to our sledging methods that our
people have come through temperatures nearly seventy degrees

156 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Sept.

below zero without accident or injury ; a tent and a sleeping-
bag have never protected men under such conditions before.

' Whilst we have been away there seems to have been a
cold snap throughout our region. Barne with his party got
the worst of it, as they were away out on the barrier, where
conditions are always most severe. He was absent for eight
days, and succeeded in laying out a depot to the S.E. of White
Island. His party consisted of Mulock, Quartley, Smythe,
Crean, and Joyce ; all have tales to tell of their adventures,
and agree that it was pretty " parky." The temperature was
well below — 400 when they left the ship ; it dropped to — 500
as they reached the corner of White Island, and a little way
beyond to — 6o°; but even at this it did not stop, but con-
tinued falling until it had reached and passed — 650. At
— 67 70 the spirit-column of the thermometer broke, and they
found it impossible to get it to unite again ; we shall never
know exactly, therefore, what degree of cold this party actually
faced, but Barne, allowing for the broken column, is sure that
it was below — 700.

1 Joyce was the only one who suffered seriously from these
terribly severe conditions. After his features had been frost-
bitten several times individually, they all went together, and he
was seen with his whole face quite white. Though, of course,
it is in a very bad state now, the circulation was restored in it
at the time without much difficulty ; but worse was to follow,
for on the march he announced that one of his feet was gone,
and, having pitched the tents, Barne examined it, and found
that it was white to the ankle. It was quite an hour before
they could get any signs of life in it, and this was only accom-
plished by the officers taking it in turns to nurse the frozen
member in their breasts.

\ All the party, and especially the owner of the frozen foot,
seem to regard this incident as an excellent jest ; but for my
part I should be slow to see a joke when I had a frost-bitten
foot myself, or even when I had to undo my garments in a
temperature of — 700 to nurse someone else's. It appears that
those who were giving the warmth found that they could keep

1903] EMPEROR PENGUIN CHICKS 157

the icy foot in contact with their bodies for nearly ten minutes,
but at the end of that time they had to hand it on to the next
member of the party ; they own that it was not a pleasing sen-
sation, but think that it increased their appetites. However,
their ministrations have brought Joyce safely back to the ship
with his full allowance of toes, which is the main point.

1 Royds and his party also had very low temperatures, as
their thermometer often showed — 6o°, and at the lowest — 620.
Blissett was the chief sufferer on this journey, as he also had
his face very severely frost-bitten ; the rest seem to have stood
it well, and Whitfield is described as standing outside the tent
with his pipe in his mouth, his hands in his pockets, and the
air of cheerful satisfaction of one who contemplates his garden
on a warm summer day at home.

1 This party have had a great stroke of luck. On arriving
at Cape Crozier it was found, in spite of calculations, that the
Emperors had already hatched out their young ; about a
thousand adult birds were seen, and a good number of
chicks, but at first there appeared to be no eggs. The
luck came when the travellers examined the ice towards
the land and found that there had been a recent fall of ice-
blocks ; close to this they discovered a number of deserted
eggs. It seems evident that the avalanche frightened away the
sitting birds, much to the benefit of our collection. Including
the single find of last year we have now seventeen specimens
of this new egg ; some are cracked, but a good number are
whole ; they weigh about a pound apiece.

'As may be imagined, the party were highly elated with
this find, and Wilson was glad of the opportunity of studying
the chicks at a more tender age than they were seen last year.
In spite of the severe temperature, Cross determined to try to
bring two of these small mites home. He sacrificed his
sleeping-jacket to keep them warm, and tended them with
such motherly care that he has succeeded in his design, and
now these small creatures are housed in Wilson's cabin, much
to our amusement. They chirrup like overgrown chickens,
and possess the most prodigious appetites,'

i53 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Sept.

These chicks continued to afford us entertainment; they
had no fear whatever, and when they thought that the time
had come for more food, they clamoured loudly for it.

At first they were fed on crustaceans, and afterwards on
seal-meat, but both of these were chewed up by the person
who fed them, so that there should be no chance of indigestion.
It was obvious from their shape that they were well designed
as regards capacity for containing food, but even allowing for
the fact that they did not study the symmetry of their waists,
one paused aghast at the amount they swallowed. From the
first we had to regard them as small tanks, but as they grew
they almost seemed to be bottomless caverns, into which any
quantity of material might be dropped without making any
appreciable difference.

After meals their small heads would sink back on their
round, distended little bodies, and they would go placidly off
to sleep in their well-lined nest, when they were covered up
and for the moment forgotten; but as the next meal-hour
approached there would be a great ' to-do/ and the box would
be uncovered to show the small heads bobbing up and down
and giving forth shrill demands for more food, nor was there
peace till they got it.

Things went on like this until our small friends suddenly
took it into their heads that there was much too long an
interval between supper and breakfast, and after this they used
to go off like alarum clocks in the middle of the night. There
was only one way of pacifying them, and their custodian had
perforce to get out of his warm bed and to chew up more seal-
meat until they were satisfied.

Of course we could scarcely hope to rear these birds under
such artificial conditions, and we were not surprised when one
of them pined away and died ; but the other lived and throve
for a long time, and only met his end when the warmer weather
came on and he was incautiously put in one of the deck-houses
for a short time; this exposure brought on the rickets, from
which he never recovered.

During the interval between the return of our spring

I9o3] ECLIPSE OF THE SUN 159

expeditions and the start of the longer summer ones we had
several small excitements on board.

In one of these we suffered a grievous disappointment.
Our nautical almanac told us that there would be an eclipse
of the sun on September 21. It was not to be a total eclipse
for us, but nine-tenths of the sun would be obscured.
Bernacchi was especially busy in preparation for this event,
and all placed themselves under his orders for the occasion.
When the great day came all telescopes and the spectroscopic
camera were trained in the right direction, magnetic instru-
ments were set to run at quick speed, and observers were told
off to watch the meteorological instruments, the tide gauge, and
everything else on which the absence of sun could possibly
have a direct or indirect effect. Everything, in fact, was ready
but the sun itself, which obstinately refused to come out j from
early morning a thick stratus cloud hung over our heads, and
as the hours went by we were forced to abandon all hope of
a clearance. There may have been an eclipse of the sun on
September 21, 1903, as the almanac said, but we should none
of us have liked to swear to the fact.

After our return from the spring journey, appetites had
increased to such an alarming extent that we began to have
renewed doubts as to the adequacy of our stock of seal-meat,
and by this time all the especial luxuries in the shape of livers
and kidneys had entirely disappeared. Seals rarely came up
on the ice, and when they did our wretched dogs, the puppies
of the previous year, did their best to worry them down again.
It was at this juncture that our hunters were called upon, and
their chief, Skelton, devised an excellent harpoon with hinged
barbs which proved the most effective weapon. With a line
attached, it was kept in readiness at one of the nearer fishing
holes, and the keenest sportsmen would go out and wait by the
hour, harpoon in hand, ready for the first unfortunate seal
which should come up to breathe. The long wait in the cold
was rather a drawback, but when at last a black snout appeared
on the surface and the murderous weapon was plunged down-
ward there was great excitement, and loud shouts were raised

i6o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Sept.

for assistance to haul in the line. In this way our larder was
kept well supplied, whilst a few obtained feasts of the fish
which we had long ceased to catch by our own efforts.

There was great excitement one day when one of the men
went to this hole in the ice and, seeing a disturbance in the
water, plunged the harpoon down. Evidently striking some-
thing, he rushed back to the ship to say that he had hit a big
fish. There was a general stampede for the hole, and the
harpoon line was soon being hauled in, in spite of the very
lively something at the other end ; but when at last this some-
thing was landed on the floe it was found to be nothing more
unusual than a large seal, and naturally there was a chorus of
jeers at the expense of the man who had claimed to have
struck a big fish. In spite of ridicule, however, this individual
stuck to his story that there had been a fish, and soon after it
was proved that he had been quite accurate, for, searching
amongst the brash ice in the hole, Skelton suddenly raised a
shout, and in a moment or two produced the headless body of
the large fish for which we had angled so ineffectually.

It was borne back in triumph to the ship and hung up for
general admiration ; in its mangled condition it was three feet
ten inches in length and weighed thirty-nine pounds.

The importance of this capture deserves some description.
Large fish are very uncommon in polar waters : as a general
rule, the colder the water the smaller the fish. We had
known, however, that large fish existed in our regions, as more
than once we had found the skeletal remains of one on the ice.
But this was the first time we had actually seen the creature
itself, and now, alas ! it had no head, and therefore lacked the
most important detail for its scientific classification. The
most scientific, and, in fact, the only account we ever had of
the missing head was from the originator of the incident, who
declared that ' it was like one of Mr. Barne's crampons.' This
account, whilst it delighted those who not infrequently entered
into discussions with Barne as to the size of his feet, failed to
supply the accuracy necessary for scientific description. There
was one consolation, however, in the fact that if the head had

1903] A GREAT CAPTURE 161

remained on, the fish would have sunk and we should have
seen nothing of it.

Piecing together the facts of the capture, we came to see
how it had all happened, and the whole makes a curious story.
We found that the seal was a female with young, and had not
had food for a long time. In this condition it had attacked
the large fish, and evidently had had a tremendous tussle with
it. The seal must have been almost at the end of its diving
powers when it had dragged its struggling prey to the surface,
and at this point the harpoon must have transfixed both it and
the fish. Whether the seal had mutilated the head of the fish
we could not tell, but close to the tail and on the tail-fin of
the latter were found distinct wounds caused by the seal's
teeth. It shows the great swimming powers of the seal that it
should have been able to capture so powerful a victim.

When we had safely got our big fish on board, a dreadful
fear arose that our biologist would demand its preservation in
spirit. I do not know whether it was the absence of the head
or his own appetite that prompted his decision on this
question, but to our relief he announced that as long as he
had the skeleton, the rest, after he had examined it, could go
to the cook. As we had no use for the skeleton, we were
perfectly contented with this arrangement, and on the follow-
ing day our fish provided the most sumptuous repast for our
whole company. It is difficult to say exactly what this fish
tasted like. Science would, I suppose, dismiss its qualities in
this respect by the single word 'edible,' and we, whilst we
could muster a good many adjectives to express our apprecia-
tion, found it difficult to liken it to anything we had previously
tasted. It had a firm, white flesh, and a most deliciously
delicate flavour, and that perhaps is all I can say of it.

Not long after this great capture the ship was once more
busy with all the preparations for the coming sledging cam-
paign. Barne and Mulock were the first to get away, on
October 6. This was one of the two extended journeys of
which our complement would allow. In the advance party
with these two officers went the men who had accompanied

VOL, II. ||

162 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Oct.

them on their severe depot journey, whilst the supporting party
consisted of Dellbridge, Allan, Wild, Pilbeam, and Croucher.
The whole party were to journey south around the Bluff, and
thence to strike across for the entrance to the big strait since
called the Barne Inlet. After about a fortnight the supporting
party were to turn back, whilst the advance party made the
best of a ten weeks' absence from the ship.

By October 1 1 all preparations for my own western effort
had been completed, and on the following day we started full
of high hopes of penetrating far into the interior.

I have already pointed out what great interests lay to the
west at this time, and how incomplete our knowledge was of
this region. The long hours of our second winter had given
me ample time to consider the importance of the problems
which yet remained to be solved there, and these thoughts had
not only resigned me to our detention in the ice, but had
gradually shown me that if all went well in future, it might
turn out to be an unmixed blessing.

If we could do all that I hoped in the Ferrar Glacier and
beyond, during a second season's work, I knew that the value
of our labours of the first year would be immensely increased.
As I have said before, the interest centred in this region ; there
were fascinating problems elsewhere, but none now which
could compare with those of the western land. It was such
considerations that made me resolve to go in this direction
myself, and I determined that no effort should be spared to
ensure success.

Rarely, I think, has more time and attention been devoted
to the preparation of a sledge journey than was given to this
one. I rightly guessed that in many respects it was going to
be the hardest task we had yet undertaken, but I knew also
that our experience was now a thing that could be counted
upon, and that it would take a good deal to stop a party of our
determined, experienced sledge travellers.

I am bound to confess that I have some pride in this
journey. We met with immense difficulties, such as would
have brought us hopelessly to grief in the previous year, yet

i9o3] THE WESTERN JOURNEY 163

now as veterans we steered through them with success j and
when all circumstances are considered, the extreme severity of
the climate and the obstacles that stood in our path, I cannot
but believe we came near the limit of possible performance.

It is for this reason, and because the region in which much
of our work lay was very beautiful and interesting, that I pro-
pose to take the reader into the details of one more sledging
excursion.

The party with which I left the ship on October 12, 1903,
numbered twelve members in all. It was really the combina-
tion of three separate parties. First came my own advance
party, which I had selected with great care, and which included
our chief engineer, Skelton, our boatswain, Feather, and three
men, Evans, Lashly, and Handsley ; secondly, there was a
small party for our geologist, Ferrar, with whom went two men,
Kennar and Weller ; and thirdly, there were the supports,
consisting of our carpenter, Dailey, and two other men,
Williamson and Plumley.

The original scheme was that the whole party should
journey together to the summit of Victoria Land, and as far
beyond as could be reached within a certain limit of time ; then
the advance party should proceed and the remainder turn
back. An absence of nine weeks was calculated for the
advance party. The supports were to return direct to he
ship, but stores were to be so arranged in the glacier depots
that Ferrar was allowed an absence of six weeks in which to
make a geological survey of the region.

We started from the ship with four eleven-foot sledges, and
with an outfit of permanent stores which the reader will find on
referring to the chapter dealing with sledge equipment.
Altogether our loads were a little over 200 lbs. per man ; but
most of us were in pretty hard condition by this time, and we
found little difficulty in dragging such a weight.

And so we started away with the usual cheers and good
wishes, little thinking how soon we should be on board again.

As I had determined that from first to last of this trip there
should be hard marching, we stretched across over the forty-

m 2

1 64 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Oct.

five miles to New Habour at a good round pace, and by work-
ing long hours succeeded in reaching the snow-cape on the
near side early on the 14th— a highly creditable performance
with such heavy loads.

This snow-cape was in future to be known as 'Butter
Point.' It was here that on our return journey we could first
hope to obtain fresh seal-meat, and, in preparation for this
great event, a tin of butter was carried and left at this point for
each party.

And here I fall back on my diary as may be required to
continue the thread of my tale.

1 October 14. — Had to camp early to-night, as Dailey and
Williamson are a bit seedy, probably a little overcome with the
march. At supper the third member of this unlucky unit,
Plumley, cut off the top of his thumb in trying to chop up
frozen pemmican. He is quite cheerful about it, and has been
showing the frozen detached piece of thumb to everyone else
as an interesting curio. For the present we are comparatively
comfortable; the temperature has not been below — 200, and
I do not expect anything lower till we get to the upper reaches
of the glacier.'

On the 15 th we struck the glacier snout well on its north
side, and found, as I had guessed, an easy road ; from there on
to the first incline of the glacier we crossed only mild undula-
tions and had no difficulties with our sledges. It was extra-
ordinary, after we had discovered and travelled over this easy
route, to remember what a bogey it had been to us for more
than twelve months.

On the 1 6th we reached our spring depot under the Cathe-
dral Rocks, and after picking it up and readjusting our loads,
proceeded a few miles higher to a spot where Armitage had
planted some sticks in the previous year to mark the move-
ment of the glacier. We camped in gloriously fine weather,
and I wrote : ' To-night it is difficult to imagine oneself in a
polar region. If one forgets for the moment that there is ice
under foot, which it is not difficult to do as it is very dark in
colour and there are many boulders close about us, one might

i9o3] ASCENDING FERRAR GLACIER 165

be in any climate, for nearly all around is dark bare rock. We
are in a deep gorge, not narrow, as the glacier here is probably
four or five miles across, but the cliffs on either side are so
majestic and lofty that the broad surface of the glacier is
wholly dwarfed by them.

'We are on the south side of the valley, and towering
precipitously between three and four thousand feet above our
heads are the high sunlit pinnacles of the Cathedral Rocks ;
they were well named by Armitage, for their lofty peaks might
well be the spires of some mighty edifice. Low down the
rock itself is gneiss, I believe ; in colour a greyish black, but
veined and splashed with many a lighter hue. The high
weathered pinnacles have a rich brown shade ; this is basalt,
which here directly overlies the gneiss. On the further side
of our valley the hills rise almost as abruptly as on this j
reddish brown is the predominant colour there also, but
where the sunlight falls on the steeper cliffs it is lightened
almost to a brick red. A little snow can be seen amongst
the peaks and gullies opposite to us, and here and there the
sparkling white of some hanging glacier is in marked contrast
to the rich tones of the bare rock.

1 We are camped in the medial moraine, a long scattered
line of boulders of every form and colour. Looking east one
can see this line winding down with graceful curves over the
blue surface of the glacier, towards the sea ; far away beyond
is the ice-covered sea itself, pearly grey in the distance. One
can follow this highway of boulders to the west too, till it
vanishes over the undulating inclines above us ; in this
direction the glacier wears a formidable aspect, for in its
centre is an immense cascade. It is exactly as though this
was some river which had been suddenly frozen in its course,
with the cascade to show where its waters had been dashing
wildly over a rocky shallow ; it is very beautiful, with its
gleaming white waves and deep blue shadows, but we shall
have to give it a wide berth when we travel upward. The
upper valley is perhaps our most beautiful view ; the dark
cliffs form a broad V and frame the cascading glacier, and

166 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY' [Oct.

above it the distant solitary peak of the Knob Head Mountain
and a patch of crimson sky.'

' October 17. — We have been climbing upward all day, at
first over a gentle incline on smooth, hard, glassy ice, where
the sledges came very easily but unsteadily, skidding in all
directions ; later the incline increased and the surface was
roughened with tiny wavelets like those formed by a catspaw
sweeping over a placid lake. We walked on without crampons,
getting foothold in the hollow of these wavelets. Later still
we came to a stiffer rise, and transverse cracks appeared across
our path, growing more numerous and widening out as we
ascended till we found ourselves crossing miniature crevasses
lightly bridged with snow. We had to step across these, and
often it meant a long step. In this manner we steered round
to the north of the cascade, and by lunch-time had ascended
almost to the higher basin of the glacier.

' Immediately before lunch we had to get over a very stiff
little bit, where the cracks were sometimes three or four feet
across, and the ice very rough between ; it was heavy work
getting the sledges up, and I rather feared someone would
get a strain or sprain, but we all got over it in safety. In the
afternoon, at a height of 4,500 feet, we topped the last rise
that led to the glacier basin ; and then, on a surface covered
with the usual tiny wavelets, and from which the cracks
rapidly disappeared, we travelled over a stretch of seven or
eight miles with a gradual fall of 600 or 700 feet, and at
length reached a stream of enormous boulders which ran right
across our track. This is what Armitage called the Knob
Head Moraine. He was twenty-seven days out from the
ship before he reached it ; we have got here in six.

1 The changes of scene throughout the day have been
bewildering. Not one half-hour of our march has passed
without some new feature bursting upon our astonished gaze.
Certainly those who saw this valley last year did not exaggerate
its grandeur — indeed, it would be impossible to do so. It is
wonderfully beautiful. As we came up the lower gorge this
morning, we passed from side to side with frowning cliffs

i9o3] SCENIC GRANDEUR 167

towering over us on either hand ; ahead between these dark
walls the sky, perhaps by contrast, looked intensely blue, and
here and there in the valley floated a little wisp of feathery
white cloud ; again and again these appeared under some
forbidding rock-face only to melt impalpably away. As we
emerged into the great ice-basin we turned towards the north
to face a new aspect of this wonderful country.

'To describe the wildly beautiful scene that is about us
to-night is a task that is far beyond my pen. Away behind
us is the gorge by which we have come ; but now above and
beyond its splendid cliffs we can see rising fold on fold the
white snow-clad slopes of Mount Lister. Only at the very
top of its broad, blunt summit is there a sign of bare rock,
and that is 11,000 feet above our present elevated position;
so clear is the air that one seems to see every wrinkle and
crease in the rolling masses of neve beneath.

■ The great basin in which we are camped has four outlets.
Opposite that by which we have come descends what we call
the south-west arm ; it is a prodigious ice-flow, but falls
steeply and roughly between its rocky boundaries. Away
ahead of us is the north-west arm ; we have some twisting
and turning to get to it, but shall eventually round a sharp
corner and steer up it to the westward. To the right of this
and ahead of us also is the north arm, which seems to descend
sharply towards the sea. Besides these main outlets or inlets,
there are some places to the west of us where smaller ice-flows
fall into our basin with steep crevassed surfaces, and in many
places around are lighter tributaries descending from the small
local neve fields. But for the main part we are surrounded
with steep, bare hillsides of fantastic and beautiful forms and
of great variety in colour. The groundwork of the colour-
scheme is a russet-brown, but to the west especially it has
infinite gradations of shade, passing from bright red to dull
grey, whilst here and there, and generally in banded form,
occurs an almost vivid yellow. The whole forms a glorious
combination of autumn tints, and few forests in their autumnal
raiment could outvie it.

168 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Oct.

1 The most curious feature about us is the great mass of
rock immediately in front. It appears to form two islands, for
the great body of ice which occupies the basin seems to join
again beyond it. Armitage called these islands the " Solitary
Rocks " ; they are comparatively flat on top, and rich brown
in colour, save where two broad bands of yellow run horizontally
through them. These bands are so regular and uniform in
thickness that one might almost imagine they had been painted
on. Geologically all this should be of immense interest, for
the bands which are broken off so sharply at the cliffs of these
islands can be seen to appear again in the high hills beyond,
and no doubt would appear everywhere if many of the hill-
sides were not covered with loose rubble. The whole structure
of the country seems to be horizontal, but exactly what the
rocks are, we have not yet ascertained ; the brown is probably
basalt, and the yellow, Ferrar hopes, is the sedimentary rock
which he has found in the moraines.'

As Mr. Ferrar has added an appendix to this volume
dealing with the geological formation of this interesting region,
I shall in future omit all remarks of mine which bear on the
subject. I have only included the foregoing to give some
idea of the task which Ferrar had before him. Both before
and after this he found in the various moraines a large variety
of rocks — granites, gneisses, sandstone, quartz, &c. — but as
this was all transported material it told very little. It was
only as we ascended this great glacier and saw the curious
horizontal stratification of the hills that the problem gradually
unfolded itself before him, and he arrived at some notion of
the places to be visited when he commenced his investigations.

It was on the night of the 17th, whilst we were still
absorbed in the beauty and novelty of the scene about us,
that the first cloud of trouble loomed above our horizon, for
it was on this night the carpenter reported that the German
silver had split under the runners of two of our sledges. As
this matter was of the gravest import to us, it perhaps needs
a little explanation. I have pointed out before that the wood
runners of our sledges were quite capable of running on snow

1903] OUR SLEDGES BREAK DOWN 169

without protection ; on the hard, sharp ice, however, it was a
different matter. In such circumstances, a wood runner would
be knocked to pieces in a very few hours, especially if the
sledge was heavily laden. At all hazards, therefore, it was
necessary to protect our runners over this hard ice, but un-
fortunately the German silver protection had already stood
one season's work, and this had worn it thin without giving
any outward sign. We only found out how thin it had become
when it gave out on this journey, and hence the troubles which
I am about to describe were quite unexpected.

From start to finish of the Ferrar Glacier there were about
ninety miles in which hard ice might be expected, and the
problem that soon came before us was how to get our sledges
over this without damage.

On the 17th I scarcely realised myself the full importance
of the carpenter's report, but on the 18th matters came to a
crisis, as will be seen.

' October 18. — We got away early this morning, crossed
the moraines and continued our ascent over hard, wavy ice.
It was quite calm about us, with the temperature at about
— 200, but a short distance ahead we could see the wind
sweeping down from a gully on our left, carrying clouds of
snowdrift. We did not at all like the look of this wind-swept
area, but it had to be crossed, and we plunged into it after
adjusting our wind-guards. It took us over an hour to get
across, and several of us got badly frost-bitten, as immediately
opposite the gully the wind was extraordinarily violent, and it
was as much as we could do to hold up against it. Once past
the gully, however, it was nearly calm and comparatively warm
again ; by lunch-time we had reached a new meandering
moraine, almost abreast of the Solitary Rocks, and had
achieved a height of over 6,000 feet.

1 1, with my party, was some way ahead when I decided to
camp, but the supports soon came up, bringing, alas ! a woeful
tale — another sledge had split its runners.

' After lunch I had all the sledges unpacked and the runners
turned up for inspection, with horrid revelations. On two

T7o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Oct.

sledges the German silver was split to ribbons and the wood
deeply scored, a third was only in slightly better case, whilst
the fourth still remained sound. I could see nothing for it
but to return home ; if we had two sound sledges we might
struggle on with the advance party, but with one we could do
nothing. It was no use even discussing the matter — there was
only one course ; so we left the sound sledge with everything
else except the half-week's provisions necessary to take us
back, and after crossing the windy area once more, we are now
back at our old encampment in the Knob Head Moraine. It
is a bitter disappointment to my hopes ; everything will have
to be reorganised, and Heaven knows what sacrifices of time
we shall have to make. However, there shall not be more
than I can help, and things which have gone fast in the past,
will positively have to fly in the future.'

On the following days we came as near flying as is possible
with a sledge party. We had eighty-seven miles to cover on
the morning of the 19th, when we were up and away with the
first streak of dawn ; then we started our rush, at first up the
slight incline to the summit of the pass, and then down through
the steeper gorge towards the sea. We did not pause to pick
a road, but went straight forward, scrambling as best we could
over steep places and taking all obstacles in our stride. Once
only we halted to snatch a hasty lunch, and then were off
again over the rugged, slippery ice.

That night we camped at sea level twenty-seven miles
below our starting point. The next morning brought us a
hard pull with our torn runners over the long stretch of rough
snow-covered glacier tongue, but at lunch-time we had reached
the end, and devoted an hour to stripping the broken, twisted
metal from our sledges.

By this time I had determined to test my own party to
the utmost, but I did not see that the supporting people need
be dragged into our effort ; so telling the latter that they might
take their own time, I started away with my own detachment
over the sea-ice towards the mouth of the inlet at the quickest
pace we had yet attempted. When the brief night descended

1903] RETURN TO THE SHIP 171

on us we camped with twenty-four miles to our credit for the
day, and as our tents were being secured I looked round to
find that the supporting party were still gallantly struggling on
in our wake ; seeing our tents go up, they halted about a mile
and a half behind us.

At dawn on the 21st we were away once more, and stretch-
ing out directly for the ship j far away we could see Castle Rock
and Observation Hill, small dots on the horizon. Hour after
hour went by, but we never eased our pace till at our lunch hour
we came on a fat seal and paused to eat our meal and to secure
the certainty of a good supper from the animal that had been
unwise enough to bask in our track. In the afternoon our
home landmarks grew more distinct, and as the sun dipped we
came on the last six miles of wind-tossed snow that skirted our
peninsula. The semi-darkness found us struggling on over
this uneven, difficult surface, but at half-past eight we were
through and reached the ship, having covered thirty-six miles
in the day.

We had accomplished a record for which the glow of satis-
faction that we felt was excusable ; but more was to follow, for
later that night a shout of welcome announced that our
undefeated supporting party had also struggled home. Ferrar
soon told me his tale ; at first they had not intended to come
in at racing speed, but seeing the advance party striding off at
such a pace, their feelings of emulation had been excited, and
they had felt bound to follow. On camping behind us on the
previous night they had determined to catch us in the early
morning, but as they roused out with that intention they saw
that we also were preparing to be off. Then followed the long
march, when, despite all their efforts, the leading party grew
more and more indistinct. It was not until late in the after-
noon that they lost sight of us altogether, and then there could
be no doubt of our intention to reach the ship before night.

In spite of their lame and exhausted condition, they deter-
mined to follow. Once or twice they had halted to brew tea
to keep themselves going, but not one of them had suggested
that the halt should be extended. In the hard struggle of the

172 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Oct.

last few hours some of the men had kept things going by
occasionally indulging in some dry remark which caused every-
one to laugh. Kennar's attitude had been one of grieved
astonishment ; presumably referring to me, he had kept repeat-
ing, 'If he can do it, I don't see why I can't : my legs are as
long as his.'

And so it was that this party made the record march of all,
for they started more than a mile behind us, and must have
covered over thirty-seven miles in the day.

In spite of our marching, it was a blow to be back in the
ship so soon after we had made our first hopeful start, and, as
can be imagined, I did not allow time to be wasted in pre-
paring to be off again. Our carpenter was soon at work
repairing the sledges with all the assistance that could be
afforded him. Meanwhile I saw that it would be necessary to
reorganise our arrangements. Without going into the reasons
which guided me, I may say that I now thought the best
scheme was for the advance party to start off on its own
account, to pick up the glacier provisions, and to dispose of
them on a new plan. I arranged that Ferrar should start with
a small sledge of his own, and should be entirely indepen-
dent ; but as he signified his wish to remain with us as long as
possible, it was still a party of nine that started out on October
26, five days after our flying return. Our material for repair-
ing sledges was very scanty, but at length out of the parts of
various broken ones we had succeeded in producing one sound
eleven-foot sledge for our own party and a short seven-foot one
for Ferrar's glacier work.

With these we once more started to cross the long stretch
of sea-ice to the mainland. The night of the 27 th found us at
the end of the glacier tongue, and I wrote : ' We can fairly
claim to be in good marching condition, having crossed the
strait at an average of over twenty-five miles a day. This
morning we met a small group of Emperor penguins; they
were going south towards the " Eskers," for what reason one
cannot guess, travelling on their breasts and propelling them-
selves with their powerful feet at a speed of at least five miles

i9o3] A FRESH START 173

an hour. Of course when they saw us they made in our
direction, and when quite close stood up and squawked loudly.
They watched us for some time with every manifestation of
amazement, and then started to follow in our wake, but of this
they soon tired, and resuming their old course to the south,
were shortly out of sight.'

In preparation for our renewed struggle with the hard ice
of the glacier, we had brought with us some under-runners
shod with German silver, and at the glacier tongue we picked
up all the scraps of this metal which we had formerly discarded.
' October 28. — We are camped opposite Descent Pass after
a hard day. This morning early we had a glorious view of the
glacier valley. The sun shone brightly on the great gaunt cliffs
which rose one above the other towards the inland, and every
outline was sharp against the deep blue sky. Later, low sheets
of stratus cloud spread across the valley and shimmered in the
sunlight. This afternoon a nimbus cloud crept in over our
heads, bringing a trifling snowfall ; the sun struggled against it,
but for the time the valley was clothed in mists.

' Troubles have already come upon us ; the under-runners
of our sledge split on the first incline, and we had to take them
off. The metal on one of the runners on which we now rely
is badly laminated, and may go at any moment. These
difficulties are very annoying, but I have determined to get to
the top this time, even if we have to carry our loads.'

From this time on we had constant worries with these
wretched runners. On the 29th Ferrar's small sledge gave out,
and we had a long delay to get it into working order again.
Notwithstanding this we got within a few hundred yards of the
Knob Head Moraine before we called a halt for the night.
On the broad surface of this glacier there were few places in
which we could camp for want of snow to secure our tents : for
this reason we generally kept moderately close to the long lines
of morainic boulders, as under the largest of these there was
usually sufficient snow for our purpose. In a few places
elsewhere we found a thin sheet or isolated patches, but this
was not common.

174 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Oct.

On the night of the 29th we camped in a calm, with the
sun shining brightly, and had a fair view of grand hills that
surrounded the glacier basin, but now also we again observed
a fact which was not so cheering. On each occasion when we
were in this basin it was calm all about us, except in two
regions where the wind evidently swept down with great and
almost continuous violence. One of these was what we called
the ' Vale of Winds,' across which we had passed before, and
the other was unfortunately the north-west arm, up which we
proposed to go. We had never seen the latter without clouds
of drift pouring down over its surface, ' and we shrewdly
suspected that we were in for a pretty bad time when we
reached it.

1 October 30. — We have grown a little careless in leaving
our things about outside the tent, and this morning we had a
lesson. Our sleeping-bags, with socks, finneskoes, and other
garments, lay scattered about on the ice whilst we were having
breakfast, when suddenly the wind swept down on us ; before
we could move everything was skidding away over the surface
of the ice. The moment we realised what was happening the
tents were empty and we were flying over the ice as fast as we
could after our lost garments. The incident would have been
extremely funny had it not involved the possibility of such
serious consequences. The sleeping-bags were well on
towards the steep fall of the north arm before they were
recovered, and by good luck the whole affair closed with the
loss of only a few of the lighter articles.

' As soon as we had struggled back against the heavy wind
that was now blowing, we packed our sledges, put on our
crampons, and started onward ; but by this time the wind had
increased to a full gale, and we could hardly stand against it,
so we steered to the westward to get under shelter. This
brought us on a slope which gradually grew steeper till it
ended in the perpendicular side of the glacier. Proceeding
down as far as we thought safe, we entered the moraine and
pitched our camp again. I do not know what to make of this
moraine, which, starting from the side of the glacier, runs

1903] DELAYED BY THE WIND 175

directly across it, and, after first rising for several hundred
feet, descends again steeply down the north arm towards the
sea.'

I may here mention that these crampons to which I refer
were manufactured on board the ship ; those used in the
previous year were voted wholly unsatisfactory, and gave rise
to many blisters, whereupon our chief engineer took the matter
in hand, and with the assistance of the boatswain produced an
article which rendered us excellent service on this journey.
Each crampon had two steel plates studded with mild steel
spikes, one for the sole and the other for the heel ; the plates
were riveted on to a canvas overall half- boot which could be
put on over a finnesko and kept tight with thongs. The device
was heavy, but as quite the best sort of thing in the circum-
stances it is well worthy of imitation by future travellers in
these regions.

The moraine which at this time bewildered us so much
was one of those signs of a former greater extension of the ice
to which I shall refer in my final chapter.

The wind kept us in this wretched moraine for two days —
a tiresome delay — but we managed to get out for an hour or
two and make an interesting excursion to the side of the
glacier. After a short search we found a way by which, with
some aid from a rope, we could climb down the steep ice- face
and visit the land beyond.

We afterwards found that the side of this glacier was more
or less typical of other places. It must be understood that
from the top of this wall the surface sloped rapidly up, whilst
the bottom layer of ice would naturally have sloped down into
the valley, so that in the middle the glacier must have been
very many times as thick as at the side. The ice was curiously
stratified ; the white part contained numerous air vesicles, the
darker parts were in many cases due to included dirt, but a
broad dark band running through the middle had no dirt in
it at all — it was the cleanest ice we saw. A piece split off it
was like the purest crystal without a sign of grit or air bubble
to obstruct its perfect transparency.

176 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

Between this ice-wall and the mountain side lay a deep
trench, showing the smooth glassy surface of frozen thaw-water.
The mountain side itself, except for one place lower down
where there was an outcrop of red granite, was thickly strewn
with boulders of every kind of rock which the region produced,
whilst here and there could be seen enormous perched blocks
ranging up to three or four hundred tons in weight.

All this vast quantity of debris had evidently been carried
by ice, and it was now that we first realised to what vastly
greater limits our glacier had once extended, for these thickly
strewn boulders covered the mountain side to a height of three
thousand feet above our heads, where a horizontal line signi-
fied their limit and the extent of the glacier at its maximum.

' November i. — It was overcast and dull this morning, but
the wind had fallen light and we decided to push on ; although
the air was comparatively still about us, close ahead the "Vale
of Winds " was sending forth its snow-laden gusts as merrily as
ever. Before we came to this unattractive area we passed two
more carcases of Weddell seals ; the last was at the greatest
altitude we have yet found one, nearly 5,000 feet above the
sea ; it grows more than ever wonderful how these creatures
can have got so far from the sea.' We never satisfactorily
explained this matter. The seal seems often to crawl to the
shore or the ice to die, possibly from its instinctive dread of its
marine enemies ; but unless we had actually found these
remains, it would have been past believing that a dying seal
could have transported itself over fifty miles of rough steep
glacier surface.

' We got safely past the " Vale of Winds " with only one or
two frost-bites, and a few miles beyond found our depot with-
out much difficulty. At first we thought that everything was
intact, but a closer examination showed us that the lid of the
instrument box had been forced open and that some of the
contents were missing. Evidently there has been a violent
gale since we were here before. When we came to count
up the missing articles, we found that Skelton had lost his
goggles and that one or two other trifles had disappeared } but

1903 j A HEAVY LOSS 177

before we could congratulate ourselves on escaping so lightly,
I found to my horror that the " Hints to Travellers " had
vanished.

1 The gravity of this loss can scarcely be exaggerated ; but
whilst I realised the blow I felt that nothing would induce me
to return to the ship a second time ; I thought it fair, however,
to put the case to the others, and I am, as I expected, fortified
by their willing consent to take the risks of pushing on.'

I must here explain what this loss signified. In travelling
to the west, we expected to be, as indeed we were, for some
weeks out of sight of landmarks. In such a case as this the
sledge traveller is in precisely the same position as a ship or
boat at sea : he can only obtain a knowledge of his where-
abouts by observations of the sun or stars, and with the help
of these observations he finds his latitude and longitude. To
find the latitude from an observation of a heavenly body, how-
ever, it is necessary to know the declination of that body, and
to find the longitude one must have not only the declination,
but certain logarithmic tables. In other words, to find either
latitude or longitude, a certain amount of data is required.
Now, all these necessary data are supplied in an excellent
little publication issued by the Royal Geographical Society
and called ' Hints to Travellers,' and it was on this book that
I was relying to be able to work out my sights and accurately
fix the position of my party.

When this book was lost, therefore, the reader will see how
we were placed ; if we did not return to the ship to make good
our loss, we should be obliged to take the risk of marching
away into the unknown without exactly knowing where we
were or how to get back.

As will be seen, this last is precisely what happened, and
if the loss of our ' Hints to Travellers ' did not lead us into
serious trouble it caused me many a bad half-hour.

'Having decided to push on, we lost as little time as

possible in packing our sledges, and in the afternoon we

were off once more, steadily ascending over the rough ice.

The Solitary Rocks have fallen behind us, and our camp

YOL. 11. n

178 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

to-night looks out on the broad amphitheatre above them
where the glacier sweeps round from the upper reach. On
our left is the Finger Mountain, a precipitous mass of rock
showing the most extraordinary " fault " in that yellow-banded
structure which now seems to surround us on every side.'
The reader will understand the significance of this fault from
Mr. Ferrar's notes on the Beacon Sandstone formation.

1 Finger Mountain forms the pivot about which the glacier
turns, and the great difference in the level of the ice above and
below the mountain is taken by two heavy broken falls. We
are encamped under the lower and smaller one, but the upper,
some three or four miles beyond, is a magnificent mass of
twisted, torn ice-blocks. To-morrow we have to rise over these
falls, but I propose to take a very roundabout way to avoid
difficulties.

' The scene behind us is glorious ; we look down now on
the great glacier basin with the dark rugged mountains that
surround it, and far away beyond, the summit of Mount Lister
shows above a bank of twisted sunlit cloud. But, alas !
pleasant as it is to look at this beautiful scene, trouble is
never far from us, and this afternoon we have had our full
share. First one sledge-runner gave out and then another,
and we arrived at camp with three out of four disabled. Now,
however, there is a fixed determination in the party to get
through somehow, and each difficulty only serves to show more
clearly their resourcefulness. This particular trouble has called
on the metal workers, and no sooner had we halted and un-
packed the sledges than Skelton and Lashly were hard at work
with pliers, files, and hammers stripping off the torn metal and
lapping fresh pieces over the weak places. They have estab-
lished a little workshop in this wild spot, and for hours the
scrape of the file and the tap of the hammer have feebly broken
the vast silence.

1 We have hopes of the lapping process which is now being
effected, but it needs very careful fitting ; each separate piece
of metal protection is made to overlap the piece behind it, like
slates on a roof ! I should doubt whether such work could

1903] WIND FROM THE SUMMIT 179

be done by people unaccustomed to dealing with these
matters.'

' November 2. — This morning it was perfectly calm and
still, with a bright sun and the temperature at + 20. There
was little difficulty in finishing off our repairing work, and when
the sledges were ready we started to march upwards again.

? We steered well to the eastward to make a wide circuit of
Finger Mountain and its dangerous ice-falls, and on this course
gradually approached the northern limit of the great amphi-
theatre beyond. The precipitous mountains that fringe this
limit show in the clearest and most beautiful manner the
horizontal stratification of their rocks, and now there can be
no doubt that this simple, banded structure is common to the
whole region about us, and that the sharp clear lines of the
strata are singularly free from faulting.

1 In ascending we gradually passed from hard ice to snow.
Apparently there is a considerable snowfall in this amphi-
theatre; it has made our pulling much harder, but, on the
other hand, it saves our sledge-runners from injury, and the
more we can get of it the better we shall be pleased. After
lunch we passed on to ice again, and the wind sprang up.
Coming at first in eddying gusts, it increased with great
rapidity, and very soon we were all getting frost-bitten. It
was obviously desirable to camp as soon as possible, but never
a patch of snow could be seen, and we pushed on with all
haste towards the base of the mountains and the fringing
moraines of the glacier. We had to search long amongst
the latter before we could find the least sign of snow, and
when at length we found some, it was so hard that it took us
nearly an hour to get our tents up.

1 We are now at the base of the upper glacier reach. From
here it rises directly to the inland, and it is over this broad
surface that the wind seems to sweep perpetually. The whole
valley is very ugly with wind and driving snow, and there
cannot be a doubt that this is its usual condition, and that we
shall have a hard fight with the wind in our teeth ; it will be
no child's play battling with this icy blast from the summit.

N 2

180 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY' [Nov.

We have had a foretaste of it this afternoon, and at the present
moment it is straining our threadbare tent in no reassuring
manner.'

On the following day the wind was as strong as ever, but
we knew it was useless to wait, so pushed on once more. For
a brief half-hour we got some shelter in a curious horseshoe
bay which we entered to repair Ferrar's sledge-runners. Here
the cliffs rose perpendicularly, and immediately above our heads
the broad band of sandstone ran with perfect uniformity around
the whole bay. On rising to the open glacier again, I struck
off for the south side, hoping to get better conditions, and with
very happy results, for shortly after lunch we walked out of the
wind as easily as we had walked into it on the previous day.
And now I made an error, for I started from this point to
ascend directly upward. It is impossible to describe all the
turns and twists which were taken by this glacier, or to mention
the numerous undulations and disturbances which obliged us
constantly to alter our course from side to side, but it must
not be imagined that our route was all plain sailing and easy
travelling.

From a very early time we saw that it was desirable to map
out our course a long way ahead, and to do so with reference
to the various land masses so as to avoid disturbances which
we could not see, but at which we guessed. I mention this
matter because it impressed on us a golden rule for travelling
in this region, which was, 'Always take a long sweep round
corners.' We were often tempted to break this rule when a
shorter road looked easy, but we never did so without suffering.
It was an error of this nature that I made on the afternoon of
the 3rd, and which after an hour's work landed us in such a
dangerously crevassed region that we were very glad to struggle
back by the way we had come. The note I made at this time
may perhaps be quoted : ' The whole of this glacier can be
made easy by taking the right course — a course such as a
steamer takes in rounding the bends of a river. The tempta-
tion to cut corners is excessive, but it is always a mistake. By
walking round obstructions such as cascades, not only does

1903] AN EVENTFUL DAY i8r

one avoid danger to life and limb, but also the chance of relay
work, which alone would allow the longer distance to be three
times as far, without loss of time.

1 Whilst we were in difficulties this afternoon there occurred
one of those extraordinary climatic changes which are such a
menace to sledge travellers. The cold had been so intense
that we had been walking all day in our wind clothes and with
our heaviest head-gear ; but now we suddenly found ourselves
perspiring freely, and within half an hour we had stripped off
our outer garments, and the majority were walking bare-
headed.'

That night we camped in gloriously fine weather, after
crossing to the south side of the glacier and finding another
long stream of boulders. Here we had our usual trouble in
repairing our battered, torn runners; and, to add to this
annoyance we had come to the end of our scraps of metal,
nails, and everything else necessary for repairing work. It was
evident that we could not stand many more miles of this rough
ice, and that it would be touch-and-go whether we ever reached
the snow above without having to carry our belongings.

We had now attained a height of 7,000 feet, and whilst the
summits of the mountains on each side still stood high above
our level, they no longer overawed us or conveyed that sense
of grandeur which we had felt so keenly at our former camps.
The majestic cliffs of the lower valley were beneath us, and we
gazed over the top of many a lesser summit to the eastward.
To the west the glacier still wound its way upward, and we saw
that there was a stiff climb yet to come ; but already the
character of the valley was altering, the boundary cliffs were
cut by the broad channels of tributary glaciers, the masses of
dark, bare rock were becoming detached and isolated, whilst
the widening snowfields were creeping upward with the ever-
increasing threat to engulf all beneath their white mantle.

November 4 was such an eventful day that I quote its
incidents from my diary :

'Started in bright sunshine, but with a chill, increasing
wind in our teeth. At first we made good progress over hard,

182 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

smooth ice, but soon came to a broad field of snow where a
large tributary entered the main ice-stream. It was heavy
pulling across this snow with our ragged runners, and to add
to our discomfort, the wind swept down the side valley with
the keenest edge. Beyond this valley lay the " Depot Nunatak,"
a huge mass of columnar basalt, and at length we were able to
get our breath beneath its shelter. Here Evans told me that
one of his feet was " gone." He was foolishly wearing a single
pair of socks in remembrance of the warm march of yesterday.
As soon as we had got his unruly member back to life we
proceeded.

{ Ahead of us there showed up an immense and rugged
ice-fall, one of those by which the glacier signifies its entrance
into the valley ; at this I knew the bare blue ice would come
to an end, and with it our difficulties with the sledge-runners,
so I determined to push on to the foot of this fall before
camping. The way led up a steep crevassed slope of rough,
blue ice, and before we had even reached this slope the weather
assumed a most threatening aspect. The sun was obscured
by stratus cloud, which drifted rapidly overhead, and the wind
momentarily increased. We went on at our best speed, but
when we were half-way up the bare icy slope, which proved
much longer than I had expected, the full force of the gale
burst upon us, and the air became thick with driving snow.

1 We pushed on almost at a run to reach the summit of the
slope, and then started to search in every direction for a camping
spot. By this time things were growing serious, everyone was
badly frost-bitten in the face, and it was evident that the effects
might be very ugly if we did not find shelter soon. I shall not
forget the next hour in a hurry ; we went from side to side
searching vainly for a patch of snow, but everywhere finding
nothing but the bare blue ice. The runners of our sledges
had split again, so badly that we could barely pull them over
the rough surface ; we dared not leave them in the thick drift,
and every minute our frost-bites were increasing. At last we
saw a white patch, and made a rush for it ; it proved to be
snow indeed, but so ancient and wind-swept that it was almost

1903] A WEEK IN CAMP 183

as hard as the solid ice itself. Nevertheless, we knew it was
this or nothing, and in a minute our tents and shovels were
hauled off the sledges, and we were digging for dear life.

' I seized the shovel myself, for my own tent-party, but
found that I could not make the least impression on the hard
surface. Luckily, at this moment the boatswain came to my
relief, and managing the implement with much greater skill,
succeeded in chipping out a few small blocks. Then we tried
to get up the tent, but again and again it and the poles were
blown flat ; at last the men came to our assistance, and with
our united efforts the three tents were eventually erected.
All this had taken at least an hour, and when at length we
found shelter it was not a moment too soon, for we were
thoroughly exhausted, and fingers and feet, as well as faces,
were now freezing. As soon as possible we made a brew of
tea, which revived us greatly; afterwards we got our sleeping-
bag in, and since that we have been coiled up within it.

1 The temperature to-night is — 240, and it is blowing
nearly a full gale ; it is not too pleasant lying under the shelter
of our thin, flapping tent under such conditions, but one
cannot help remembering that we have come mighty well out
of a very tight place. Nothing but experience saved us from
disaster to-day, for I feel pretty confident that we could not
have stood another hour in the open.'

Whilst we congratulated ourselves on the fortunate manner
in which, in the nick of time, we had been able to find shelter
in this camp, we little thought of the dismal experience that
we were to suffer before we left it. It was Wednesday,
November 4, when we pitched our tents so hurriedly ; it was
Wednesday, November 11, before we resumed our march;
and if I were asked to name the most miserable week I have
ever spent, I should certainly fix on this one. Throughout
this whole time the gale raged unceasingly ; if the wind lulled
for a few brief minutes, it was to return with redoubled
violence immediately after. Meanwhile not a vision of the
outer world came to us ; we were enveloped continuously in
a thick fog of driving snow.

i84 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

It is difficult to describe such a time ; twenty-two hours
out of each twenty-four we spent in our sleeping-bags, but
regularly in the morning and in the evening we rolled these
up, prepared and ate a hot meal, and then once more sought
the depths of the bag. To sleep much was out of the question,
and I scarcely know how the other long hours went. In our
tent we had one book, Darwin's delightful ' Cruise of the
"Beagle,"' and sometimes one or another would read this
aloud until our freezing fingers refused to turn the pages.
Often we would drop into conversation, but, as can be
imagined, the circumstances were not such as to encourage
much talking, and most of the commoner topics were thread-
bare by the end of the week. Sometimes we would gaze up
at the fluttering green canvas overhead, but this was not
inspiriting. I find I have written a great deal in my diary,
obviously as an occupation ; but the combination of all such
things was far from filling a whole day, and therefore for the
greater part of the time we lay quite still with our eyes open
doing nothing and simply enduring. Communication between
tents was only possible in the lulls ; we therefore watched for
these eagerly, and in the quietest, rushed round to shout
greetings and learn how our comrades fared.

One task only we were able to perform throughout the
time, and that on the first day of our imprisonment, when,
thinking all would soon blow over, we hauled our sledges
beneath one of the tents and stripped the German silver ready
for the onward march.

At first, of course, we went to sleep each night with the
comforting hope that the next morning would see a change for
the better j but as day followed day without improvement, it
was impossible to cherish this hope. And yet I do not believe
we ever grew despondent ; the feeling that there must be a
change if we had the patience to wait, never left us.

By the fifth day of our imprisonment, however, sleep
threatened to desert us, and matters in general began to take a
more serious aspect. Our sleeping-bags were getting very icy ;
some complained that they could po longer keep their feet

1903] A DASH FOR THE SUMMIT 185

warm in them, and there could be no doubt that the long
inactivity was telling on our circulation and health.

On the evening of this day, therefore, realising that things
were beginning to go badly for us, I determined that whatever
the conditions might be, we would make an attempt to start
on the following morning. To show the result of this attempt
I again have recourse to my diary.

1 November 10. — Before breakfast this morning we shifted
our foot-gear ready for the march, and during a lull the boat-
swain and I dug out our sledges and provisions. After break-
fast the wind came down on us again, but we went out to
complete our work. In ten minutes we were back in the
tent; both my hands were "gone," and I had to be assisted in
nursing them back. Skelton had three toes and the heel of
one foot badly frost-bitten, and the boatswain had lost all
feeling in both feet. One could only shout an occasional
inquiry to the other tents, but I gather their inmates are in
pretty much the same condition. I think the wind and drift
have never been quite so bad as to-day, and the temperature is
— 200. Things are looking serious ; I fear the long spell of
bad weather is telling on us. The cheerfulness of the party is
slowing waning ; I heard the usual song from Lashly this
morning, but it was very short-lived and dolorous. Luck is
not with us this trip, and yet we have worked hard to make
things go right. Something must be done to-morrow, but
what it will be, to-morrow only can show. Weller complained
of feeling giddy to-day, but Ferrar says it is because he eats
too fast.

' November 11. — Thank heaven we have broken away from
our " Desolation Camp " at last. It is impossible to describe
how awful the past week has been; it is a "nightmare" to
remember. When we turned out this morning there was a
lull, but the air was still as thick as a hedge. We hurried over
breakfast, dreading each moment that the wind would return,
then we bundled everything on to the sledges anyhow, seized
our harness and were away. I thad just time to give a few
directions to Ferrar, who turned back to seek shelter under

186 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

the Depot Nunatak. Then we started for the icefall, and
since that we have got to the top, but how, I don't quite know,
nor can I imagine how we have escaped accident. On start-
ing we could not see half-a-dozen yards ahead of us ; within
a hundred yards of the camp we as nearly as possible walked
into an enormous chasm ; and when we started to ascend the
slope we crossed any number of crevasses without waiting to
see if the bridges would bear. I really believe that we were in
a state when we none of us really cared much what happened ;
our sole thought was to get away from that miserable spot.

1 At the top of the slope, after ascending nearly 500 feet,
we passed suddenly out of the wind, which we could still see
sweeping down the valley behind us, and here we halted for
lunch, after which all six of us got in one tent whilst the other
was hauled in for repairs, which it badly needed after its late
ill-usage. While we were chatting over this work, it would
have been difficult to recognise us as the same party which
had started under such grim circumstances in the morning.'

We rose nearly 700 feet on the nth, and over another
steep fall of about the same height on the 12 th, but the 13th
found us on a more gradual incline, and at the end of the
day we camped with our aneroids showing an elevation of
8,900 feet above the sea. We had at length won our fight and
reached the summit. We had nearly five weeks' pro-
visions in hand, and I felt that things would go hard if we
could not cover a good many miles before we returned to the
glacier.

During these few days the weather had been overcast and
dull, but on the 14th it cleared, and we got a good view of our
surroundings. We found ourselves on a great snow-plain,
with a level horizon all about, but above this to the east rose the
tops of mountains, many of which we could recognise. Directly
to the east and to the north-east only the extreme summits of
the higher hills could be seen, but to the south-east Mount
Lister and the higher peaks of the Royal Society Range still
showed well above our level. It was a fortunate view, for it
gave me a chance of fixing our latitude by bearings and of

1903] HARD CONDITIONS 187

noting the appearance of objects which would be our leading
marks on returning to the glacier.

The latitude also assisted me in putting into execution a
plan which I had thought out, and which, though it is some-
what technical, I give for the benefit of explorers who may be
in like case in future. I have already mentioned the loss of
the tables necessary for working out our observations, and
the prospect which lay before us of wandering over this great
snow-plain without knowing exactly where we were. The
matter had naturally been much in my thoughts, and whilst I
saw that there was no hope of working out our longitudes till
we got back to the ship, it occurred to me that we might
gather some idea of our latitude if I could improvise some
method of ascertaining the daily change in the sun's declination.
With this idea I carefully ruled out a sheet of my note-
book into squares with the intention of making a curve of the
sun's declination. I found on reflection that I had some data
for this curve, for I could calculate the declination for certain
fixed days, such as the day when the sun had returned to us,
and the day when it first remained above our horizon at mid-
night ; other points were given by observations taken at known
latitudes on the glacier. To make a long story short, I plotted
all these points on my squared paper, and joined them with a
freehand curve of which I have some reason to be proud, for
on my return to the ship I found it was nowhere more than 4' in
error. On the journey I did not place so much reliance on
my handiwork as it deserved, for there is no doubt it gave us
our latitude with as great an accuracy as we needed at the
time.

We had scarcely reached the summit of the ice-cap and
started our journey to the west, when troubles began to gather
about us once more. Our long stay in ' Desolation Camp '
had covered our sleeping-bags and night- jackets with ice, and
now the falling temperature gave this ice little or no chance to
evaporate, so that our camping arrangements were attended
with discomforts from which there seemed little prospect of
relief. Each night the thermometer fell a trifle lower, until on

1 88 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

the 1 6th it had reached — 440, and although it rose slightly in
the daytime, the general conditions of our work were such as
we had experienced on the spring journeys at sea level. The
snow surface in places became extremely hard and slippery, so
that we were obliged to wear crampons, and between the hard
patches lay softer areas through which we had the greatest
difficulty in dragging our sledges. But the worst feature of
our new conditions was the continuous wind ; it was not a
heavy wind — probably its force never much exceeded 3 or 4 in
the Beaufort scale — but, combined with the low temperature
and the rarefied air, its effect was blighting. It blew right in
our teeth, and from the first it was evidently not the effect of
temporary atmospheric disturbance, but was a permanent con-
dition on this great plateau.

I do not think that it would be possible to conceive a more
cheerless prospect than that which faced us at this time, when
on this lofty, desolate plateau we turned our backs upon the
last mountain peak that could remind us of habitable lands.
Yet before us lay the unknown. What fascination lies in that
word ! Could anyone wonder that we determined to push on,
be the outlook ever so comfortless ?

And so we plodded on to the west, working long hours and
straining at our harness with all our strength, but in spite of
every effort our progress became slower. Up to the 17 th we
kept a fairly good pace, but on the 18th and 19th there was a
visible slackening. By this time we had divided our sledges ;
Feather, Evans, and I pulled one of them, whilst Skelton,
Handsley, and Lashly pulled the other. It was customary for
my sledge to pull ahead whilst the other followed as best it
could, but soon I found that the second sledge was only
keeping up with the greatest difficulty, and it was borne in on
me that the excessive strain of our labour was beginning to tell
on the party.

The realisation of this fact placed me in a rather amusing
but awkward predicament, because, whilst I knew my own
strength was unimpaired, I was forced to admit that some of
my companions were failing, and in order to find out which of

1903] FEELING THE STRAIN i8g

them it was, I was obliged to keep a constant watch on their
actions. As was natural with such men, not one of them would
own that he was ■ done ' ; they had come to see the thing
through, and they would have dropped in their tracks sooner
than give in. And so it was only by the keenest attention,
and by playing the somewhat unattractive part of a spy, that I
could detect those who from sheer incapacity were relaxing
their strain on the traces. Even when the knowledge came to
me, my position seemed no clearer, for how could I tell these
lion-hearted people that they must turn back ? Thus it came
about that all six of us marched onward, though I knew that
progress would have been bettered had the party been
divided.

But this state of affairs came to a climax on the 20th, as
the following extract shows :

1 We have struggled on some miles to-day, but only with
difficulty. Late last night Handsley came to me to ask if there
was anything in the medical bag to relieve a sore throat ; of
course there was nothing. I asked his tent-mates about it,
and they told me that for some time he had suffered from his
chest, and that on getting up in the morning he had been un-
able to speak. This morning he could only answer my ques-
tions in a whisper, but declared that he was feeling perfectly
fit and quite up to pulling all day. I didn't like the look of
things, but we pushed on. After about two hours, however,
Skelton ranged alongside to say that Handsley had broken
down ; it appears that the rear sledge party is finding it
terribly hard work to keep up with us, and Handsley has been
overstraining himself in attempting to do so. We camped and
had lunch, after which Handsley said he felt sure he could go
on, so we packed up, but this time I put all hands on a single
sledge, marched it out about three miles, and leaving Handsley
to pitch camp, went back to fetch the other one. This sort of
thing won't do at all, but what is one to do ?

1 Handsley came to me to-night to beg that he might not
be made an example of again. I tried to explain that I had
no intention of reflecting on his conduct, but apparently

i9o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5 [Nov.

nothing will persuade him but that his breakdown is in the nature
of disgrace. What children these men are ! and yet what
splendid children ! They won't give in till they break down,
and then they consider their collapse disgraceful. The boat-
swain has been suffering agonies from his back ; he has been
pulling just behind me, and in some sympathy that comes
through the traces I have got to know all about him, yet he
has never uttered a word of complaint, and when he knows my
eye is on him he straightens up and pretends he is just as fit
as ever. What is one to do with such people ? '

* November 21. — . . . There was nothing for it this morn-
ing but to go on with relay work. We started over heavy
sastrugi, but soon came to a space where there was a smooth
glazed crust, which made travelling easier. The wind blows
continuously from the W.S.W., and the temperature has not
been above — 300 all day ; conditions could not be more
horrid. Handsley is better, but our whole day's work has
only yielded four or five miles. Whatever disappointment it
may entail, we cannot go on like this.'

* November 22. — After a night's cogitation, I determined
this morning on a separation of our 'party. Till lunch we
went on in the usual order, but at that meal I was obliged
to announce my decision. Those told off to return took it
extremely well ; they could not disguise their disappointment,
but they all seemed to understand that it had to be. The
boatswain was transferred to the other tent, and Lashly to
mine. After lunch the whole party manned our single sledge
and marched out with us for two hours, then as the sky looked
threatening, the three returning members turned back to seek
their own camp, whilst I and my chosen two marched steadily
on to the west.'

We had now lost sight of landmarks for several days, and
were marching as straight a course as we could, principally
with the aid of a small steering dial such as I described as
being in use on our southern journey. The error of our
compass had passed from east to west, and was nearly at its
maximum of 1 8o° ; although I could not calculate it accurately

i9o3] MY TWO REMAINING COMPANIONS 191

at the time, I could get a good idea of its amount by observing
the direction in which the sun reached its greatest altitude.
The reader will see that from a magnetic point of view this
was a very interesting region. We were directly south of the
south magnetic pole, and the north end of our compass needle
was pointing towards the South (geographical) Pole.

To show what a practical bearing this reversal of the
compass had, I may remark that in directing Skelton on his
homeward track to the eastward, I told him to steer due west
by the compass card. It is only on this line or the similar
one which joins the northern poles that such an order could
be given, and we were not a little proud of being the first to
experience this distinctly interesting physical condition in the
Southern Hemisphere.

From the date on which, so reluctantly, I decided that
some of my party should turn homeward, there followed for
us who remained, three weeks of the hardest physical work
that I have ever experienced, and yet three weeks on which
I cannot but look with unmixed satisfaction, for I do not think
it would have been possible to have accomplished more in the
time. I have little wonder when I remember the splendid
qualities and physique of the two men who remained with me
by such a severe process of selection. Evans was a man of
Herculean strength, very long in the arm and with splendidly
developed muscles. He had been a gymnastic instructor in
the Navy, and had always been an easy winner in all our sports
which involved tests of strength. He weighed 12 st. 10 lbs. in
hard condition. Lashly, in appearance, was the most deceptive
man I have ever seen. He was not above the ordinary height,
nor did he look more than ordinarily broad, and yet he weighed
13 st. 8 lbs., and had one of the largest chest measurements in
the ship. He had been a teetotaller and non-smoker all his
life, and was never in anything but the hardest condition.

My own weight at this time was about 1 1 st. 6 lbs. j it fell
so far short of the others that I felt I really did not deserve
such a large food allowance, though I continued to take my
full share.

i92 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

With these two men behind me our sledge seemed to
become a living thing, and the days of slow progress were
numbered. We took the rough and the smooth alike, working
patiently on through the long hours with scarce a word and
never a halt between meal and meal. Troubles and discom-
forts were many, and we could only guess at the progress we
made, but we knew that by sticking to our task we should
have our reward when our observations came to be worked
out on board the ship.

We were now so far from the edge of the plateau that our
circumstances and conditions were such as must obtain over
the whole of this great continental area at this season of the
year. It is necessary, therefore, to give some description of
them.

I used to read my aneroid with great regularity, and I find
that the readings vary from 20*2 in. to 22*1 in., but both of
these limits were under exceptional atmospheric conditions.
By far the greater number of readings lie between 21*1 and
2i*6 inches, and these differences were due to change of level
to some extent, but, as will be seen, they do not admit of any
considerable change in level. It was evident to us as we
travelled onward that there were undulations in the plain ; we
could sometimes see the shadow of a rise and sometimes a
marked depression, but these variations were so slight and so
confused that we could make little of them, until we recognised
a connection between them and the occurrence of the sastrugi.
We then came to see that the summits and eastern faces of
undulations were quite smooth with a very curious scaly con-
dition of surface, whilst the hollows and the western faces were
deeply furrowed with the wind. On our track, therefore, we
met with great differences of surface. For long stretches we
travelled over smooth glazed snow, and for others almost
equally long we had to thread our way amongst a confused
heap of sharp waves. I have rarely, if ever, seen higher or
more formidable sastrugi than we crossed on this plateau.
For instance, on November 24 I wrote : ' At first there were
lanes of glazed surface leading to the W.S.W., but afterwards

i9o3] LOW SUMMER TEMPERATURES 193

these disappeared, and we struggled over a sea of broken and
distorted snow-waves. We were like a small boat at sea : at
one moment appearing to stand still to climb some wave, and
at the next diving down into a hollow. It was distressing
work, but we stuck to it, though not without frequent capsizes,
which are likely to have a serious effect on our stock of oil, for
I fear a little is lost with each upset.'

Regularly each night, when the sun was low in the south,
the temperature fell to — 400 or below, whilst during the
marching hours it rarely rose much above — 250, and with
this low temperature we had a constant wind. At first it blew
from the W. by S., and it was in this direction that most of the
hard high sastrugi pointed, but we noticed that it was gradually
creeping to the southward. Before we left the plateau it had
gone to S.W. by W., and now and again it became still more
southerly and brought a light snowfall which formed fresh
waves in the new direction.

There can be little doubt, I think, that the wind blows
from west to east across this plateau throughout the winter,
and often with great violence, as the high snow- waves showed.
What the temperature can be at that season is beyond guess-
ing, but if the thermometer can fall to — 400 in the height of
summer, one can imagine that the darker months produce a
terrible extremity of cold.

On November 26 I wrote : 'The wind is the plague of our
lives. It has cut us to pieces. We all have deep cracks in our
nostrils and cheeks, and our lips are broken and raw; our
fingers are also getting in a shocking state ; one of Evans's
thumbs has a deep cut on either side of the nail which might
have been made by a heavy slash with a knife. We can do
nothing for this as long as we have to face this horrid wind.
We suffer most during the first half-hour of the morning march
before we have warmed up to the work, as then all these sore
places get frost-bitten. There is a good deal of pain also in the
tent at night, and we try to keep our faces as still as possible ;
laughing is a really painful process, and so from this point of
view jokes are not to be encouraged. The worst task of all is
vol. 11. o

i94 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

the taking of observations. I plant the theodolite as close as
possible to the tent to gain what shelter I can, but it is im-
possible to get away from the wind, which punishes one badly
at such times.'

1 November 28. — To-day we have a new development in the
weather. The sky has been overcast with a bank of stratus
cloud ; the light has been very bad, and we have had the
usual difficulty under such conditions in keeping our course.
This is really serious. At this altitude I had expected at least
the single advantage of a clear sky, but if we are to have over-
cast weather, our return journey will be a difficult matter. I
almost thought of stopping to-day, but reflecting that days of
this sort cannot be common, I resolved to push on to the
appointed date.'

' November 29. — Started in moderately bad light, but in
half an hour struggled through sastrugi to a decent surface and
did a long march. Stopped for a minute or two to dig down
in an apparent crevass, but found, as I expected, that the
resemblance was superficial. We have not seen a crack,
crevass, or sign of ice-disturbance since we reached the
summit.

' Our finneskoes are getting very worn. Evans has had to
take to his spare pair, but Lashly and I still have ours in
reserve. One of the pair I am using, however, is scarcely good
for more than two or three marches. We are all in excellent
condition and health : not a sign of the scurvy fiend has
appeared, though I watch narrowly for it.'

' November 30. — We have finished our last outward march,
thank heaven ! Nothing has kept us going during the past
week but the determination to carry out our original intention
of going on to the end of the month, and so here we have
pitched our last camp. We made an excellent march in the
forenoon, and started well after lunch, when we could see the
sun gleaming on a more than ordinarily steep incline ahead.
I altered course a little to take it square, and soon we were
amongst heavy sastrugi. I think it must have taken an hour
and a half to struggle through. It is not that it reduces our

1903] OUR LAST OUTWARD MARCH 195

pace so much, but it shakes us up dreadfully ; falls are
constant, and the harness frequently brings up with a heavy
jerk, which is exasperating to a tired man. At last we got
through, and found on looking back that we must have
descended into a hollow, as the horizon was above us on all
sides. Ahead the slope was quite smooth, and, in spite of all
the dreary monotony of the plain we have crossed, I felt
distinctly excited to know what we should see when we got
to the top. I knew it was the end of our effort, and my
imagination suggested all sorts of rewards for our long labours.
Perhaps there would be a gradual slope downward, perhaps
more mountains to indicate a western coast for Victoria Land.
1 Greenland, I remembered, would have been crossed in
many places by such a track as we have made. I thought, too,
what a splendid thing it would be to find a coast in this way.
All very vain imaginings, of course, for after 200 miles of
changeless conditions there was a poor chance indeed of find-
ing a difference in the last one. But so it was. I journeyed
up this slope with lively hopes, and had a distinct sense of
disappointment when, on reaching the summit, we saw nothing
beyond but a further expanse of our terrible plateau.

' Here, then, to-night we have reached the end of our
tether, and all we have done is to show the immensity of this
vast plain. The scene about us is the same as we have seen
for many a day, and shall see for many a day to come — a
scene so wildly and awfully desolate that it cannot fail to
impress one with gloomy thoughts. I am not an imaginative
person, but of late all sorts of stupid fancies have come
into my mind. The sastrugi now got on my nerves; they
are shaped like the barbs of a hook with their sharp points
turned to the east, from which direction many look high and
threatening, and each one now seems to suggest that, however
easy we may have found it to come here, we shall have a very
different task in returning.

' But, after all, it is not what we see that inspires awe, but
the knowledge of what lies beyond our view. We see only a
few miles of ruffled snow bounded by a vague wavy horizon,

196 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Nov.

but we know that beyond that horizon are hundreds and even
thousands of miles which can offer no change to the weary
eye, while on the vast expanse that one's mind conceives one
knows there is neither tree nor shrub, nor any living thing,
nor even inanimate rock — nothing but this terrible limitless
expanse of snow. It has been so for countless years, and
it will be so for countless more. And we, little human
insects, have started to crawl over this awful desert, and
are now bent on crawling back again. Could anything be more
terrible than this silent, wind-swept immensity when one thinks
such thoughts?

'Luckily, the gloom of the outer world has not been
allowed to enter the door of our tent. My companions spare
no time for solemn thought ; they are invariably cheerful and
busy. Few of our camping hours go by without a laugh from
Evans and a song from Lashly. I have not quite penetrated
the latter yet ; there is only one verse, which is about the
plucking of a rose. It can scarcely be called a finished musical
performance, but I should miss it much if it ceased.

1 We are all very proud of our march out. I don't know
where we are, but I know we must be a long way to the west
from my rough noon observation of the compass variation ;
besides which we cannot have marched so many hours without
covering a long distance. We have been discussing this matter
at supper, and wondering whether future explorers will travel
further over this inhospitable country. Evans remarked that if
they did they " would have to leg it," and indeed I think they
would.'

1903] 197

CHAPTER XVIII

RETURN FROM THE WEST

Returning aver the Great Plateau— Doubts about Provisions and Oil —
Harrowing Effect of Fresh Snowfall — Thick Weather — No Sight of
Landmarks — Sudden Descent into Glacier — Escape from a Crevasse —
Exploration of North Arm — A Curious Valley — Return to the Ship—
Results of other Sledging Efforts — Fcrrar's Journey — Barne's
Journey — Royds' Journey — Shorter Journeys — Review of Sledging
Wc rk.

Ceaseless frost round the vast solitude
Bound its broad zone of stillness. — Shelley.

The interior of Victoria Land must be considered the most
desolate region in the world. There is none other that is at
once so barren, so deserted, so piercingly cold, so wind-swept
or so fearsomely monotonous.

I have attempted to give some idea of it in the last chapter,
but I feel that my pen has poorly expressed the awe-inspiring
nature of its terrible solitude. Nevertheless, when the reader
considers its geographical situation, its great elevation, and the
conditions to which we were subjected while travelling across
it, he will, I think, agree that there can be no place on earth
that is less attractive. For me the long month which we spent
on the Victoria Land summit remains as some vivid but evil
dream. I have a memory of continuous strain on mind and
body lightened only by the unfailing courage and cheerfulness
of my companions.

From first to last the month was a grim struggle with
adversity, and never a trouble was overcome but some fresh
one arose, until an ever-increasing load of anxiety was suddenly

198 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

and finally removed. Thus it was that on turning homeward
on December i, whilst we enjoyed the relief of having the
biting wind at our back, new difficulties soon appeared.
Scarcely had we started our return march when the weather
again grew overcast, and, though we struggled on for the first
part of the day, the sky eventually became so gloomy that we
were forced to camp and sacrifice more than an hour of the
afternoon. On December 2, this sort of thing was still worse
and landed us at one time in what seemed a most serious
position, as my diary shows :

' We started at seven o'clock this morning, the sky very
overcast, but the sun struggling through occasionally. All
went well until ten o'clock, when the sun vanished and the light
became shockingly bad. We plunged on for an hour amongst
high sastrugi; our sledge capsized repeatedly and we ourselves
sprawled in all directions. At length we could see nothing at
all, and our falls became so frequent and heavy that I felt that
we were running too great a risk of injury to our limbs, and
that there was nothing for it but to camp. So here we are in
our sleeping-bag in the middle of the marching-hours, and I
don't like the look of things at all. We are about seventeen
marches out from the glacier, but of course this includes the
days when, with full numbers, we did poor distances. We
have something over fourteen days' full rations left, and
perhaps twelve days' oil allowance. If we could get clear
weather, I believe we have not over-estimated our marching
powers in supposing we can cover the longer daily distance
required to reach the safety of the glacier, but this overcast
weather puts an entirely new complexion on the matter ; it is
quite clear that we cannot afford delay. I don't like to think
of half rations ; we are all terribly hungry as it is, and I feel
sure that we cannot cut down food without losing our strength.
I try to think that at this altitude there cannot be long spells
of overcast weather, but I cannot forget that if this condition
should occur frequently we shall be in " Queer Street." '

The reader will remember that this same difficulty with an
overcast sky had been met by my southern party of the previous

i9o3] RETURNING OVER THE PLATEAU 199

year, and therefore it was not new to me ; but, as I have
pointed out, at the high altitude to which we had climbed,
and with the low temperatures that prevailed, to find banks
of cloud still above us was unexpected and added a most
alarming circumstance to our situation. For, as will be seen,
we had placed ourselves in a position from which we could
only hope to retreat by relying on our hard condition and
utilising all our marching powers ; a simple arithmetic sum
showed that we could not afford an hour's delay, and to be
forced to lie idle in our tent was one of the most serious
misfortunes that could overtake us. But this black outlook
was not to remain for long, and later this day I was able to
make a more cheering entry :

1 After we had lain for two hours in the bag in a highly
disconsolate frame of mind, Evans suddenly put his head
outside and in his usual matter-of-fact tones remarked that the
sun was shining. We were up in a moment. I do not believe
sledges have ever been packed so quickly j it was certainly
less than ten minutes before we were in our harness and away.
As this meant shifting foot-gear, packing everything, and
hoisting our sail, it can be imagined how we flew about.
Strangely enough, by a good light we found the surface we
had been struggling with in the morning was by no means
bad, and now that we could see where to step, we got on at a
great pace. In spite of our distressing delay we have covered
a good distance. My companions are undefeatable. However
tiresome our day's march or however gloomy the outlook, they
always find something to jest about. In the evenings we have
long arguments about naval matters, and generally agree that
we could rule that Service a great deal better than any Board
of Admiralty. Incidentally I learn a greal deal about lower-
deck life — more than I could hope to have done under ordinary
conditions.'

'■December 3. — . . . About an hour after lunch we
suddenly came on one of our outward-bound night camps,
and from that we followed our old track with some difficulty
till we came to what I think must be our lunch camp of the

200 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

27th, which means that we have gained half a day on the
outward march. Considering the bad light, this is good
enough, but I shall hope to gain at a greater rate if the
weather holds. The wind to-day was exceedingly cold, but
with our backs to it it was not so much felt, except at packing
and camp work, which were simply horrible. The old track
we followed is being rapidly drifted up ; we are unlikely to see
it again. Evans and Lashly have both been suffering a good
deal from cold feet and fingers ; my feet keep well, though
fingers easily go.'

1 December 4. — ... We were up before five o'clock and
away early. Started marching along the faint remains of our
old track but soon lost it. We kept a good surface for two
hours, then fell amongst bad sastrugi which gave us the usual
trouble ; by lunch we were fairly clear again. Returning
now we can see more clearly the undulations of the surface j
they seem irregular depressions rather than waves. We cross
the hollows sometimes and seem to skirt them at others ;
they average anything from three to five miles across. The
sledge has not capsized the whole day, which is a relief. The
weather has been very threatening on several occasions during
the last two days, but, thank heaven, it has come to nothing,
and the sun only disappears altogether for very short intervals.'

1 December 6. — ... I am a little alarmed about our oil,
so have decided to march half an hour extra each night.
To-night the weather became overcast again, but luckily not
until our camping time had arrived. It is still terribly cold
work, but we all feel exceedingly fit. My trouble is want of
sleep, or, rather, it doesn't seem to trouble me except as
regards the nuisance of lying awake in the bag. I have had
extraordinarily little sleep this last week, and none of us seems
to want much ; after our long marches we ought to be in a fit
state to go straight off into dreamland, but for some reason we
are not.

1 This afternoon two skua gulls were suddenly seen circling
around us. It was such a pleasant sight that we could almost
have cheered ; but how in the world they can have found us

1903] HARROWING EFFECT OF SNOWFALL 201

at this great altitude and distance from the sea is beyond
guessing. Hunger is growing upon us once more, though not
to such an alarming extent as it did last year ; still, we practise
the same devices for serving out our rations, and are as keen
at picking up the scraps as ever. It is curious that last year
we used to think mostly of beefsteak pies and what Shackleton
called " three-decker puddings," but this year there is ever
before my eyes a bowl of Devonshire cream. If it was only a
reality, how ill I should be ! I think Evans's idea of joy is
pork, whilst Lashly dreams of vegetables, and especially apples.
He tells us stories of his youth when these things, and not
much else, were plentiful.'

During this time we were making excellently long marches,
and gradually as the days passed we were losing much of our
fear of the overcast weather in its power of delaying us, though
I still saw that the greatly increased amount of cloud might
make it most difficult for us to recognise our landmarks when
they should appear in sight.

Certainly the ups and downs of sledging life are wonderful ;
for instance, on the 8th, I find my record full of hope. We
had marched long hours over a comparatively easy surface ; I
did not know where we were, but I knew that we must be up
to date, and that if conditions held as they were, we should
reach the glacier in good time, even if we had to spend some
time in looking for landmarks. But on the 9th came a most
serious change of surface which seemed to baffle all our hopes
at one blow, for we knew well that this new condition had
come to stay. I found out afterwards that at this time we
must have been somewhere close to the spot which we had
crossed on November 16 when outward bound. I have given
some description of the surface at that time ; it was alternately
hard and soft, but the hard places had been so slippery that
we had been obliged to wear crampons to pull our sledges over
them. Now all this was changed by a recent fall of snow,
which had covered everything with a sandy layer of loose ice-
crystals and brought terrible friction on the sledge-runners.

This layer grew heavier as we approached the edge of the

202 THE VOYAGE OF THE ' DISCOVERY ' [Dec,

plateau : apart from the difficulty which it presented to our
travelling, this was an interesting observation, for it shows that
the plateau snowfall takes place in December, and that it is
far heavier on the edge than in the interior of the continent.
Another interesting fact was observable in this connection, for
whilst this light snow had been falling the wind had crept
round to the south, sometimes to such an angle with our course
that it was most difficult to trim our sledge sail to derive any
benefit from it. In its most southerly direction it brought a
desirable increase of temperature, and on some days we had a
fair imitation of the mild southerly blizzards which were such
a conspicuous feature at the ship. But at this time, as we
plodded on with an eye on our diminishing stock of provisions,
it can be imagined that we were not inclined to bless the
climatic conditions which had wrought such a change in the
surface. December 9, in fact, seemed to show everything
going wrong for us, and the marches on that day and those
which followed I can never forget. Our sledge weight was
reduced almost to a minimum, and we ourselves were inured
to hard marching if ever three persons were, yet by our utmost
exertion we could barely exceed a pace of a mile an hour. I
have done some hard pulling, but never anything to equal this.
The sledge was like a log ; two of us could scarcely move it,
and therefore throughout the long hours we could none of us
relax our efforts for a single moment — we were forced to keep
a continuous strain on our harness with a tension that kept our
ropes rigid and made conversation quite impossible. So heavy
was the work that I may remark we once tried pulling on ski
and found we simply couldn't move the sledge.

It was on the evening of the 9th that the seriousness of
our position once more manifested itself, and I therefore resort
again to my diary :

1 . . . This afternoon the surface grew worse and worse,
and at the end of the march we were all dog tired. The state
of affairs is again serious, whereas this morning I thought it
would only be a matter of hours before we should be able to
increase our rations and satisfy the pangs of hunger, which are

1903] A GLOOMY PROSPECT 203

now growing very severe. I have had to think things out under
this new development, and I don't find the task is pleasant ;
nothing is in sight ahead, and the prospect is gloomy. We
have a week's provision in hand, but it looks mighty little in
the midst of this horrible, never-ending plain ; but what is
more alarming is that we are well into our last can of oil, and
there is only a few days' allowance left, at the rate we have
been using it.

1 We have had a long discussion about matters to-night. I
told the men I thought we were in a pretty tight place, and
that we should have to take steps accordingly. I proposed
that we should increase our marching hours by one hour, go on
half allowance of oil, and if we don't sight landmarks in a
couple of days reduce our rations. I explained the scheme for
oil economy which we adopted last year, and when I came to
the cold lunch and fried breakfast poor Evans's face fell ; he
evidently doesn't much believe in the virtue of food unless it
is in the form of a hoosh and has some chance of sticking to
one's ribs. Lashly is to do all the cooking until we come to
happier times, as he is far the best hand at the Primus, and can
be relied upon not to exceed allowance.

'I have been struggling with my sights and deviations
table, but although I believe we cannot be far off the glacier
the sense of uncertainty is oppressive. We are really travelling
by rule of thumb, and one cannot help all sorts of doubts
creeping in when the consequences are so serious.'

' December 10. — This morning we plugged away for five
mortal hours on a surface which is, if anything, worse than
yesterday. The pulling is so heavy that it is impossible to
drag one's thoughts away to brighter subjects, and the time
passes in the most wearisome manner. Then came our new
routine of cold, comfortless lunch, and we started once more.
We had not been going more than an hour in the afternoon,
however, when Evans's sharp eye sighted the land, and soon
some isolated nunataks appeared on both bows. This was
very cheering, and we struggled on through the remainder of
our march with renewed hope. Later we rose several mountain

2o4 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

peaks to the S.E., but cloud hangs so persistently about them
that I cannot recognise anything. I imagine we are too far
to the south, but I am not at all certain. I rather thought
that when we saw the land it would bring immediate relief to
all anxiety, but somehow it hasn't. I know that we must be
approaching the edge of the plateau, but now the question is,
where ? There must be innumerable glaciers intersecting the
mountains, and one cannot but see that it will be luck if we hit
off our own at the first shot, and that we cannot afford to make
a mistake. I hope and trust we shall soon recognise land-
marks ; but the sky is most unpromising, and it looks very much
as though we were about to have a return of thick weather.'

On the nth we caught only the same fleeting glimpses
of the land as on the previous day, but we marched stolidly
on, hoping for clearer weather, and on December 12 I wrote :

1 It has been overcast all day. Now and again this morning
I caught glimpses of land, which seems much closer, but I am
still left in horrible uncertainty as to our whereabouts, as I
could not recognise a single point. The light became very bad
before lunch ; everything except the sun was shut out, and
that was only seen through broken clouds. Lately we have
been pulling for ten hours a day ; it is rather too much when
the strain on the harness is so great, and we are becoming
gaunt shadows of our former selves. My companions' cheeks
are quite sunken and hollow, and with their stubbly untrimmed
beards and numerous frost-bite remains they have the wildest
appearance ; yet we are all fit, and there has not been a sign of
sickness beyond the return of those well-remembered pangs of
hunger which are now becoming exceedingly acute. We have
at last finished our tobacco ; for a long time Evans and I have
had to be content with a half-pipe a day, but now even that
small comfort has gone ; it was our long stay in the blizzard
camp that has reduced us to this strait. There is one blessing ;
the next day or two will show what is going to happen one way
or the other. If we walk far enough in this direction we must
come to the edge of the plateau somewhere, and anything
seems better than this heavy and anxious collar work.'

1903] AN ADVENTUROUS DAY 205

1 December 13. — Strong southerly wind with blinding drift
when we started this morning. Marched steadily on for four
hours, when Evans had his nose frost-bitten. Evans's nose
has always been the first thing to indicate stress of frost-biting
weather. For some weeks it has been more or less constantly
frost-bitten, and in consequence it is now the most curious-
looking object. He speaks of it with a comic forbearance, as
though, whilst it scarcely belonged to him, it was something
for which he was responsible, and had to make excuses.
When I told him of its fault to-day, he said in a resigned tone,
" My poor old nose again ; well, there, it's chronic ! " When
this unruly member was brought round we found the storm
increasing, and the surface changed to the hard wind-swept
one which we encountered on our ascent. On this we slipped
badly, and when we stopped to search for our crampons the
wind had grown so strong that I thought it necessary to camp.
Before this was accomplished we were all pretty badly frost-
bitten, and we had to make some hot tea to bring us round.
After waiting for an hour there were some signs of clearance,
and as we cannot now afford to waste a single moment I
decided to push on. We held steadily to the east, and
towards the end of our march there could be no doubt that
we were commencing to descend. But it was uncanny work,
for I haven't any notion where we are, and the drift was so
thick about us that for aught we knew we might have been
walking over the edge of a precipice at any moment. To-night
it is as thick as ever; it is positively sickening, but, good
weather or bad, we must go on now.'

* December 15. — We all agree that yesterday was the most
adventurous day in our lives, and we none of us want to have
another like it. It seems wonderful that I should be lying here
in ease and comfort to write of it, but as it is so, I can give its
incidents in some detail.

1 Very early in the morning I awoke to find that the storm
had passed, and that the land was all around us; but the
clouds hung about the higher summits, and I was still unable
to recognise any peak with certainty. In this bewildered con-

2o6 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

dition we packed our sledge, and I could see no better course
than to continue our march due east. We had scarcely been
going half an hour, however, when high ice hummocks and
disturbances appeared ahead, and we found ourselves on a
hard glazed surface, which was cracked in all directions.
Hoping to avoid the disturbed area, we first made a circuit
to the right and then another to the left, but in neither of
these directions did the prospect look more hopeful; we
stopped and had a council of war, but by this time the wind
had sprung up again, it was bitterly cold, and the only result
of our deliberations was to show more clearly that we did not
know where we were. In this predicament I vaguely realised
that it would be rash to go forward, as the air was once more
becoming thick with snowdrift ; but then to stop might mean
another long spell in a blizzard camp, when starvation would
soon stare us in the face. I asked the men if they were
prepared to take the risk of going on ; they answered promptly
in the affirmative. I think that after our trying experiences
we were all feeling pretty reckless.

\ At any rate, we marched straight on for the ice disturb-
ances, and were soon threading our way amongst the
hummocks and across numerous crevasses. After a bit the
surface became smoother, but at the same time the slope grew
steeper, and our sledge began to overrun us. At this juncture
I put the two men behind the sledge to hold it back whilst I
continued in front to guide its course ; we were all wearing
crampons, which at first held well, but within a few minutes,
as the inclination of the surface increased, our foothold became
less secure.

' Suddenly JLashly slipped, and in an instant he was sliding
downward on his back ; directly the strain came on Evans, he
too was thrown off his feet. It all happened in a moment,
and before I had time to look the sledge and the two men
hurtled past me ; I braced myself to stop them, but might as
well have attempted to hold an express train. With the first
jerk I was whipped off my legs, and we all three lay sprawling on
our backs and flying downward with an ever-increasing velocity.

i9o3] SUDDEN DESCENT INTO GLACIER 207

1 For some reason the first thought that flashed into my
mind was that someone would break a limb if he attempted to
stop our mad career, and I shouted something to this effect,
but might as well have saved my breath. Then there came a
sort of vague wonder as to what would happen next, and in
the midst of this I was conscious that we had ceased to slide
smoothly, and were now bounding over a rougher incline,
sometimes leaving it for several yards at a time ; my thoughts
flew to broken limbs again, for I felt we could not stand much
of such bumping. At length we gave a huge leap into the
air, and yet we travelled with such velocity that I had not time
to think before we came down with tremendous force on a
gradual incline of rough, hard, wind-swept snow. Its irregu-
larities brought us to rest in a moment or two, and I staggered
to my feet in a dazed fashion, wondering what had happened.

1 Then to my joy I saw the others also struggling to their
legs, and in another moment I could thank heaven that no
limbs were broken. But we had by no means escaped scathe-
less ; our legs now show one black bruise from knee to thigh,
and Lashly was unfortunate enough to land once on his back,
which is bruised and very painful. At the time, as can be
imagined, we were all much shaken. I, as the lightest,
escaped the easiest, yet before the two men crawled painfully
to their feet their first question was to ask if I had been hurt.

1 As soon as I could pull myself together I looked round,
and now to my astonishment I saw that we were well on
towards the entrance of our own glacier j ahead and on either
side of us appeared well-remembered landmarks, whilst behind,
in the rough broken ice-wall over which we had fallen, I now
recognised at once the most elevated ice cascade of our valley.
In the rude fashion which I have described we must have
descended some 300 feet ; above us the snow-drift was still
being driven along, but the wind had not yet reached our
present level, so that all around us the sky was bright and
clear and our eyes could roam from one familiar object to
another until far away to the eastward they rested on the smoke -
capped summit of Erebus.

2o8 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

1 I cannot but think that this sudden revelation of our
position was very wonderful. Half an hour before we had
been lost ; I could not have told whether we were making for
our own glacier or for any other, or whether we were ten or fifty
miles from our depot ; it was more than a month since we had
seen any known landmark. Now in this extraordinary manner
the curtain had been raised ; we found that our rule-of-thumb
methods had accomplished the most accurate " land fall," and
down the valley we could see the high cliffs of the Depot
Nunatak where peace and plenty awaited us.

' How merciful a view this was we appreciated when we
came to count up the result of our fall. Our sledge had not
capsized until we all rolled over together at the end, but the
jolting had scattered many of our belongings and had burst
open the biscuit box, so that all that had remained in it lay
distributed over the cascade ; we had no provisions left except
the few scraps we could pick up and the very diminished
contents of our food bag. As well as our stiffening limbs
would allow we hastened to collect the scattered articles, to
repack the sledge, and to march on towards the depot. Before
us now lay a long plateau, at the edge of which I knew we
should find a second cascade, and beneath it the region of
our Desolation Camp and a more gradual icy surface down
to the Nunatak. By lunch-time we were well across the
plateau, and we decided that our shaken condition deserved
a hot meal, so we brewed cocoa and felt vastly better after
swallowing it. By this time the wind had reached us again,
and I had cold work in taking a round of angles, but I got
through it, and in an hour we were on the march once more.
We soon found ourselves at the top of the second cascade,
and under conditions which prevented us from looking for
an easy descent ; however, fortune favoured us, and by going
very slowly and carefully we managed to get down without
accident.

'Though we were all much shaken and tired, we con-
gratulated ourselves on having overcome the worst difficulties,
and started off briskly to cover the last five or six miles which

1903] ESCAPE FROM A CREVASSE 209

lay between us and our goal. Feeling quite unsuspicious of
danger, we all three joined up our harness to our usual
positions ahead of the sledge ; this brought me in the middle
and a little in advance, with Lashly on my right and Evans
on my left. After we had been tramping on in this way for
a quarter of an hour the wind swept across from the south,
and as the sledge began to skid I told Lashly to pull wide
in order to steady it. He had scarcely moved out in response
to this order when Evans and I stepped on nothing and dis-
appeared from his view ; by a miracle he saved himself from
following, and sprang back with his whole weight on the trace ;
the sledge flashed by him and jumped the crevasse down which
we had gone, one side of its frame cracked through in the
jerk which followed, but the other side mercifully held.
Personally I remember absolutely nothing until I found myself
dangling at the end of my trace with blue walls on either side
and a very horrid looking gulf below ; large ice-crystals
dislodged by our movements continued to shower down on
our heads.

• As a first step I took off my goggles ; I then discovered
that Evans was hanging just above me. I asked him if he was
all right, and received a reassuring reply in his usual calm,
matter-of-fact tones. Meanwhile I groped about on every
side with my cramponed feet, only to find everywhere the
same slippery smooth wall. But my struggles had set me
swinging, and at one end of a swing my leg suddenly struck a
projection. In a moment I had turned, and saw at a glance
that by raising myself I could get foothold on it ; with the
next swing I clutched it with my steel-shod feet, and after a
short struggle succeeded in partly transferring my weight to it.
In this position, with my feet firmly planted and my balance
maintained by my harness, I could look about me.

' I found myself standing on a thin shaft of ice which was
wedged between the walls of the chasm — how it came there I
cannot imagine, but its position was wholly providential ; to
the right or left, above or below, there was not the vestige of
another such support — nothing, in fact, but the smooth walls
vol. 11. p

2io THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

of ice. My next step was to get Evans into the same position
as myself, and when he had slipped his harness well up under
his arms I found I could pilot his feet to the bridge.

' All this had occupied some time, and it was only now
that I realised what had happened above us, for there, some
twelve feet over our heads, was the outline of the broken
sledge. I saw at once what a frail support remained, and
shouted to Lashly to ask what he could do, and then I knew
the value of such a level-headed companion; for whilst he
held on grimly to the sledge and us with one hand, his other
was busily employed in withdrawing our ski. At length he
succeeded in sliding two of these beneath the broken sledge
and so making our support more secure. The device was well
thought of, but it still left us without his active assistance ; for,
as he told us, directly he relaxed his strain the sledge began to
slip, and he dared not trust only to the ski.

' There remained no other course for Evans and me but to
climb out by our own unaided efforts, and I saw that one of
us would have to make the attempt without delay, for the
chill of the crevasse was already attacking us and our faces
and fingers were on the verge of freezing. After a word with
Evans I decided to try the first climb myself, but I must
confess I never expected to reach the top. It is some time
since I swarmed a rope, and to have to do so in thick clothing
and heavy crampons and with frost-bitten fingers seemed to
me in the nature of the impossible. But it was no use think-
ing about it, so I slung my mits over my shoulders, grasped
the rope, and swung off the bridge. I don't know how long 1
took to climb or how I did it, but I remember I got a rest
when I could plant my foot in the belt of my harness, and
again when my feet held on the rings of the belt. Then
came a mighty effort till I reached the stirrup formed by the
rope span of the sledge, and then, mustering all the strength
that remained, I reached the sledge itself and flung myself
panting on to the snow beyond. Lashly said, " Thank God ! "
and it was perhaps then that I realised that his position had
been the worst of all.

1903] BACK TO DEPOT NUNATAK 211

' For a full five minutes I could do nothing ; my hands
were white to the wrists, and I plunged them into my breast,
but gradually their circulation and my strength came back, and
I was able to get to work. With two of us on top and one
below, things had assumed a very different aspect, and I was
able to unhitch my own harness and lower it once more for
Evans ; then with our united efforts he also was landed on the
surface, where he arrived in the same frost-bitten condition as
I had. For a minute or two we could only look at one
another, then Evans said, " Well, I'm blowed " ; it was the
first sign of astonishment he had shown.

' But all this time the wind was blowing very chill, so we
wasted no time in discussing our escape, but turning our
broken sledge end for end, we were soon harnessed to it again
and trudging on over the snow. After this, as can be imagined,
we kept a pretty sharp look-out for crevasses, marching in
such an order as prevented more than one of us going down
at once, and so we eventually reached the bare blue ice once
more, and at six o'clock found our depot beneath the towering
cliffs of the Depot Nunatak.

'As long as I live I can never forget last night. Our
camp was in bright sunshine, for the first time for six weeks
the temperature was above zero, but what we appreciated still
more was the fact that it was perfectly calm ; the canvas of
our tent hung limp and motionless, and the steam of our
cooking rose in a thin, vertical shaft. All Nature seemed to
say that our long fight was over, and that at length we had
reached a haven of rest. And it has been a fight indeed ; it is
only now that I realise what discomforts we have endured and
what a burden of anxiety we have borne during the past month.
The relief of being freed from such conditions is beyond the
power of my pen to describe, but perhaps what brought it
home to us most completely was the fact that the worst of our
troubles and adventures came at the end, and that in the brief
space of half an hour we passed from abject discomfort to rest
and peace.

' And so we dawdled over everything. We were bruised,

P 2

212 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

sore, and weary, yet Lashly sang a merry stave as he stirred
the pot, and Evans and I sat on the sledge, shifted our foot-
gear, spread our garments out to dry, and chatted away merrily
the whole time. Evans's astonishment at the events of the
day seemed to grow ever deeper, and was exhibited in the
most amusing manner. With his sock half on he would
pause to think out our adventures in some new light and
would say suddenly, "Well, sir, but what about that snow
bridge?" or if so-and-so hadn't happened "where should we
be now? " and then the soliloquy would end with " My word,
but it was a close call ! " Evans generally manages to sum a
case up fairly pithily, and perhaps this last remark is a com-
prehensive description of our experiences of yesterday.

• This morning the sun shines as brightly as ever, and there
is still no breath of wind. It is so warm in the tent that as I
write I have had to throw open my jacket. Meanwhile out-
side I can hear the tap of the hammer as my companions are
arming our sledge runners for the hard ice of the glacier.'

We only found a very small quantity of food at the Depot
Nunatak, but it was enough to carry us to the main depot,
which lay several miles below, provided we marched hard, as
we were quite prepared to do. Luckily, here also we found a
new nine-foot sledge which had been left the previous year, and
to which we could now transfer the greater part of our load.
But one of our most pleasing discoveries at the Depot Nunatak
was the small folded notes which told us of the movements
of our fellow-travellers. By these I learnt to my relief that
Skelton and his companions had safely reached the glacier,
and that Ferrar's party was all well after it had left our Desola-
tion Camp. According to previous arrangements I found
these notes at various stated points in the glacier, and there
were few pleasanter things for us returning wayfarers than to
find these cheery documents.

Starting our downward march on the afternoon of the 15th,
we stretched over the miles with ease. This sort of work was
mere child's play to our hardened muscles, and that night we
reached the broad amphitheatre below Finger Mountain. On

i9o3] EXPLORATION OF NORTH ARM 213

the 1 6th we picked up the ample supply of food which we had
left in our depot opposite the Solitary Rocks, and that evening
took up our old quarters in the Knob Head Moraine. I
mention these movements because at this point I had deter-
mined to do a small piece of exploration which is of some
interest. The reader will see that we were now in the large
glacier basin which I described, and will remember that I
mentioned amongst other outlets its northern arm. This arm
of the glacier descended with a very steep incline to the right
of the Solitary Rocks, and then its valley seemed to turn
sharply to the eastward. The direction of flow of the ice-
streams in the glacier basin had always been something of a
mystery for us, and we had thought that the main portion of
the ice must discharge through this valley.

On the 17th, therefore, we started to descend it to see
what the conditions actually were, and after rattling down over
a sharp gradient for several miles we found ourselves turning
to the east. We followed a long string of morainic boulders
through a deep valley on a moderate incline, but early in the
afternoon the descent became steeper and the surface of the
ice much rougher, until at length our sledge bumped so heavily
that we thought it wise to camp.

Our camp life by this time had become wholly pleasant
except to poor Lashly, who had a fierce attack of snow-
blindness. We pitched our tent behind a huge boulder which
must have weighed at least five hundred tons, and here we
were pleasantly sheltered from the wind, whilst close by us
trickled a glacier stream from which we were able to fill our
cooking-pot and obtain an unlimited quantity of drinking-water.
We had a splendid view of the great ice masses sweeping down
from above, but looking downward we were much puzzled, for
the glacier surface descended steeply, and beyond it stood a
lofty groin of rock which seemed a direct bar to its further
passage. This sight made us very anxious to proceed with our
exploration, and as we could not advance further with our
sledge, it became necessary to arrange for a long absence from
our camp. Accordingly we rose very early on the following

2i4 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

day, and taking our coil of Alpine rope, with our crampons
and a supply of food, we set off over the rough ice of the
glacier. As this walk had several points of interest, I give its
outline from my diary :

' Started at seven o'clock with a supply of pemmican, choco-
late, sugar, and biscuit in our pockets, and our small provision
measure to act as a drinking-cup. It is an extraordinary
novelty in our sledging experience to find that one can get
water by simply dipping it up. As we descended, the slope
became steeper, and soon the ice grew so disturbed that we
were obliged to rope ourselves together and proceed with
caution. The disturbance was of very much the same nature
as that which we had found on the south side of the Ferrar
Glacier ; the ice seemed to have broken down, leaving steep
faces towards the south. Here and there we found scattered
boulders and finer morainic material, and the channels of the
glacial streams became visible in places, to vanish again under
deep blue arches of ice.

1 At length we descended into one of these watercourses and
followed it for some distance, until, to our surprise, it came
abruptly to an end, and with it the glacier itself, which had
gradually dwindled to this insignificant termination. Before us
was a shallow, frozen lake into which the thaw- water of the
glacier was pouring. The channel in which we stood was
about twenty feet above its surface, and the highest pinnacles
of ice were not more than the same distance above our heads,
whereas the terminal face of the glacier was about three or four
hundred yards across. So here was the limit of the great ice-
river which we had followed down from the vast basin of the
interior ; instead of pouring huge icebergs into the sea, it was
slowly dwindling away in its steep-sided valley. It was, in fact,
nothing but the remains of what had once been a mighty ice-
flow from the inland.

' With a little difficulty we climbed down to the level of the
lake, and then observed that the glacier rested on a deep
ground moraine of mud, in some places as much as ten or
twelve feet in thickness ; this layer of mud extended beyond

i9o3] A CURIOUS VALLEY 215

the face of the glacier, where it had been much worn by water ;
enough remained, however, for Lashly to remark, "What a
splendid place for growing spuds ! " Skirting the lake below the
glacier, we found ourselves approaching the high, rocky groin
which puzzled us so much last night, but we now saw that a very
narrow channel wound round its base. At its narrowest this
channel was only seventeen feet across, and as we traversed
this part, the high cliffs on either side towered above our heads
and we seemed to be passing through a massive gateway ;
beyond this the valley opened out again, and its floor was
occupied by a frozen lake a mile in breadth and three or four
miles in length. As the snow surface of this lake was very
rough, we were obliged to skirt its margin; we were now
1,300 feet below our camp, and about 300 feet above sea level.
The shores of the lake for several hundred feet up the hillsides
were covered with a coarse granitic sand strewn with numerous
boulders, and it was curious to observe that these boulders,
from being rounded and sub-angular below, gradually grew to
be sharper in outline as they rose in level.

' At the end of the second lake the valley turned towards
the north-east ; it was equally clearly cut, but the floor rose on
a mass of morainic material. At first there was a general
tendency for this to be distributed in long ridges, but later the
distribution was disturbed, and it was easy to see that broad
water-channels had made clean breaches in these vast piles of
sand and boulders. Quite suddenly these moraines ceased,
and we stepped out on to a long stretch of undulating sand
traversed by numerous small streams, which here and there
opened out into small, shallow lakes quite free from ice.

'I was so fascinated by all these strange new sights that I
strode forward without thought of hunger until Evans asked if
it was any use carrying our lunch further ; we all decided that
it wasn't, and so sat down on a small hillock of sand with a
merry little stream gurgling over the pebbles at our feet. It
was a very cheery meal, and certainly the most extraordinary
we have had. We commanded an extensive view both up and
down the valley, and yet, except about the rugged mountain

2i6 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

summits, there was not a vestige of ice or snow to be seen ; and
as we ran the comparatively warm sand through our fingers
and quenched our thirst at the stream, it seemed almost
impossible that we could be within a hundred miles of the
terrible conditions we had experienced on the summit.

' Proceeding after lunch, we found that the valley descended
to a deep and splendid gorge formed by another huge groin
extending from the southern side, but as we approached the
high cliffs we found our way again obstructed by confused
heaps of boulders, amongst which for the first time we saw the
exposed rocks of the floor of the valley smoothed and striated
in a manner most typical of former ice action. My object in
pressing on had been to get a view of the sea, and I now
thought the best plan would be to ascend the neck of the groin
on our right. It was a long climb of some 700 feet over
rough, sharp boulders. We eventually reached the top, but,
alas ! not to catch any glimpse of the sea ; for the valley
continued to wind its way onward through deep gorges, and
some five or six miles below yet another groin shut out our
further view.

1 But from our elevated position we could now get an
excellent view of this extraordinary valley, and a wilder or in
some respects more beautiful scene it would have been
difficult to imagine. Below lay the sandy stretches and con-
fused boulder heaps of the valley floor, with here and there the
gleaming white surface of a frozen lake and elsewhere the
silver threads of the running water; far above us towered
the weather-worn, snow-splashed mountain peaks, between
which in places fell in graceful curves the folds of some hang-
ing glacier. The rocks at our feet were of every variety of
colour and form, mixed in that inextricable confusion which
ice alone can accomplish. The lower slopes of the mountains
were thickly clothed with similar rocks, but the variety of
colour was lost in the distance, and these steep slopes had a
general tone of sober grey. This colour was therefore pre-
dominant, but everywhere at a height of 3,000 feet above the
valley it ended in a hard line illustrating in the most beautiful

i9o3] A GOOD DAY'S WORK 217

manner the maximum extent to which the ice had once
spread.

• I cannot but think that this valley is a very wonderful
place. We have seen to-day all the indications of colossal ice
action and considerable water action, and yet neither of these
agents is now at work. It is worthy of record, too, that we
have seen no living thing, not even a moss or a lichen; all
that we did find, far inland amongst the moraine heaps, was
the skeleton of a Weddell seal, and how that came there is
beyond guessing. It is certainly a valley of the dead; even
the great glacier which once pushed through it has withered
away.

' It was nearly four o'clock before we turned towards our
camp, and nearly ten before we reached it, feeling that it was
quite time for supper. The day's record, however, is a pretty
good tribute to our marching powers, for we have walked and
climbed over the roughest country for more than fourteen
hours with only one brief halt for lunch.'

With this short expedition our last piece of exploration
came to an end, and on the 19th we started to ascend the
north arm. By the night of the 20th we had reached our
second depot under Cathedral Rocks, and here for the first
time, and with anxious eyes, we looked out towards the sea.
Many a time we had discussed this prospect, and agreed that
we should not have cared how far round we had to walk if
only that stubborn sheet of ice in the strait would break away.
But now, alas ! it was evident that our homeward track might
be as direct as we chose to make it, for the great unbroken
plain of ice still bridged the whole strait. Only in the far
distance could we see the open water, where a thin blue ribbon
ran in from Cape Bird and ended abreast of the black rocks
of Cape Royds. We saw with grief that there must be very
many miles between it and our unfortunate ship.

On rounding Butter Point we had another blow on finding
an entire absence of seals, but, thanks to the kindness of
Skelton and his party, we were not deprived of our long-
expected feast of fresh meat, for close to our tin of butter we

218 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

found a buried treasure in the shape of some tit-bits of an
animal which they had killed. From Butter Point we turned
our course south to those curious moraine heaps which we had
called the ' Eskers,' and which I had not yet seen. We spent
half a day in rambling amongst these steep little hills, and in
trying to find skuas' eggs which were not hard set; but
fortune was against us in this last respect, and we found that
we were at least a week too late.

On the afternoon of the 23rd we started to cross the strait
for the last time, and late on Christmas Eve we saw the masts
of the ' Discovery,' and were soon welcomed by the four
persons who alone remained on board. And so after all our
troubles and trials we spent our Christmas Day in the snug
security of our home quarters, and tasted once again those
delights of civilised existence to which we had so long been
strangers.

And now, seated at my desk, I could quietly work out my
observations, and trace the track which we had made. I
found, to my relief, that my watch had kept an excellent rate,
as far as my observed positions could check it. This was a
matter of great importance, as the longitude of our position on
the great plain of the interior depended entirely on its accuracy.
This watch has since been given to me by its makers, and I
value it highly ; as I think few watches have done greater
service ; and here, for the benefit of future explorers, I must
again point out the importance of the manner in which a watch
is carried on such a journey. I shifted my watch-pocket
several times during my earlier experiences before I decided
on its best position, and throughout my travels I never failed
to treat my watch with the greatest care. The pocket was
eventually sewn to my inner vest, in such a position that my
harness could not touch it, and I never took the watch out of
this warm place unless it was necessary ; when taking sights I
held it in the palm of my hand, and as far as possible under
the cover of a mit.

When I had worked out our various positions and calcu-
lated the distances we had travelled, I had before me an array

i9o3] RETURN TO THE SHIP 219

of figures of which our party might justifiably feel proud. In
our last absence of fifty-nine days we had travelled 725 miles ;
for nine complete days we had been forced to remain in camp,
so that this distance had been accomplished in fifty marching
days, and gave a daily average of 14-5 miles.

Taking the eighty-one days of absence which had con-
stituted our whole sledging season, I found that Evans, Lashly,
and I had covered 1,098 miles, at an average of 15*4 miles a
day, and that, not including minor undulations, we had climbed
heights which totalled to 19,800 feet.

I started my account of this journey by saying that I
thought we came near the limit of possible performance in the
circumstances, and I hope these figures will be considered as
justifying that remark. What the circumstances were I have
endeavoured to show, but when it is considered that to the
rigours of a polar climate were added those which must be
a necessary consequence of a great altitude, it needs little
explanation to prove that they were exceptionally severe.

We may claim, therefore, to have accomplished a creditable
journey under the hardest conditions on record, but for my
part I devoutly hope that wherever my future wanderings may
trend, they will never again lead me to the summit of Victoria
Land.

The four persons whom we found on board the ' Discovery '
on our return were Dr. Koettlitz, our ship's steward, Handsley
(who had not yet fully recovered from his chest troubles), and
Quartley (who had received a slight injury on the southern
journey). All the remainder of our company had gone to the
north, in accordance with our pre-arranged plan, to saw through
the ice. I purposed shortly to go in this direction myself, but
after our excessive work the usual reaction set in, and I
thought that my small party had earned a few days' rest in
which we might renew our energies. Communications with
the northern camp were of daily occurrence, thanks to our new
team of dogs, which had been brought into capital working
order by their driver, Dell.

It was not long therefore before I learnt the outlines of the

220 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec

other sledge journeys, and was able to read the reports of the
officers who had led them and study the advance which had
been made in our knowledge by the sledging work of our
second season. Space does not permit me to go in detail into
these various journeys, nor do I think that the reader would
be grateful for the minute relation of more sledging adven-
tures. But this story would not be complete without a
summary of the material facts which these efforts produced,
nor could I omit to pay a well-earned tribute to those who
secured them by prolonged and arduous labour and unfailing
spirit.

I purpose, therefore, to give in brief the movements of
other members of the expedition during our absence to the
west.

It will be remembered that the party which had left the
ship with me towards the end of October had eventually split
into three units. At first our geologist, Ferrar, left us to
explore the glacier valley, and later Skelton and I parted
company on the inland ice. Skelton, returning with his
overworked party, had wisely taken matters easily, but on
arriving at the Depot Nunatak he had picked up the half-plate
camera, and, although he had only a very limited number of
plates, he succeeded in taking some excellent photographs of
the valley.

Ferrar with his two companions had also come down the
valley slowly, not because he had lingered on his way, but
because he had crossed and recrossed the glacier to examine
the rocks on each side. I was quite astonished to learn the
numbers of places he had visited and the distances he had
traversed in pursuit of his objects, especially when I remem-
bered that all had been done with one rickety little sledge
which I knew must have broken down repeatedly and have
given endless trouble to those who dragged it. The results of
this journey are told by the geologist himself in the appendix
which he has supplied to this volume, but he has not told of
all the difficulties which he had to overcome and which in
themselves might well form a chapter of this book. For each

i$03] OTHER JOURNEYS 221

specimen of rock which Ferrar brought back was obtained
only by traversing long miles of rough ice, by clambering over
dangerous crevassed slopes, and by scaling precipitous cliffs ;
and all this at a great distance from home, and where a strained
limb might have led to very serious consequences.

It will be remembered that the main work of this season
was thoroughly to explore this valley and the ice-cap which
lay beyond ; thus, when to the results of the longer journey
were added Ferrar's survey and Skelton's photographic work
we had the satisfaction of knowing that our object had been
well accomplished.

The object before Barne and Mulock on their journey to
the south has already been stated. They left the ship on
October 6, and, passing around the Bluff, steered for the inlet
which has since been named after the former.

But ill fortune dogged this party from the start. They
were hampered by continual gales from the south, and again
and again had to spend long days in their tents, as it was
impossible to march onward with the wind directly in their
faces. In this manner no fewer than ten days were wasted on
the outward march, four of these being consecutive, and con-
sequently it was not until the middle of November that they
approached the entrance to the inlet, and here they became
involved amongst numerous undulations and disturbances
which greatly impeded their progress.

As they advanced these disturbances grew worse, and it
was necessary to cross wide crevasses and clamber over steep
ridges. On November 19, to their great disappointment, they
were forced to turn, having barely passed the mouth of the
inlet which they had hoped to explore. From their observa-
tions, however, it seems evident that the whole of this area is
immensely disturbed, and it is doubtful whether a sledge party
could ever cross it unless they were prepared to spend many
weeks in the attempt. Although from their farthest position
they could see no definite rise in the level of the ice in the
inlet, as they travelled towards its northern side they found a
moraine of large granite boulders which showed conclusively

222 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

the general flow of the ice-stream and gave some indication of
the nature of the land which lay beyond.

Throughout this journey Mulock was indefatigable in using
the theodolite. The result of this diligence is that this stretch
of coastline is more accurately plotted than any other part of
Victoria Land, and by the fixing of the positions and heights
of more than two hundred mountain peaks a most interesting
topographical survey of this region has been achieved.

But one of the most important results of this expedition
was obtained almost by an accident. The reader will remember
that in my early journey in 1902 I fixed on a position off the
Bluff to establish what I called Depot ' A.' This position lay
on the alignment of a small peak on the Bluff with Mount
Discovery. On visiting this depot in 1903, Barne found to
his astonishment that the alignment was no longer ' on,' and
therefore it was evident that the depot had moved. Thirteen
and a half months after the establishment of the depot he
measured its displacement, and found it to be 608 yards. And
thus almost accidentally we obtained a very good indication of
the movement of the Great Barrier ice-sheet.

To this very interesting fact I shall refer in considering
the results of the expedition. Barne and his party safely
reached the ship on December 13, after being absent sixty-
eight days.

I have already referred to the projected trip to the south-
east; it will be remembered that its object was to ascertain
whether the barrier continued level in that direction. The
conduct of this journey was undertaken by Royds, and with
him went our physicist Bernacchi, Cross, Plumley, Scott, and
Clarke ; the track which was taken by the party can be seen
on the chart. It was a short journey, as it only occupied
thirty days, and for those who took part in it it could not be
otherwise than monotonous and dull ; yet it deserves to rank
very high in our sledging efforts, for every detail was carried
out in the most thoroughly efficient manner.

The party went on a very short food allowance, and day
after day found themselves marching over the same unutterably

i9o3] OTHER JOURNEYS 223

wearisome plain, and on a surface of such a nature as I de-
scribed in my own southern journey ; yet they marched steadily
on, and fully accomplished the main object for which they
were sent — a negative but highly important result. It was on
this journey also that a most interesting series of magnetic
observations were taken by Bernacchi, who carried with him
the Barrow dip circle, an especially delicate instrument. The
great value of these observations lies in the fact that they were
taken in positions which were free from all possible disturbance
either from casual iron or from land masses ; the positions
also run in a line which is almost directly away from the mag-
netic pole, and consequently the series is an invaluable aid
to mapping out the magnetic conditions of the whole of this
region.

To Bernacchi belongs the credit of these observations, but
a certain amount of reflected glory must be allowed to those
who accompanied him, for whilst he wrestled with the usual
troubles of the observer within the tent, his companions had to
cool their heels outside ; and as they consented to do this
night after night for an hour or more, it may be considered
that they showed considerable practical sympathy with his
scientific aims.

On December 10 Royds and his party arrived on board the
ship in an extremely famished state, but with the satisfaction
of having accomplished an exceedingly fine journey.

Our sledging efforts of 1903 were not confined to the
longer journeys, for, as in the previous year, many shorter
trips were made. From October 12 Wilson was away for
more than three weeks to pay yet another visit to the Emperor
penguin rookery. It was on this occasion that he observed
the extraordinary manner in which these penguins migrated
with their young. It will be remembered that in the previous
year these birds had been found with very young chicks in
down, and that on a second visit, shortly after, all the chicks
had vanished, though it was evident that they could not have
been prepared to take to the water. Now this mystery was
explained. Soon after Wilson's arrival the ice began to break

224 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

away, and he watched the parent birds and their young leave
their rookery and station themselves in batches near the edge
of the ice-sheet. In due course a piece of ice on which a batch
stood was broken off, and slowly sailed away to the north with
its freight of penguins, and there can be no doubt that in this
manner these curious creatures are transported for many hun-
dreds of miles until the chicks have attained their adult
plumage and can earn their own living.

Wilson spent twelve days at Cape Crozier, and probably at
what is the most interesting season of the year in that region.
Whilst the steady emigration of parties of Emperor penguins
went on day after day, a little further to the west there was an
equally steady immigration of Adelie penguins now coming
south to lay their eggs on the lower slopes of Mount Terror.
Both these movements were evidently dependent on the
seasonal change which was taking place, for on his arrival
Wilson found the Ross Sea frozen over, and on precisely the
same date as on the previous year a series of S.W. gales com-
menced, and swept the sea clear, giving at once a chance for
the Emperors to go and the Adelies to come. Such a long
stay as this party made was only rendered possible by a lucky
find of seals on the sea-ice, these animals providing them with
food and fuel. As this was the only time that our sledge parties
cooked their meals with a blubber fire, I quote from Wilson's
report : ' We killed a seal and brought the whole skin to camp.
It was cut into three long strips with all the blubber on, and
to each was tied a piece of line. Each of us had one strip to
manage in crossing the pressure ridges. When we reached
camp a stove was improvised outside the tent by Whitfield and
Cross ; it was made out of an old tin biscuit box, which had
been left on a previous journey, and some stones, and in this
we eventually succeeded in lighting a blubber fire, over which
we cooked our supper.'

Altogether this journey to Cape Crozier was more produc-
tive of information than any of its predecessors, for Wilson
by no means confined himself to his zoological studies. He
climbed high on the foothills of Mount Terror and discovered

i9o3] REVIEW OF SLEDGING WORK 225

a curious ice-formed terrace 800 feet above the barrier level ;
he collected numerous geological specimens from this area, and
found erratic boulders at great altitudes. Next he made a
complete examination of the enormous and interesting pressure
ridges which form the junction of the Great Barrier ice-mass
with the land, and now and at a later date he spent much time
in studying the curious windless area which exists to the south
of Ross Island, and thus threw considerable light on meteoro-
logical facts that puzzled us, and on the ice condition of an
extremely interesting region.

I cannot conclude a summary of our last sledging season
without referring to an excellent little journey made by
Armitage, Wilson, and Heald. This small party crossed the
strait towards the end of November and then turned sharply
to the south under the foothills of the mainland. In this
manner they broke new ground, and reached and examined
the Koettlitz Glacier. This had previously been seen only from
Brown Island, and its closer examination was important not
only to complete the topographical survey of our region, but to
verify numerous observations taken in the Ferrar Glacier,
Amidst a scene of wild beauty Armitage obtained some excel-
lent photographs which give a good idea of the typical moun-
tain scenery, and would alone prove the receding glacial
conditions of the whole continent.

Thus it will be seen that whilst I had been away on my
long journey to the west, my companions had been working
diligently in every direction which promised to increase our
store of information. All, however, had returned before my-
self, so that when I arrived at the ship on Christmas Eve, 1903,
it was to ring the curtain down on the last of our sledging
efforts in this Far Southern region.

When all things are considered, it must be conceded that
no polar ship ever wintered in a more interesting spot than the
1 Discovery.' It was good fortune which had brought us to our
winter quarters in February 1902, and from the first we saw
what great possibilities lay before us, and determined that no
effort should be spared to take advantage of our opportunities.

VOL. II. Q

226 THE VOYAGE OF THE ' DISCOVERY > [Dfx.

During one long season we had laboured hard to this end, but
yet its finish found us with many important gaps in our know-
ledge. Then fortune decided that we should be given another
season to complete our work, and we started forth once more
to fill in those gaps. With what success this was accomplished
I have endeavoured to show, and I trust it will be agreed that
after the close of our second sledging season we were justified
in considering that the main part of our work was done.

i9o3j 2 2?

CHAPTER XIX

ESCAPE FROM THE ICE

Indigestion — Arrival at the Sawing Camp — Sawing Operations — Break-up
of Sawing Party — The Open Water — Arrival of the Relief Ships-
Unwelcome News — Stagnant Condition of the Ice — Depressing
Effect — Preparations for Abandoning the 'Discovery' — Ice Breaking
Away — Explosions— Anxious Days — Final Break-up of the Ice-
Dramatic Approach of the Relief Ships — The Small Fleet Together —
Final Explosion — The ' Discovery ' Free.

And Thor
Set his shoulder hard against the stern
To push the ship through . . .
. . . and the water gurgled in
And the ship floated on the waves and rock'd.

M. Arnold.

On the whole, the few days' rest which I allowed myself and
my party after our return to the ship was enjoyable, and for
such sensations as were not I had only myself to thank. I
found that Ford had become cook for the few who remained
on board, and that, as a result of studying Mrs. Beeton's
cookery book, he was achieving dishes of a more savoury
nature than we had thought possible with the resources at our
command. It was unfortunate that the highest development
of the cooking art should have occurred at this season, as it
found us too morally weak to resist its allurements, and, as
a consequence, we suffered from the most violent indigestion.
Though my limbs craved for rest, I was obliged to be up and
doing to silence the worst pangs of this complaint.

The ship at this time was in a more snowed-up condition

Q2

228 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

than I ever remember to have seen her, and Koettlitz told me
there had been such heavy falls of snow a week earlier that
they had been obliged to dig their way out of the lobby
entrances. Koettlitz had remained on board to attend on the
medical cases; these were now practically off his hands, but
he was devoting most of his time, as he had done throughout
the summer, to bacteriological studies. He rather feared, how-
ever, that his diligence in this line would prove of little avail,
as few less promising places could have been found for pursuing
such investigations than the wardroom of the ' Discovery.'

After two or three days on board I began to grow restless
to see what was doing to the north j moreover, I saw that as
I could not curb my appetite there was little chance of being
rid of my indigestion until I was once more on the march.
Our inactivity was also having a most obvious effect on my
sledging companions. It had to be acknowledged that they
were 'swelling wisibly'; each morning their faces became a
more ludicrous contrast to what I remembered of them on the
summit. Lashly was a man who usually changed little, and
therefore he quickly fell back into his ordinary condition, but
Evans continued to expand, and reached quite an alarming
maximum before he slowly returned to his normal size.

On the morning of the 31st, therefore, we three, with
Handsley, who was now quite recovered, packed our sledge
once more, and started away for the sawing camp, some ten and
a half miles to the north ; in the afternoon we arrived at the
camp, to be greeted with cheers and congratulations.

I may perhaps now explain how this camp came to be
formed. The reader will remember that I had arranged that
the sledging parties should return by the middle of December,
and that in the meantime a special tent should be prepared
and disposition made so that as soon as possible after this
date all hands should be available for the projected attempt
to saw through the great ice-sheet which intervened between
the ' Discovery ' and the open sea. In drawing out instructions
I could not foretell, of course, how broad this ice-sheet would
be when operations were commenced; I could only assume

i9o3] THE SAWING CAMP 229

that it would be about the same as in the previous year, when
the open water had extended to the Dellbridge Islets, about
eleven miles from the ship. I directed, therefore, that the
camp should be made behind these islets, so that there might
be no chance of its being swept away. I had hoped to be
back in time to commence the operations myself, but the
breakdown of my sledges had made this impossible, and in
my absence the command devolved on Armitage. He made
all preparations in accordance with my instructions, but was
then met with a difficulty, for when the middle of December
came the open water, instead of being up to the islets, ended
at least ten miles farther to the north. In these circumstances
he thought it dangerous to take the camp out to the ice-edge,
and decided to pitch it behind the islets as had been previously
arranged. But this, of course, meant that the sawing work had
to be commenced in the middle of the ice-sheet instead of
at its edge, with the result that I shall presently describe.

When I arrived at the camp the greater number of our
people had been at work for ten days ; the work and the
camp life had fallen into a regular routine, so that I was
able to judge at once of past results and future prospects.
Life at this sawing camp was led under such curious condi-
tions that it deserves some description. The main tent was
a very palatial abode judged by our standards of sledging life.
It was of long pent-roof shape, the dimensions being about
50 feet long and 18 feet across, and it had a door with a
small lobby at each end. The interior was divided into two
compartments by a canvas screen; the smaller, about 18 feet
in length, was for the officers, whilst the larger accommo-
dated the men. Close to this screen in the men's quarters
stood a small cooking-range mounted on boards. The floor
of both spaces was covered with tarpaulin as far as possible,
and as time went on imposing tables and stools were manufac-
tured from packing-cases. All the fur sleeping-bags were in
use, but as these were not sufficient for all hands, some slept
between blankets. However, this was no hardship, as very
little covering was needed and nearly everyone complained of

23o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec.

the heat of the tent. The temperature had been extra-
ordinarily high, sometimes rising to 350 or 360, and when the
sun shone on the dark canvas of the tent a few found the
interior so oppressive that they sought outside shelter in the
smaller sledging tents, or spread their sleeping-bags on a piece
of canvas in the open.

Thirty people were at the camp when we arrived. They
were divided into three parties of ten, which relieved one
another on the saws. The work on the latter was exceedingly
heavy, so that a four-hour spell was quite sufficient for one
party. It took them twenty minutes to get to their work, and
another twenty to get back to the tent when they were
relieved ; then, after cooking and eating a meal, they would
coil down for five or six hours, and rise in time for a fresh
meal before the next spell of work. With three parties work-
ing in this manner the preparation of meals practically never
ceased throughout the twenty-four hours, and cook succeeded
cook at the small range. Luckily this was a land of plenty.
The tent lay within 200 yards of the largest of the islets, where
the working of the ice formed spaces of open water through
which hundreds of seals rose to bask on the floe. Now and
again also a small troop of Adelie penguins would hurry
towards the tent full of curiosity — to find their way promptly
into the cooking-pot. Every other day the dog sledge came
from the ship laden with flour, biscuit, sugar, butter, and jam,
so that supplies of all sorts were readily available — and con-
stant supplies were very much needed, as my earliest impres-
sions of the camp assured me.

' It is a real treat to be amongst our people once more and
to find them in such splendid condition and spirits. I do not
think there is a whole garment in the party ; judging by the
torn and patched clothing, they might be the veriest lot of
tramps, but one would have to go far to find such sturdy
tramps. Everyone is burnt to a deep bronze colour by the
sun, but in each dark face one has not to wait long for the
smiles which show the white of teeth and clear healthy eyes.
I have been sitting on a packing-case with everyone trying to

i9o3] LIFE AT THE CAMP 231

tell me stories at once, and from the noise which has come
from beyond the screen I know that my sledge companions
have been in much the same position.

1 It appears that the work on the saws was felt very much
at first, and arms and backs became one huge ache. Every-
one had felt that if it had been leg work there would have
been no difficulty after the sledging experience, but the new
departure exercised a different set of muscles altogether, so
that after the first efforts people suffered much from stiffness ;
but this soon wore off, and then there had come the emulation
of one party against another to show which could complete the
longest cut in a four-hour spell. There had been no reason to
be alarmed about the appetites even before this work com-
menced, but as soon as it had settled down into full swing, it
was as much as the dog team and the seal killers could do to
keep up supplies. I could scarcely wonder at this from what
I saw to-night : one of the returning parties first fell on an
enormous potful of porridge, and it was gone before one could
well look round; next came a dish piled high with sizzling
seal steaks, and very soon the dish was empty ; then came the
jam course, with huge hunks of bread and "flap Johnny"
cakes, the sort of thing that is produced on a griddle, and
which I hear is very popular. Finally, after their light supper,
this party composed themselves to sleep, and very soon other
people arose and inquired how their breakfast was getting on.

1 Each party have four of these meals in the day, so that
twelve meals altogether are served in the tent. Barne's party
seem to hold the record ; it appears that they possess an
excellent cook in Smythe, and that a few days ago he prepared
for them a splendid stew which took seven penguins in the
making j after cooking this he turned his attention to making
cakes, and not until these were finished did he demand his
share of the first dish, and then he discovered that there was
none left ! Considering that a penguin is not far off the size
of a goose, I think this party deserve to retain the palm.

1 But, apart from this, I do not think I ever saw such
exuberant, overflowing health and spirits as now exist in this

23 2 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

camp. It is a good advertisement for teetotalers, as there is
no grog, and our strongest drinks are tea and cocoa, but of
course the most potent factor is the outdoor life with the hard
work and good food. Apart from the work, everyone agrees
that it has been the most splendid picnic they have ever had j
the weather on the whole has been very fine and the air quite
mild. But it is certainly well that the conditions have been so
pleasant, for I hear on all sides that the work is hopeless.
This is a matter I must see for myself, however; for the
present I have decided that to-morrow, being New Year's day,
shall be a whole holiday ; this will be a treat for all, and will
give me time to think what shall be done next.

* January i. — Last night I was irresistibly reminded of
being in a farmyard. Animals of various kinds were making
the queerest noises all about us. I lay awake in my own small
tent for a long while listening to these strange sounds. The
Weddell seal is a great musician, and can produce any note
from a shrill piping whistle to a deep moan, and between whiles
he grunts and gurgles and complains in the weirdest fashion.
As there were some hundreds of these animals on the ice, there
was a chorus of sounds like the tuning of many instruments.
To this was added the harsh, angry cawing of the skua gulls as
they quarrelled over their food, and now and again one of the
dogs would yap in his dreams, whilst from the main tent came
the more familiar snores of humanity. At first I missed one
sound from this Antarctic concert, but it came at last when the
squawk of a penguin was borne from afar on the still air ; then
the orchestra was completed.

1 Royds, Wilson, and I took a sledge and our lunch, and
went out to the ice-edge. It was farther than we expected,
and the sledge-meter showed close on ten miles before we came
to open water. Everything looked terribly stagnant ; a thick
pack, two or three miles across, hung close to the fast ice.
The day was beautiful, and one could not feel very depressed
in such weather ; but I cannot say that it is pleasing to think
that there is a solid sheet of twenty miles between us and
freedom.'

i9o4] SAWING OPERATIONS 233

'January 2. — To-day I had all hands on the saws, and
then went out to see how matters were going.'

Perhaps it would be well to pause here to describe the
nature of an ice-^saw. A typical saw such as we had is about
18 feet in length, 8 or 9 inches in depth, and \\ or 2 inches
in thickness; the teeth are naturally very coarse. It has a
wooden cross-handle at the top, and is worked by the aid of a
tripod in a very simple and primitive fashion. A rope is
attached close to the handle, and led through a block on the
tripod ; it then divides into numerous tails, to each of which a
man is stationed. When all these men pull down together the
saw is lifted, and as they release their ropes other men on the
handles press the saw forward, and it makes a downward cut.
From time to time as the saw-cut advances the tripod has to
be shifted. The arrangement will probably be well under-
stood when it is explained that the action of the men on
the ropes is very much that of bellringers, and it can be
imagined that four hours of this sort of thing is a very good
spell.

I must now ask the reader to consider what the sawing of a
channel through a solid ice-sheet actually means. It will be
obvious of course that two cuts must be made, one on each
side of the channel ; but the rest is not so evident. It lies in
the problem of how to get rid of the ice which remains in the
channel. In order to do this cross-cuts must be made at
intervals ; but this is not sufficient, for it is impossible to make
the two side-cuts exactly parallel, so that by a cross-cut alone
an irregular parallelogram is left, which will be immovable
without being broken up. The simplest manner in which this
can be effected is to make a diagonal cut right through it.
The net result of the foregoing is to show that, in order to
make a channel a mile in length, it is necessary to cut through
four miles of ice. What added difficulties there were in our
case my diary shows :

• I found that the result of twelve solid days' work was two
parallel cuts 150 yards in length, and as operations had been
commenced in the middle of the ice-sheet, instead of at the edge,

234 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

the ice between the cuts could not be detached, and in some
places it seemed to have frozen across again. I started the
saws to see how matters had been going, and was astonished at
the small result of the work. The ice was between six and seven
feet thick, and each stroke only advanced the saw a fraction of
an inch. The plain Rule of Three sum before us was, as
150 yards is to 12 days, so is 20 miles to x ; and we did not
have to work this sum out to appreciate the futility of further
operations. I therefore directed that everything except the
large tent should be taken back to the ship. The men will
attempt to make a cut round Hut Point, so as to ease matters
at the end if the ice breaks up, and the officers will be freed
for their usual scientific work. Our sawing efforts have been
an experience, but I'm afraid nothing more.

' I have been much struck by the way in which everyone
has cheerfully carried on this hopeless work until the order
came to halt. There could have been no officer or man
amongst them who did not see from the first how utterly useless
it was, and yet there has been no faltering or complaint, simply
because all have felt that, as the sailor expresses it, " Them's
the orders." '

' January 3. — Most of our company went back to the ship
yesterday afternoon; some officers remain in the large tent,
Hodgson to do some fishing and Ferrar some rock searching.
Twenty miles of ice hangs heavy upon me, and I have decided
we must be prepared for another winter. We have fifty tons of
coal left and an ample stock of provisions ; also we can now
take advantage of every resource that our region provides, for
there are evidently a large number of penguins to the north
which will make a most grateful addition to our usual seal-meat.
I have therefore told off four of the men — Lashly, Evans,
Handsley, and Clarke — to fix their headquarters in the large
tent, and to make such raids on the penguins as will assure us
a winter stock.

'This afternoon, after making these arrangements, I started
away to the north with Wilson. We are off on a real picnic ;
there is to be no hard marching, and we have made ample pro-

1904] THE OPEN WATER 235

vision for the commissariat. We know there will be number-
less seals and penguins, and we have brought plenty of butter
to cook our unsuspecting victims ; and then also we have jam
and all sorts of unheard-of sledging luxuries. Personally I
want to watch the ice-edge and see what chance there is of a
break-up ; Wilson wants to study the life in that region. There
has also been a talk of trying to get some way up Erebus, but
this means hard work, for which at present we are neither of us
inclined.

1 To-night we are camped near some rocks half way towards
the ice-edge ; there are several seals close by, and small bands
of Adelie penguins are constantly passing us. It is curious
there should be so many, as we know of no rookery near, and
it is still more curious why they should be making south, as
there is no open water beyond the few cracks near the land.
It gives us the idea that they don't quite know what they are
doing, especially since we watched the movements of one
small band ; they were travelling towards the south with every
appearance of being in a desperate hurry — flippers outspread,
heads bent forward, and little feet going for all they were
worth. Their business-like air was intensely ludicrous ; one
could imagine them saying in the fussiest manner, " Can't stop
to talk now, much too busy," and so we watched them until
their plump little bodies were mere specks, when suddenly, for
no rhyme or reason, they turned round and came hurrying
back just as fussy and busy as ever. I can't tell whether they
saw us, but to our surprise they showed no curiosity. When
they were about twenty yards beyond us again, three of them
suddenly plumped down on their breasts, drew their heads
close in, shut their eyes, and apparently went fast asleep. It
was the queerest performance ; one can imagine that in an
hour or two they will be up and off again without even giving
themselves time for a shake.'

1 January 4. — We pursued our leisurely way, skirting the
land towards the ice-edge this morning. When within half a
mile of the open water Wilson suddenly said, " There they
are." I looked round, and, lo and behold ! on the dark bare

236 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

rocks of Cape Royds there was a red smudge dotted with
thousands of little black-and-white figures — a penguin rookery
without a doubt. It is wonderful that we should have been
here two years without knowing of this, and it is exasperating
to think of the feasts of eggs we have missed. We steered
into a small bay behind the cape, climbed a steep little rock-
face, and found ourselves on a small plateau, luckily to wind-
ward of the rookery. No place could be better for our camp,
so we hauled our belongings up with the Alpine rope and
pitched our tent on a stretch of sand.

' Words fail me to describe what a delightful and interest-
ing spot this is. From our tent door we look out on to the
open sea, deep blue but dotted with snowy-white pack-ice.
Erebus towers high above us on our right, and to the left we
look away over the long stretch of fast ice to the cloud-capped
western mountains. We hear the constant chatter of the
penguins, and find a wonderful interest in watching their queer
habits ; the brown fluffy chicks are still quite small, and the
adult birds are constantly streaming to and from the sea.
Close about us many skuas are nesting j they naturally regard
us as intruders, and are terribly angry. The owners of one
nest near by are perched on a rock ; whenever we move they
arch their necks and scream with rage, and when we go out of
the tent they sweep down on us, only turning their course as
their wings brush our heads. However, if we do not disturb
their nest no doubt they will soon get used to us.

' We have seen facts to-day which throw some light on the
ferocious character of this robber gull. On returning from our
walk Wilson saw one of them swoop down on Ihe nest of
another and fly off with a stolen egg in its beak. The owner
of the nest was only a few yards away, and started in such hot
pursuit that the thief was forced to relinquish its prize, which
was dashed to pieces on the rocks. It is evident that there is
not even honour amongst thieves in the skua code of morality.

1 To-night we watched another incident in connection with
the domestic life of these birds. Close by us there is a nest
with two tiny chicks ; they might be ordinary barn-door

i904] SKUA GULLS 237

chickens but for their already formidable bill and claws, and it
is quite evident that they have not been hatched out more
than a day or two. Suddenly we saw the parent bird come
from the sea with a very fair-sized fish in its bill. It perched
on a rock and began to tear pieces from its prey and offer them
to its offspring ; the latter seized these tempting morsels with
avidity, and though they could scarcely stand they tore and
gobbled at the food with wonderful energy. But after a bit
both chicks found themselves wrestling with the same piece,
and for some time there was quite a tug of war until both
seemed to realise that this was not the way to settle such a
matter, and, as if by mutual consent, they dropped the cause
of contention and went for one another. They became perfect
little furies as they staggered about clawing and pecking at each
other. Of course they were too feeble to do any harm, and
soon fell apart exhausted, but the struggle shows that the
youthful skua possesses a very full share of original sin.

' We had a charming walk to the north side of the cape this
afternoon, where the sea is lapping lazily on a shelving sandy
beach, and where also there are several ponds with weeds and
conferva. How delightful it is to look on the sea once more !
Yet how much more delightful it would be if one could lift
the ' Discovery ' up and deposit her twenty miles to the north !

'On our return we got amongst the penguins, much to
their annoyance. They swore at us in the vilest manner, and
their feathers and tempers remained ruffled long after we had
passed them.

1 Before supper we took soap and towels down to a small
rill of thaw-water that runs within ten yards of the tent and
had a delightful wash in the warm sunlight. Then we had a
dish of fried penguins' liver with seal kidneys ; eaten straight
out of the frying-pan this was simply delicious. I have come
to the conclusion that life in the Antarctic Regions can be very
pleasant.'

* January 5. — This morning we got up in the most leisurely
fashion, and after a wash and our breakfast we lazily started to
discuss plans for the day. Our tent door was open and

238 THE VOYAGE OF THE « DISCOVERY ' [Jan.

framed the clear sea beyond, and I was gazing dreamily out
upon this patch of blue when suddenly a ship entered my field
of view. It was so unexpected that I almost rubbed my eyes
before I dared to report it, but a moment after, of course, all
became bustle and we began to search round for our boots and
other articles necessary for the march. Whilst we were thus
employed, Wilson looked up and said, "Why, there's another,"
and sure enough there were now two vessels framed in our
doorway. We had of course taken for granted that the first
ship was the " Morning," but what in the name of fortune
could be the meaning of this second one ? We propounded
all sorts of wild theories of which it need only be said that not
one was within measurable distance of the truth.

'Meanwhile we were busily donning our garments and
discussing what should be done next. The ships were making
towards the ice-edge some five miles to the westward ; our
easiest plan would be to go straight on board, but then if we
did so our companions on board the " Discovery " would know
nothing of it, and it would mean a long delay before they could
get their mails. Our duty seemed to be to consider first the
establishment of communications, so, hastily scribbling some
notes with directions for the dog team and a sledge party to
be sent down without delay, we started southward to search
for the penguin hunters in order that these notes might be
delivered.

1 We went on for a long time without seeing a sign of them,
but after travelling some six miles we caught sight of their
tent, though without any signs of life about it ; we had to come
within a hundred yards before our shouts were answered and
four very satisfied figures emerged, still munching the remains
of what evidently had been a hearty meal. Of course I thought
they had not seen the ships, but they had, only, as they ex-
plained, they didn't see there was any call for them to do any-
thing in the matter. I said, "But, good heavens, you want
your mails, don't you?" "Oh, yes, sir," they replied, "but
we thought that would be all right." In other words, they as
good as said that life was so extremely easy and pleasant that

i9o4] ARRIVAL OF THE RELIEF SHIPS 239

there was no possible object in worrying over such a trifle as
the arrival of a relief expedition. And these are the people
whom, not unnaturally, some of our friends appear to imagine
in dire straits and in need of immediate transport to civilised
conditions !

1 However j once they got their orders they were off like the
wind, and Wilson and I turned about and faced for the ships.
We were quite close before figures came hurrying forth to meet
us, but then we were soon surrounded with many familiar faces,
and with many also that were quite strange. Of course I learnt
at once that the second ship was the " Terra Nova," and that
her captain, MacKay, was an old acquaintance whom I was
more than pleased to welcome in this Far South region ; but
it was not until I had had a long talk with my good friend
Colbeck that I began to understand why a second ship had
been sent and what a strangely new aspect everything must
wear. Indeed, as I turn in to-night, amidst all the comfort
that the kindness and forethought of my " Morning " friends
have provided, I can scarcely realise the situation fully. I can
only record that in spite of the good home news, and in spite
of the pleasure of seeing old friends again, I was happier last
night than I am to-night'

And now I must briefly explain how it was that these
vessels had descended upon us like a bolt from the blue, and
what messages of comfort and discomfort they bore.

To do so I must hark back to March 2, 1902, when, as
will be remembered, the ' Morning ' left us bearing despatches
which outlined the work we had done and described our
situation and the prospect of our detention for a second
winter. The 'Morning' arrived in New Zealand in April,
and the general outline of affairs was flashed over the cables,
but received in a very garbled form ; it was not until six weeks
later that the mails brought a clear account of the situation to
those who had been so anxiously awaiting news at home. And
now for a moment I must pause to explain what this account
conveyed to those authorities at home who were responsible
for the despatch of the expedition. My report informed them

240 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

that the ' Discovery ' and all on board her were safe and well
and prepared for a second winter, but perhaps rather unfor-
tunately it referred to the return of the 'Morning' in the
following summer as a foregone conclusion and enumerated
the stores which it was advisable she should bring ; it spoke
also of our attack of scurvy, though stating that there was little
chance of its recurrence. I had been tempted to omit this
matter as calculated to cause unnecessary anxiety, but,
reflecting that the rumour might spread from some other
source and become greatly exaggerated, I had finally decided
to state the facts exactly as they were.

Such a report could leave only one impression on the
minds of the authorities to which I have referred— namely,
that at all hazards the 'Morning' must be sent South in 1903.
But this contingency, which could not easily have been fore-
seen, involved a serious difficulty, as the ' Morning ' fund was
found to be wholly inadequate to meet the requirements of
another year. There can be little doubt, I think, that had
time permitted an appeal to the public and a full explanation
of the necessities of the case, the required funds would have
been raised, but, unfortunately, time was very limited, and
already some weeks had elapsed since the reception of the
news. In these circumstances no course was left to the
Societies but to appeal to the Government, and after some
correspondence the Government agreed to undertake the
whole conduct of the relief expedition provided that the
' Morning,' as she stood, was delivered to it. These arrange-
ments being made, the Government naturally placed the active
management of affairs in the hands of the Admiralty, and a
small committee of officers was appointed by this department
to deal with it.

It is scarcely necessary to point out that when the Govern-
ment undertakes a matter of this sort it must be with larger
responsibilities than can rest on private individuals. Had the
Societies possessed the necessary funds, they would have been
quite justified in relying on the ' Morning ' to force her way to
the South as she had done before, but when the Government

i9o4] THE SECOND RELIEF EXPEDITION 241

undertook that relief should be sent, it could not afford to
entrust the fulfilment of its pledge to one small ship, which,
however ably handled, might break down or become entangled
in the ice before she reached her destination.

It was felt, therefore, that to support the Government pledge
and ensure the relief of the ' Discovery ' two ships should be
sent. This decision and the very short time which was left
for its performance brought a heavy strain on the Admiralty
Committee to which I have referred. It consisted of the
Hydrographer, Sir William Wharton, Admiral Pelham Aldrich,
and Admiral Boyes, and it is thanks to the unremitted labour
of these officers that the relief expedition was organised to that
degree of efficiency which the Government desired.

To meet the requirements of the case the ' Terra Nova,' one
of the finest of the whaling ships, was purchased and brought
to Dundee to be thoroughly refitted ; whilst there she was
completely stocked with provisions and all other necessaries
for the voyage, and a whaling crew, under the command of
Captain Harry MacKay, was engaged to navigate her. Perhaps
never before has a ship been equipped so speedily and efficiently
for polar work, and it is a striking example of what can be done
under able guidance and urgent requirement. Even when the
1 Terra Nova ' had been prepared for her long voyage in this
rapid manner the need for haste had not vanished, and it
appeared that the time still left was quite inadequate to allow
her to make the long voyage around the Cape under her own
motive power. The same high pressure was therefore continued,
and her course was directed through the Mediterranean and
Suez Canal, on which route cruiser after cruiser took her in tow
and raced her through the water at a speed which must have
surprised the barnacles on her stout wooden sides.

Thanks to this haste, however, she arrived in the South in
time to make the final preparations for her Antarctic voyage,
and towards the end of November she lay off Hobart Town
in Tasmania. In December she was joined by the ' Morning,'
and in the middle of the same month both ships sailed for the
Ross Sea. Captain Colbeck was directed to take charge of

VOL. II. R

242 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

this joint venture until such time as both ships should come
under my command. And so it came about that, much to
our surprise, two ships, instead of one, arrived off the edge of
our fast ice on January 5, 1904.

Looking back now, I can see that everything happened in
such a natural sequence that I might well have guessed that
something of the sort would come about, yet it is quite certain
that no such thought ever entered my head, and the first sight
of the two vessels conveyed nothing but blank astonishment.
But it was not the arrival of the ' Terra Nova,' whose captain
I saw from the first was anxious to do everything in his power
to fall in with my plans, that disconcerted me and prompted
that somewhat lugubrious entry in my diary which I have
quoted. This was caused by quite another matter, and one
which I might equally have guessed had I thought the problem
out on the right lines.

When the news of our detention in the ice became known
in England, it is not too much to say that the majority of those
who were capable of forming a competent opinion believed
that the ' Discovery ' would never be freed. There is no doubt
the Admiralty inclined to this opinion, but whether they did
so or not, it was equally their duty to see that the expense of
furnishing a relief expedition on such an elaborate scale should
not be incurred again in a future season, and consequently
they had no other course than to issue direct instructions to
me to abandon the ' Discovery ' if she could not be freed in
time to accompany the relief ships to the North.

When I came to understand the situation I could see clearly
the reason which dictated these instructions, but this did little
to lighten the grievous disappointment I felt on receiving them.

It does not need much further explanation, I think, to show
that the arrival of the relief ships with this mandate placed me
and my companions unavoidably in a very cruel position.
Under the most ordinary conditions, I take it, a sailor would
go through much rather than abandon his ship. But the ties
which bound us to the • Discovery ' were very far beyond the
ordinary ; they involved a depth of sentiment which cannot be

i9o4] UNWELCOME NEWS 243

surprising when it is remembered what we had been through
in her and what a comfortable home she had proved in all the
rigours of this Southern region.

In spite of our long detention in the ice, the thought of
leaving her had never entered our heads. Throughout the
second winter we had grown ever more assured that she would
be freed if we had the patience to wait ; we could not bring
ourselves to believe — and, as events proved, quite rightly — that
the ice-sheet about us was a permanency. When the end of
December came and we still found twenty miles between us
and the open sea, we had small fits of depression such as my
diary showed ; but, as is also shown, they did not interfere
with the healthy, happy course of our lives, and any one of us
would have scouted the idea that hope should be abandoned.
We had felt that at the worst this only opened up for us the
prospect of a third winter, and we had determined that if we
had to go through with it, it would not be our fault if we were
not comfortable.

It was from this easy and passably contented frame of mind
that we were rudely awakened. The situation we were now
obliged to face was that if the twenty-mile plain of ice refused
to break up within six weeks, we must bid a long farewell to
our well-beloved ship and return to our homes as castaways
with the sense of failure dominating the result of our labours.
And so with the advent of the relief ships there fell on the
• Discovery ' the first and last cloud of gloom which we were
destined to experience. As day followed day without improve-
ment in the ice conditions, the gloom deepened until our faces
grew so long that one might well have imagined an Antarctic
expedition to be a very woeful affair.

As we were very human also, it may be confessed that not
a little of our discontent arose from wounded vanity. By this
time we considered ourselves very able to cope with any situa-
tion that might arise, and believed that we were quite capable
of looking after ourselves. It was not a little trying, therefore,
to be offered relief to an extent which seemed to suggest that
we had been reduced to the direst need. No healthy man

R 2

244 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY' [Jan.

likes to be thought an invalid, and there are few of us who
have not at some time felt embarrassed by an excess of con-
sideration for our needs.

Although the month that followed the arrival of the relief
ships was on the whole a very dismal one, it was by no means
uneventful ; in fact, it was a season which displayed the most
extraordinary ups and down in our fortunes, and therefore I
take up the tale once more with extracts from my diary :

4 January 7. — I write again in camp at Cape Royds, where
I have joined Wilson to get some quiet in order to read my
letters and consider the situation. I don't know in what state
the relief ships expected to find us, but I think they must
have soon appreciated that we were very much alive. The
messages I sent back to the " Discovery " on the 5 th were
carried at such speed that by 10 p.m. the dog team arrived at
the ice-edge. This meant that my orders had been conveyed
forty miles in twelve hours. Early the next morning the first
sledge team of men arrived and departed with a large load of
parcels and presents. These by arrangement were taken to
the main camp, whence another party took them to the ship,
and so our friends saw teams of our distressful company
coming north with a swinging march, appearing on board with
very brown faces and only waiting for their sledges to be loaded
before they vanished over the horizon again. The number of
parcels sent by our kind friends in England and New Zealand
is enormous, but as one cannot tell what each contains till the
owner opens it, I decided to send all.

1 Conditions at the ice-edge have been absolutely quiescent,
the weather calm and bright, and the loose pack coming and
going with the tide ; not a single piece has broken away from
the main sheet. I asked Colbeck to start his people on an
ice-saw to give them an idea of what the work was like ; a
single day was quite enough for them. MacKay suggested
that he should get up a full head of steam and attempt to
break the ice up by ramming, or, as he says, "butting" it.
He has little hope of success, but points out that the " Terra
Nova " is a powerful steamer, and may accomplish something ;

i9o4] ARRANGING FOR ABANDONMENT 245

for my part, except as regards damage to his ship, I think he
might as well try to " butt " through Cape Royds. However,
he is to make the attempt to-morrow or the next day, and it is
perhaps as well that every expedient should be tried. We can
but try every means in our power and leave Providence to do
the rest ; but it looks as though Providence will have a very
large share.

* There is a light snowfall to-night ; the penguins are un-
usually quiet, and the skuas lie low on the rocks; does this
mean a blow ? It is a curious irony of fate that makes one
pray for a gale in these regions, but at present bad weather
seems the only thing that can help us.'

1 January 9. — At the main camp. Came up from Cape
Royds last night intending to reach the ship this morning.
This resulted in rather a curious experience. I started early
and trudged on towards the ship through snow that has be-
come rather deep and sticky. Half-way across the air grew
thick and misty. I lost sight of all landmarks, but went on
for some time guided by the sun, which showed faintly at my
back. After a while the sun vanished, but thinking I might
make some sort of general direction I turned towards the land
and plodded on ; for nearly an hour I saw nothing, but then
suddenly came across fresh footsteps ; they were my own !
I naturally decided that this was not good enough, so turned
to retrace the track towards the camp; a mile back I fell across
a sledge party, and on inquiring where they were going was
told that they had been following my footsteps to the ship.
Needless to say, we are all back at the main camp again.'

'January 10. — Reached the ship this morning and this
afternoon assembled all hands on the mess-deck, where I told
them exactly how matters stood. There was a stony silence.
I have not heard a laugh in the ship since I returned.'

* January 11. — I have decided to arrange for the transport
of our collections and instruments to the relief ships. To-day
the officers have been busy making out lists of the things to be
sent.'

'January 13. — For some time we have had a flagstaff on

246 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

the Tent Islet, ten miles to the north, and a system of signals
in connection with it descriptive of the changes in the ice
conditions. A flag or shape is hoisted on the staff each morn-
ing which has a special meaning in our code, and each morning
our telescope is anxiously trained towards it. Up to the pre-
sent only one signal has been read : it signifies " No change
in the ice conditions." I don't know whether it is worse to
be on board the relief ships and observe the monotony of the
changeless conditions or to be here and observe the terrible
sameness of that signal. Our people have been steadily
struggling on with the ice-saw off Hut Point ; the work is
even heavier than it was to the north, as the ice is thicker and
more deeply covered with snow. I have kept it going more
as an occupation than from any hope of useful result, but to-
day it has been stopped.'

'January 15. — I thought for some time about the advisa-
bility of starting to transport our valuables. The distance is
long, and with the recent snowfall the work will be very heavy,
but what I think principally held me back was the thought
that it might be taken as a sign that we are giving up hope.
Bad as things are, we are not reduced to that yet. In the end,
however, I reflected that, whether the " Discovery " gets out or
not, there is no reason why the relief ships should not carry
our collections and instruments back to civilisation, and mean-
while the work of transport will relieve the terrible monotony
of waiting. There is, perhaps, nothing so trying in our situa-
tion as the sense of impotence. I have decided, therefore,
to set things going ; our parties will drag the loads down to
the main camp, and the crews of the relief ships will share the
work of taking them on. Royds has gone north to arrange
the details, and also to try some experiments with explosives.
I have told him not to use much of the latter, as the distance
is so great that it would only be waste to undertake serious
operations of this sort at present. 1 merely want to know
exactly how to set about the work when the time comes, if it
ever does come.'

January 21. — Wilson returned to the ship to-night after a

i9o4] CAPTURE OF A SEA ELEPHANT 247

long spell at the Cape Royds camp, and told me all about his
great capture. It appears that one day he strolled over to the
north beach to see what he at first took for a prodigiously
large seal lying asleep on it. As he got closer he saw, however,
that the animal was quite different from any of the ordinary
Southern seals, and his excitement can be imagined. Two of
the " Morning " officers were in camp with him, and when
Wilson had seized the gun the three proceeded to stalk this
strange new beast. Their great fear was that they might only
succeed in wounding it, and that it would escape into the sea,
so in spite of the temperature of the water they waded well
round it before they attacked. These tactics proved quite
successful, and their quarry was soon despatched, but it was
far too heavy for them to move or for Wilson to examine
where it lay. The following day, however, Colbeck came over
in the " Morning," and with the aid of boats and ropes the
carcase was eventually landed on his decks.

1 On close examination Wilson came to the conclusion that
the animal is a sea-elephant of the species commonly found at
Macquarie Island, but this is the first time that such a beast
has been found within the Antarctic Circle : and that it should
now have been captured so many hundreds of miles beyond is
a very extraordinary circumstance. The sea-elephant is, I
believe, a vegetarian ; the stomach of this one was empty.'

I may remark that we got to know this particular sea
elephant very well. As a rule, skeletons which are bound for
the British Museum are not cleaned until they arrive on the
premises, in order that there may be no difficulty in reassem-
bling the parts. In accordance with this custom, the skeleton of
this animal was carried on the skid beam of the ' Discovery ' in
a partially stripped state. All went well until we arrived in the
tropics, but after that we had no chance of forgetting that we
carried the remains of a sea elephant. Shift it from place to
place as we would, it made its presence felt everywhere. In
the end the Museum came very close to losing a specimen,
and I doubt if it possesses many that have caused more woe.

1 January 23. — Since the start of our transporting work

248 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan.

more than a week ago, the weather has changed. We have
had a great deal of wind from the east and south-east with
drifting snow, and an almost continuously overcast sky. The
work has been impeded, but by steadily pushing on we have
managed to accomplish a good deal. Our people go out all
together and drag four heavily laden sledges down to the main
camp; there they remain for the night, and return on the
following day. The relief ships work the remainder of the
distance in much the same way. We keep a cook at the main
camp to provide the necessary meals. Hodgson, Bernacchi,
and Mulock have been down to the ships to see to the storage
of our belongings. Most of them will go in the " Terra Nova,"
which has the greater accommodation.

1 From these sources or from notes which come every other
day I receive accounts of the ice. I scarcely like to write that
things are looking more hopeful. Nothing happened until the
1 8th, but on that day some large pieces broke away, and since
that the ships have made steady but slow progress. I estimate
from reports that they are four or five miles nearer than when
I was down a fortnight ago. I learn that the " Terra Nova's "
" butting " came to naught, as I expected ; she could make no
impression on the solid sheet, though she rammed it full tilt.'

'January 24. — Our people report that the ships were again
on the move last night, and this morning did not appear to be
more than three miles from the camp. I have been calculating
that for things to be as they were in the year of our arrival
thirteen or fourteen miles of ice must go out in fifteen days —
nearly an average of a mile a day, whereas I scarcely like to
think what a difference this would be from what has happened
in the last fifteen days. We are at present behind last year's
date as regards the ice, but, on the other hand, the recent winds
have swept the pack away — a condition that never happened
last year.'

* January 27. — Yesterday the large tent was shifted two
miles this way, and is now this side of the glacier tongue ; this
is by way of equalising the distance for the transporting parties,
but our people have still much the longer distance to travel.

I0O4] THE ICE BREAKING AWAY 249

Advices from the relief ships inform me that the ice is still
breaking away, but not so rapidly as at the beginning of the
week. I fear, I much fear, that things are going badly for us.'

'•January 28. — This morning as I lay in my bunk, I was
astonished to hear the ship creaking. On getting up I found
that she was moving in the ice with a very slow rhythmic
motion. After breakfast we all went out to Hut Point and
found that the whole ice-sheet was swaying very slightly under
the action of a long swell ; its edge against the land was rising
and falling as much as 18 inches. This is the most promising
event that has happened ; we have not known such a thing
since our first imprisonment. It is too thick to see what is
happening to seaward, but one cannot but regard this as a hopeful
sign. We are all very restless, constantly dashing up the hill
to the look-out station or wandering from place to place to
observe the effects of the swell. But it is long since we
enjoyed such a cheerful experience as we get on watching the
loose pieces of ice jostling one another at Hut Point.'

iJa?iuary 29. — Still no definite news of what is happening
to seaward. The ship worked loose yesterday, and moves an
inch or two in her icy bed. This has caused a great increase
in the creaking and groaning of the timbers. This pleasant
music is now almost continuous, and one feels immensely
cheered till one goes up the hill and looks out on the long
miles of ice and the misty screen which hides the sea. I grow
a little sceptical of reports which tell of the departure of a mile
or half a mile of ice, for if all these distances could be added
together the relief ships should have been at Hut Point by
now.'

'January 30. — Went up the hill with Koettlitz, and saw a
most cheering sight. The ice has broken away well inside the
glacier, and the relief ships are not much more than eight
miles away. Through the telescope one can see the hull and
rigging very distinctly, and even the figures of men walking
about.

' Later came full reports from the ships with excellent
news, Colbeck tells me that during the last few days there

250 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

has been a great change. On the 26th the open water ex-
tended to the outer islet, on the 28th to the inner one, and
now it has reached inside the glacier. The ice broke away in
very large sheets, and so rapidly that he was carried away to
the westward. As if to show contempt for our puny efforts, the
scene of our sawing labours was carried away in the centre of a
large floe ; our feeble scratches did not even help to form one
of the cracks which broke up the ice-sheet about them. In
the last five days fully six miles of ice have broken away, so
that we are all inclined to be very cheerful again. There is
only one drawback : the swell is slowly but surely dying away,
and there is no doubt that we are entirely dependent on it.'

1 February 1. — We seem to be hanging in the balance, with
even chances either way. On the one hand, the swell has died
away, the ice is very quiet again, and one remembers that we
are not really further advanced than we were at this time last
year ; on the other, we hear the hopeful sign of a clear sea to
the north, and the knowledge that a swell will have full
freedom of action. It's a toss-up.

1 The work of transport has been going on steadily, and a
few more days will see its finish. The main tent is now about
five miles from the ship, so that the work progresses more
speedily. All our scientific collections and most of the valuable
instruments were taken across some time ago ; then followed
the scientific library, a very heavy item ; and now some of our
personal effects and the pictures, &c, from the wardroom are
packed for transit. Our living quarters are beginning to look
bare and unfurnished, but we shall not mind that a particle if
we can only get out.

' I find myself growing ridiculously superstitious, and cannot
banish the notion that if we make every preparation for leaving
the "Discovery," Nature with its usual cussedness will free
her.'

* February 3. — I imagine the ice all over the sound has
been thinning underneath ; off the various headlands it has
rotted right through to a greater extent than it did last year.
There is a very large open pool off Cape Armitage, and another

X904] EXPLOSIONS 251

smaller one off Hut Point, beyond which the ice is very thin
and treacherous for three or four hundred yards. The sledge
parties have to go a long way round to avoid this, though un-
loaded travellers can climb over the land and down on to the
firm ice in Arrival Bay.

' For some days now there has been practically no advance
in the ice conditions. Our spirits are steadily falling again,
and I am just off to the " Morning " to see if anything more
can be done.'

* February 4. — On board the "Morning." The ships are
lying about one and a half mile inside the glacier, where they
have been without change for the last three days. I have
discontinued transport work for the present. It has been a
lovely calm, bright day— alas ! much too calm and bright. I
cannot describe how irritating it is to endure these placid con-
ditions as the time speeds along. There being nothing else to
be done, Colbeck took me round the glacier tongue in the
" Morning," and we sounded on both sides, getting most extra-
ordinarily regular depths of 230 to 240 fathoms, except at one
inlet on the north side, where we got 170. In the afternoon
we climbed to the top of the Tent Islet (480 feet) and brought
down the telescope and flags left by the signalling party. The
ice to the westward is not broken away so far as I expected ;
altogether the view was not inspiriting. Spent the evening
with Captain MacKay, who is excellent company for a depressed
state of mind.'

' February 5. — I did not want to begin explosions whilst
the distance was so great, but on considering the stagnant
condition of affairs I decided to make a start to-day. It has
been evident to me for some time that if explosives are to be
of any use, they must be expended freely, and so to-day we
experimented in this direction. To explain matters, it is
necessary to describe the condition of the fast ice. Its edge
starts about a mile from the end of the glacier, and after a
sweep to the south turns to the west, in which direction it
runs for five or six miles before it gradually turns to the north j
any point along this long western line is more or less equi-

252 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

distant from the " Discovery." As one approaches the open
water from the south, one crosses a series of cracks which run
for miles parallel to each other and to the ice-edge ; this is the
first step that the swell makes towards breaking up the sheet.
These cracks are from 50 to 150 yards apart, and according to
the dimensions of the swell there may be any number from two
or three to a dozen. They are constantly working, those near
the ice-edge of course more perceptibly than the others. After
one of the long strips thus formed has been working for some
time a transverse crack suddenly appears, and then a piece
breaks away, usually at the eastern end ; and very soon after
it is weakened in this manner the rest of the strip peels away
right across the bay. I have now seen two or three strips go
in this manner, and it appears to me that what we require to
do is to get ahead of Nature by forming the transverse cracks.
To-day, therefore, I planted the charges at intervals in line
with the " Discovery," and with a specially made electric circuit
blew them up together. On the whole the result was satis-
factory ; we formed a transverse crack and the strip under
which the charges had been placed went out within the hour.
It is not a great gain, and the expenditure of material is large,
but I think the result justifies an attempt to continue the work
on properly organised lines. I have therefore sent to the " Dis-
covery " for a party of our special torpedo men who will continue
to fit, place and fire the charges whilst the men of the relief
ships go on digging the holes. I feel that the utility of these
explosives depends entirely on the swell ; we can do nothing
unless Nature helps us ; on the other hand, we in turn may
help Nature.

1 February 6. — We have started our explosive work in full
swing, and all hands are working very vigorously at it. We
have had eight men from the "Terra Nova" and seven from
the " Morning " digging holes. I went along first and planted
small sticks where these holes were to be dug ; then the men
set to, three at each hole.

' The ice is from five to six feet in thickness, and the work
is quite easy until the hole is two or three feet deep, but then

1904] DANGEROUS WORK 253

it becomes hard and tiresome, and can be continued only by
chipping away with long-handled implements and occasionally
clearing out the detached pieces with a shovel. The worst
part comes when the water is admitted, as this happens before
the bottom of the hole can be knocked out, and it is most
difficult to continue the chipping under water ; in fact, towards
the end of the day we gave up attempting to do this, and
decided that it was better to blow the bottom out with a small
charge. Whilst the holes were being dug, our own " Discovery "
party were busily fitting and firing charges ; this is dangerous
work of course, and I have been very careful to see that proper
precautions are taken. The charge fitters are isolated in a tent
some way from the scene of action, and the fitted charges are
brought up on a sledge under proper custody, and handled only
by our own experts. The battery is kept on a small sledge of
its own, and can thus be taken out of reach of the electric
circuits when not in use.

1 We are doing things on a large scale ; three charges are
fired together, and each charge contains 35 lbs of guncotton.
When three holes are finished, a charge is taken to each with
a small line five fathoms long attached to it ; then the electric
wires are joined up and the charges are lowered under water to
the extent of their lines, everyone clears away from the region,
and the battery is run up to the other end of the wires, a
hundred and fifty yards away. When all is ready the key is
pressed. Then the whole floe rises as though there were an
earthquake ; three mighty columns of water and ice shoot up
into the sky, rising high above the masts of the ships ; there is
a patter of falling ice-blocks and then quiet again. One might
imagine that nothing could withstand such prodigious force
until one walks up and finds that beyond three gaping blackened
craters there is nothing to show for that vast upheaval — at
least, nothing that can be detected with a casual glance ; but a
close scrutiny of the surface between the holes generally shows
that after all something has been effected, for from each hole a
number of minute cracks radiate, and one can see that in two
or three places these have joined. At first these cracks are so

254 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

thin as to be scarcely discernible, but if one watches on for ten
minutes or more, one can detect the fact that they are very gradu-
ally opening ; half an hour later they may be a quarter of an inch
in width, and then it is possible to see that the ice on each side
is moving unequally. This is the beginning of the end, for in
an hour or two the broken floe, small enough in area but con-
taining many hundreds of tons of ice, will quietly detach itself
and float calmly away to the north.

' It is in this manner, therefore, that we now hope to reach
the " Discovery," if only the swell will hold. We have advanced
about a third of a mile to-day, though how much is due to our
own efforts, and how much to the ordinary course of Nature,
we cannot tell, nor do we much care as long as the advance is
made.'

'February 7. — We certainly have curious ups and downs of
fortune. This forenoon nothing happened after our explosion,
and I felt very despondent, but after lunch as I was sitting in
Colbeck's cabin, he suddenly rushed down to say that an
enormous piece was breaking away — and sure enough when
I got on deck I found that a floe from a half to three-quarters
of a mile across was quietly going out to sea. The men of the
relief ships are working like Trojans at the hole-digging ; they
are taking a keen interest in the proceedings and are especially
delighted with the explosions. There is a competition in
cutting the holes, and some take particular care in making
them very neat and round regardless of the fact that in half
an hour their handiwork will be blown to pieces. The best
implement for this work is a sort of spud with a sharp cutting
edge at the bottom. We are short of good tools of this sort,
but the " Terra Nova's " blacksmith and our own engineers are
busy making more.'

February 8. — Wretched luck to-day. It is quite calm, and
the swell has almost vanished ; the floes that broke away last
night are still hanging about the ice-edge and damping what
little swell remains. Barne has a bad attack of snow-blindness,
and so Evans, of the " Morning," relieves him for the present
in the charge of explosive operations.'

i9o4J ANXIOUS DAYS 255

1 February 9, — On board 'the "Discovery." Our hopes,
which were high on the 7th, have fallen again to a low ebb.
Last night a few of the broken floes cleared away, but the
swell did not return. Explosions were continued, but with
little result. However, I felt that we could do no more than
work on systematically, and as that has now been arranged
I saw no object in my staying on board the " Morning,"
whereupon, asking Colbeck to superintend operations, I jour-
neyed homeward again.

'At this date two years ago the ice had broken back to
Hut Point, and now it is fast for six miles beyond ; one never
appreciates what a distance six miles is till one comes to walk
over it, and as I plodded homeward for two hours to-day I am
bound to confess my heart gradually sank into my boots.
There would be nothing to worry about if we only had time
on our side, but each day now the sun is sinking lower and
the air getting colder. It is only a matter of days now before
the season closes.'

''February 10. — To-day I have done very little but walk
restlessly about. Twice I have been up to the observation
station on Arrival Heights. On this vantage point some 500
feet up we have a large telescope with which we can see pretty
clearly what is happening at the ice-edge, and sad to relate it
is very little.

'The ice about Hut Point is now so thin as to be dan-
gerous for a long way out. Crean fell in yesterday, and had
a very narrow shave, as he could not attempt to swim amongst
the sodden brash-ice. Luckily he kept his head, and remained
still until the others were able to run for a rope and haul him
out. To avoid this in future we have constructed a roadway
over the land so that sledges can be hauled up the steep snow-
slope from Arrival Bay. Everyone now is making an effort to
be cheerful, but it is an obvious effort.

' I have made every arrangement for abandoning the ship.
I have allotted the officers and men to the relief ships and
drawn up instructions for the latter. The " Morning," I think,
ought to be outside the strait by the 25th, but the " Terra

256 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

Nova" with her greater power can remain perhaps a week
longer. I don't think I ever had a more depressing evening's
work.'

'February n. — Awoke this morning to find a light
southerly wind and the air filled with snow. We could see
nothing but the dismal grey wall all around us, and, as may
be imagined, the general gloom was not much lightened by
the view of things without ; and yet, as always seems to
happen to us, when things look blackest the sun breaks
through. This morning I sent the dog team over with the
laboured instructions which I wrote last night. A few hours
later it returned with a note to say the ice was breaking up
fast. A good deal had gone out in the night and more in the
morning. At eight o'clock Doorly, of the " Morning," arrived
with a second letter to say that the afternoon had proved
equally propitious, and to ask that more men might be sent to
dig holes for the explosives. Half an hour later Royds was
away with a party of ten men, and since that I have been able
to do nothing but record these pleasant facts. I can't think
that much excitement of this sort would be good for us.'

1 February 12. — The weather was clearer this morning, but
the sky still overcast. We were out at Hut Point early, and
the difference in distance of the ships was obvious at a glance,
so from there we dashed up Arrival Heights. From our
observation station we could now see everything. The
" Terra Nova " was just picking up our large tent, which was a
little over four miles from Hut Point, but the " Morning " was
to the westward and quite half a mile nearer, and it was here
that the explosive work was being pushed vigorously forward ;
one could see the tiny groups of figures digging away at the
holes. This afternoon I went down to the "Morning," and
arrived after a walk of three-quarters of an hour. I learnt that
there had been a considerable swell, but that it was now
decreasing rapidly and things were growing quieter again ; the
explosions to-day had not done much, and the broken ice was
again hanging about the edge instead of drifting to the north.
To-night matters are not quite so pleasing again ; I don't

i9o4] FINAL BREAK-UP OF THE ICE 257

fancy another long wait for a swell, yet one has to remember
that appearances are very different from what they were two
nights ago.'

{ February 13. — Thick weather again to-day ; have seen
or heard nothing from the ice-edge. Very anxious for a
clearance.'

' February 14. — So much has happened to-night that I
have some difficulty in remembering the events of the day.
This morning the wind was strong from the south-east and
carried a good deal of drift ; although one could see the relief
ships, one could not make out what was happening with
regard to the work, or whether the ice was breaking away.
The afternoon found us in very much the same condition,
and even by dinner-time we had no definite news.

• It was not until we were quietly eating this meal that the
excitement first commenced, when we heard a shout on deck
and a voice sang out down the hatchway, "The ships are
coming, sir ! "

1 There was no more dinner, and in one minute we were
racing for Hut Point, where a glorious sight met our view.
The ice was breaking up right across the strait, and with a
rapidity which we had not thought possible. No sooner was
one great floe borne away than a dark streak cut its way into
the solid sheet that remained and carved out another, to feed
the broad stream of pack which was hurrying away to the
north-west.

c I have never witnessed a more impressive sight ; the sun
was low behind us, the surface of the ice-sheet in front was
intensely white, and in contrast the distant sea and its forking
leads looked almost black. The wind had fallen to a calm,
and not a sound disturbed the stillness about us.

' Yet in the midst of this peaceful silence was an awful
unseen agency rending that great ice-sheet as though it had
been naught but the thinnest paper. We knew well by this
time the nature of our prison bars ; we had not plodded again
and again over those long dreary miles of snow without
realising the formidable strength of the great barrier which
vol. 11. s

258 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

held us bound ; we knew that the heaviest battleship would
have shattered itself ineffectually against it, and we had seen a
million-ton iceberg brought to rest at its edge. For weeks we
had been struggling with this mighty obstacle, controlling the
most powerful disruptive forces that the intelligence of man
has devised, but only to realise more completely the inadequacy
of our powers. Even Nature had seemed to pause before such
a vast difficulty, and had hitherto delivered her attacks with
such sluggish force that we had reasonably doubted her ability
to conquer it before the grip of the winter arrested her efforts.
1 But now without a word, without an effort on our part, it
was all melting away, and we knew that in an hour or two not
a vestige of it would be left, and that the open sea would be
lapping on the black rocks of Hut Point.

' Fast as the ice was breaking, it was not fast enough for
our gallant relief ships ; already we could see them battling
through the floes with a full head of steam and with their bows
ever pressing forward on the yet unbroken sheet; working this
way and that, they saw the long cracks shot out before them
and in a moment their armoured stems were thrust into them
and they forged ahead again in new and rapidly widening
channels. There was evidently a race as to which should be
first to pass beyond the flagstaff round which our small
company had clustered, but the little " Morning," with her
bluff bows and weak engines, could scarcely expect to hold
her own against her finer-built and more powerful competitor.

'By ten o'clock we could observe the details of the
game and watch each turn and twist with a knowledge of its
immediate cause. By 10.30 we could see the splintering of
the ice as they crashed into the floes and hear the hoarse
shouts of the men as, wild with excitement, they cheered each
fresh success. Scarcely half-a-mile of ice remained between
us, and now the contest became keener, and the crew of the
"Terra Nova" gathered together by word of command and
ran from side to side of their ship till she rolled heavily and
seemed to shake herself, as the force of each rush was gradually
expended and she fell back to gather way for a fresh attack ;

i9o4] DRAMATIC APPROACH OF THE SHIPS 259

but in spite of all her efforts the persistent little " Morning,"
dodging right and left and seizing every chance opening, kept
doggedly at her side, and it still seemed a chance as to who
should be first to reach that coveted goal, the open pool of
water at our feet.

'Meanwhile our small community in their nondescript,
tattered garments stood breathlessly watching this wonderful
scene. For long intervals we remained almost spell-bound,
and then a burst of frenzied cheering broke out. It seemed
to us almost too good to be real. By eleven o'clock all the
thick ice had vanished, and there remained only the thin area
of decayed floe which has lately made the approach to the ship
so dangerous j a few minutes later the " Terra Nova " forged
ahead and came crashing into the open, to be followed almost
immediately by her stout little companion, and soon both ships
were firmly anchored to all that remains of the " Discovery's "
prison, the wedge that still holds in our small bay.

'It seems unnecessary to describe all that has followed:
how everyone has been dashing about madly from ship to
ship, how everyone shook everyone else by the hand, how our
small bay has become a scene of wild revelry, and how some
have now reached that state which places them in doubt as to
which ship they really belong to. Much can be excused on
such a night.

'And so to-night the ships of our small fleet are lying
almost side by side; a rope from the "Terra Nova" is
actually secured to the " Discovery." Who could have thought
it possible? Certainly not we who have lived through the
trying scenes of the past month.'

'February 15. — The rapid passage of events has caught us
unprepared, and to-day all hands have been employed in
making up for lost time. It has been a busy day ; our own
men have been on board making things ship-shape and trim,
whilst parties from the other ships have been digging ice and
bringing it on board to fill our boilers. The small wedge of
sea-ice that still remains in our bay is cracked in many places,
and no doubt it would go out of its own accord in the course

26o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Fes.

of a few days, but I am now all impatience to be away, and
therefore contemplate expediting matters by some explosions.
To make the necessary holes in the ice I have been obliged to
call in the assistance of the officers, who have been digging
away busily, but it has been no light matter to get through, for
the ice at the edge is twelve feet thick, whilst closer to the ship
it runs from fifteen to seventeen feet. We shall work all night
till our boilers are filled, but what a very different matter work
is under these new conditions ! Faces have regained the old
cheerful expression, and already the wags are finding new
subjects for their sallies.'

''February 16. — I felt much too restless to go to bed last
night, and so after spending the evening with my fellow
captains I wandered about to see how the work went, and
presently mustered the explosion party and prepared a large
charge containing 67 lbs. of gun-cotton. We lowered this
carefully into a hole some fifteen yards ahead of the ship, and
at 1 A.M., regardless of the feelings of the sleepers, blew it up.
It shook the whole bay, and I fear awakened all those who
slumbered, but its effects were much what I had hoped. The
ice, which had been very solid about the " Discovery," now
showed cracks in all directions, and I knew I could go to bed
with the hope of finding many of these well open when I arose.
After breakfast I found this had duly happened. Nearly all
had opened out an inch or two, whilst one from the stern of the
ship was gaping a foot or more in width ; our ship work was
completed, and nothing remained but the last stroke for
freedom.

' So the last explosive charge was borne out and lowered
into the yawning crack astern of the ship, the wires were
brought on board and everyone was directed to seek shelter.
When all was ready, I pressed the firing key ; there was a
thunderous report which shook the ship throughout, and then
all was calm again. For a brief moment one might have
imagined that nothing had happened, but then one saw that
each crack was slowly widen ng ; presently there came the
gurgle of water as it was sucked into our opening ice-bed, and

1904] THE < DISCOVERY' FREE 261

in another minute there was a creaking aft and our stern rose
with a jump as the keel was freed from the ice which had held
it down. Then, as the great mass of ice on our port hand
slowly glided out to sea our good ship swung gently round and
lay peacefully riding to her anchors with the blue water lapping
against her sides.'

Thus it was that after she had afforded us shelter and com-
fort for two full years, and after we had borne a heavy burden
of anxiety on her behalf, our good ship was spared to take us
homeward. On February 16, 1904, the 'Discovery ' came to
her own again— the right to ride the high seas.

262 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

CHAPTER XX

HOMEWARD BOUND

Memorial to our Lost Shipmate— Gale Commences — Ship Driven on
Shore — Gloomy Outlook —Sudden Escape — Coaling — Driven North
— Departure of ' Morning ' — Wood Bay — Trouble with Pumps —
Possession Islands — Rudder Disabled — Robertson Bay — Rudder
Replaced — Towards Cape North— Heavy Pack — Skirting Pack —
1 Terra Nova' Parts Company — Balleny Islands — Over Wilkes' Land
— Turning North — The Last Iceberg — Auckland Islands — Reassembly
— New Zealand again — Voyage Homeward — Completion of our
Work — Our First Monotony — Home.

Now strike yr sails, yee jolly mariners,

For we are come into a quiet rode

Where we must land some of our passengers

And light this wearie vessel of her lode.

Here she awhile may make her safe abode

Till she repaired have her tackles spent

And wants supplied ; and then again abroad

On the long voyage whereto she is bent

Well may she speede and fairly finish her intent. — Spenser.

I wish I could convey some idea of our feelings when the
1 Discovery ' was once more floating freely on the sea, but I
doubt if any written words could express how good it was to
walk up and down the familiar bridge, to watch the gentle
movement of the ship as she swung to and fro on the tide, to
feel the throb of the capstan engine as we weighed one of our
anchors, to glance aloft and know that sails and ropes had
now some meaning, to see the men bustling about with their
old sailor habit, and to know that our vessel was once more

i9o4] SHORTAGE OF COAL 263

able to do those things for which a ship is built. It is sufficient
to say that it would have been hard to find a prouder or happier
ship's company than we were that day.

But with all our feelings of elation we did not imagine that
our troubles were at an end; we knew that it was far from
likely that after so long a period of disuse everything would be
found to work smoothly, and we knew also that if we were to
carry out the remainder of the programme which we had set
ourselves there must be no delay in getting to work. It had
always been my intention when the ' Discovery ' was freed from
the ice to devote what remained of the navigable season to an
exploration of that interesting region which lay to the westward
of Cape North, but now, arter two years' imprisonment, we
lacked what constituted a primniy necessity for such a scheme;
our long detention had made a deep inroad into our coal
supply, and after lighting fires in our main boilers and raising
steam afresh we found ourselves with barely forty tons remain-
ing— an amount on which it would have been most difficult for
us to reach New Zealand, and which absolutely precluded all
idea of further exploration.

One of my first inquiries, therefore, on the arrival of the
relief ships had been to find out the amount of this valuable
commodity with which they could afford to supply us in the
event of our release. At first they had been able to name a
very satisfactory figure, but after the long month of combat
with ice and wind which had just passed their powers of assist-
ance had been greatly diminished ; and now I saw, to my
disappointment, that even at the best we should only increase
our stock by an amount which would ensure our safe return
to New Zealand, without leaving any adequate margin for
exploring work. However, it was no use deploring facts which
could not be altered. I determined to get all that could be
spared without delay, and to use it as far as possible in carry-
ing out our original programme.

As the ' Discovery ' seemed to be lying very snugly at
anchor, we decided to get in what we could whilst we remained
in the shelter of our small bay, and on the afternoon of the

264 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

i 6th the 'Terra Nova' came alongside us to hand over her
supply. Thus a few hours after our release the two ships lay
snugly berthed together, busily securing whips and yards for
the transfer of coal which was to commence on the following
morning. The afternoon was beautifully calm and bright, and
the weather seemed to smile peacefully on the termination of
our long and successful struggle with the ice. We little
guessed what lay before us, and assuredly if ever the treacher-
ous nature of the Antarctic climate and the need for the
explorer to be constantly on guard were shown it was by our
experiences of the succeeding twenty-four hours, of which my
diary gives the following account :

'-February 16. — We have felt that our last act before leaving
the region which has been our home for so long should be one
of homage to the shipmate who sacrificed his life to our work.
We have had a large wooden cross prepared for some time ;
it bears a simple carved inscription to the memory of poor
Vince, and yesterday it was erected on the summit of Hut
Point, so firmly that I think in this undecaying climate it
will stand for centuries. To-day our small company landed
together for the last time, and stood bareheaded about this
memorial whilst I read some short prayers. It was calm, but
the sky had become heavily overcast and light snow was
falling on our heads. The little ceremony brought sad re-
collections, but perhaps also a feeling of gratitude for escapes
from many accidents which might well have added to the
single name which the memorial bears.

1 The water was oily calm as we pulled back to the ship,
and the sky very gloomy and threatening, but this sort of
weather has been so common we thought little of it. It had
been decided that as to-day was the first time Captain MacKay
had set foot on board the " Discovery," we should show him
and his officers what an Antarctic feast was like. Accordingly
by dinner-time our cooks had prepared very savoury dishes of
seal and penguin, and we sat down, a very merry party, to
discuss them. In the midst of dinner word came down that
the wind had sprung up, and although I did not expect to

1904] A GALE COMMENCES 265

find anything serious I thought it as well to go up and see
how the land lay. On stepping out into the open, however,
I saw we were in for a stiff blow, and had reluctantly to inform
our guests of the fact. MacKay took one glance at the sky
and was over the rail like a shot, followed by as many of his
people as could be collected at such short notice. In a
minute or two the warps were cast off, and the "Terra Nova"
was steaming for the open, where she was soon lost in the drift.
Since that it has been blowing very stiff, and a good deal of
ice has come down upon us ; but I have a pretty firm reliance
on our ground tackle — the anchor weighs over two tons, and
we have a fair drift of cable out. The wind is from the south,
and the sea, which has risen rapidly, is dashing over the ice-
bound land close astern, but we have not yet dragged.
Colbeck is on board with two officers and six men of the
"Terra Nova." I don't altogether like the look of things,
and shall get up steam as soon as possible ; but I don't want
to hurry the engine-room people, or we shall have all sorts of
trouble with our steam-pipes, &c.'

1 February 17. — We have had a day and no mistake ; I
hope I may never have such another. Early this morning the
wind lulled but the sky still wore a most threatening aspect, and
I sent word for steam as soon as it could possibly be raised.
At about 8 a.m. the " Morning " appeared out of the gloom and
sent a boat for Colbeck, who got away as quickly as he could.
He had scarcely reached his ship when the wind came down
on us again with redoubled fury, the sea got up like magic,
and soon the " Discovery " began to jerk at her cables in the
most alarming manner. I knew that in spite of our heavy
anchor the holding ground was poor, and I watched anxiously
to see if the ship dragged.

1 It came at last, just as Skelton sent a promise of steam in
half an hour. The sea was again breaking heavily on the ice-
foot astern and I walked up and down wondering which was
coming first, the steam or this wave-beaten cliff. It was not
a pleasant situation, as the distance grew shorter every minute,
until the spray of the breaking waves fell on our poop, and

266 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

this was soon followed by a tremendous blow as our stern
struck the ice. We rebounded and struck again, and our
head was just beginning to fall off and the ship to get broad-
side on (heaven knows what would have happened then) when
steam was announced. Skelton said he could only go slow
at first, but hoped to work up. I told him to give her every
ounce he could, when he could, and he fled below to do his
best.

' With the engines going ahead and the windlass heaving
in, we gradually pulled up to our anchor and tripped it ; then
we ceased to advance. The engines alone would not send the
ship to windward in the teeth of the gale ; we just held our
own, but only just. Once around Hut Point I knew we
should be safe with an open sea before us ; the end of the
Point was only a quarter of a mile out, but off the end, some
twenty or thirty yards beyond, I knew there was a shallow
patch which had also to be cleared to get safely away. So
finding we could make no headway I started to edge out
towards the Point. All seemed to be going well until we
got opposite the Point itself, when I saw to my alarm that
although there was no current in our bay there was a strong
one sweeping past the Point.

1 Nothing remained but to make a dash for it, and I swung
the helm over and steered for the open. But the moment
our bows entered the fast-running stream we were swung
round like a top, and the instant after we crashed head fore-
most on to the shoal and stopped dead with our masts
shivering. We were in the worst possible position, dead to
windward of the bank with wind, sea, and current all tending
to set us faster ashore.

'We took the shore thus at about n a.m., and'the hours
that followed were truly the most dreadful I have ever spent.
Each moment the ship came down with a sickening thud
which shook her from stem to stern, and each thud seemed to
show more plainly that, strong as was her build, she could not
long survive such awful blows. As soon as possible I had
soundings taken all around and found the depth was 1 2 feet

1904] SHIP DRIVEN ON SHORE « 267

everywhere except under the stern, where the line showed
18 feet ; I sent for the carpenter to know our draught of water
and he reported 12^ feet at the bows and 14J feet aft. This
signified that the midship section must be very hard aground,
and that the only chance of release was by the stern, a direction
in which we could not hope to move under present circum-
stances.

' So things stood before the men's dinner, but by the time
it was finished we seemed to have worked another fathom
ahead and then the soundings all around were 1 2 feet except
at the extreme bowsprit end, where 15 feet was obtained. I
knew the bank must be very small in extent, and asked myself,
would it be possible to force her clean over it ? I determined
to try, and ordered sail to be made. The wind had steadily
increased in force, and it was now blowing a howling gale j
the temperature was low enough to make the water slushy as it
fell on board. In spite of this we got the foresail and foretop-
sail spread, and at the same time rang the telegraph to full
speed ahead. The ship began to move, but it was only to
swing round till her bowsprit almost touched the rocks of the
Point 3 the seas came tumbling over her starboard quarter and
she herself listed heavily to port.

1 In two minutes I saw that we were only making matters
worse, and shouted for the sails to be clewed up ; and at the
same moment Skelton appeared on the bridge and reported
that the inlets were choked and the engines useless. Once
more we sounded around the ship, to find that there was not
more than 9 to 10 feet from the bows to the mainmast or from
10 to 12 feet beyond: she seemed to be hopelessly and
irretrievably ashore. After this, for a very short time, we
hoped that her high position on the bank would bring less strain
from the seas, but soon she had formed a new bed for herself,
and within an hour she was bumping more heavily than ever.

1 It was now about three o'clock. We had come to the
end of our resources ; nothing more could be done till the
gale abated. We could only consider the situation and wait
for the hours to go by.

268 THE VOYAGE OF THE ' DISCOVERY ' [Feb.

' And the situation seemed to have no ray of comfort in it.
On deck the wind was howling through our rigging, the ship
was swaying helplessly and rising slightly each moment, to
crash down once more on the stony bottom j the seas were
breaking heavily over the stern and sending clouds of spray
high up the masts ; the breakers on the shore flung the back-
wash over our forecastle ; the water was washing to and fro on
our flooded decks. Towering above us within a stone's throw
was the rocky promontory of Hut Point ; on its summit, and
clearly outlined against the sky, stood the cross which we had
erected to our shipmate. I remember thinking how hard it
seemed that we had rescued our ship only to be beaten to
pieces beneath its shadow.

' If the situation on deck was distressing, that below fairly
rivalled it. Each time that the ship descended with a sicken-
ing thud into her rocky bed the beams and decks buckled
upwards to such an extent that several of our thick glass dead-
lights were cracked across, every timber creaked and groaned,
doors flew to and fro, crockery rattled, and every loose article
was thrown into some new position. With the heavier blows
one could see the whole ship temporarily distorted in shape ;
through all and directly beneath one's feet could be heard the
horrible crunching and grinding of the keel on the stones
below.

1 When it was known that nothing more could be done it
was curious to see how different temperaments took it. Some
sat in stony silence below, some wandered about aimlessly, and
some went steadily on with an ordinary task as though nothing
had happened. I almost smiled when I saw our excellent
marine Gilbert Scott dusting and sweeping out the wardroom
and polishing up the silver as if the principal thing to be feared
was an interference with the cleanly state in which he usually
keeps all these things. For myself I could not remain still.
How many times I wandered from the dismal scene on deck
to the equally dismal one below I do not know, but what I do
know is that I tasted something very near akin to despair.

' But if this afternoon was a horrible experience, it has at

1904] SUDDEN ESCAPE »6g

least shown me again how firmly I can rely on the support and
intelligence of my companions. For, seeing the utter im-
possibility of doing anything at the time, I bethought me that
the next best thing was to be prepared to act promptly when
the weather moderated. Accordingly I first sent for Skelton
to see by how much we could lighten the ship. I had scarcely
asked him the question when he said, " I have been thinking
that out, sir," and in a minute or two he produced a list of our
movable weights. I next sent for the boatswain to discuss the
manner in which we could lay out our anchors, and he also
had his scheme cut and dried ; and so it went on with every-
body concerned in this knotty problem, until I knew that if
the gale left us with any ship at all we should at least be able
to make a bold bid to get her afloat.

1 And so hour after hour went by whilst we thought and
planned as well as our dejected state would allow, and the ship
quivered and trembled and crashed again and again into her
rocky bed.

' The first sign of a lull came at seven o'clock, and then,
though the seas still swept over our counter, there was a
decided slackening in the wind. Soon after we all assembled
for dinner — not that any of us wanted to eat, but because it
never does to disturb a custom. It was a dreary meal, the
dreariest and most silent I ever remember in the " Discovery."
Yet we were not more than half-way through it, when the
officer of the watch, Mulock, suddenly burst in and said, "The
ship's working astern, sir." I never reached the bridge in less
time. I found that the wind and sea had dropped in the most
extraordinary manner, but what surprised me still more was
that the current, which had been running strongly to the north,
had turned and was running with equal speed to the south. I
took this in at a glance as I turned to get a bearing on with
the shore ; in a minute or two I was left without doubt that
Mulock's report had been correct. Each time that the ship
lifted on a wave she worked two or three inches astern, and
though she was still grinding heavily she no longer struck the
bottom with such terrific force. I had scarcely observed these

270 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

facts when Skelton rushed up to say that the inlets were free
again. Every soul was on deck, and in a moment they were
massed together and running from side to side in measured
time. The telegraphs were put full speed astern j soon the
engines began to revolve, and the water foamed and frothed
along the side. For a minute or two the ship seemed to
hesitate, but then there came a steady grating under the
bottom, which gradually travelled forward, and ceased as the
ship, rolling heavily, slid gently into deep water.

'To this moment I do not know how it has all happened,
but thinking things over to-night a fact has been recalled to
my recollection which I noticed without realising its full signifi-
cance. It seemed to me that the level of the water at Hut
Point, as far as I could judge it in its agitated state, was
abnormally low this afternoon, and taking this in connection
with the change in direction of the current, I am inclined to
believe that events have come about much as follows. The
heavy southerly wind tended to drive the water out of the
Sound and lowered its level by some feet. We must have
run ashore when it was at this low ebb ; then came the lull,
and the water swept back again, with the happy result of
floating us off.

'But whether things have come about in this natural
manner or not, I cannot but regard it as little short of a
miracle that I should be going to bed free from anxiety at the
end of this horrid day. We were clear of our shoal none too
soon, for an hour after the wind blew up from the south again.
Early in the day we had caught a glimpse of the " Terra
Nova " far away to the south, so we made in this direction to
find her and to seek shelter. At midnight we got up to the
edge of the fast ice, where we found our consort secured with
ice-anchors, and where we have been able to return her
officers and men. We are now anchored close by her ; I do
not know what has become of the " Morning."

' We have been diligently sounding our wells for signs of
extra leakage, but the carpenter reports there is nothing to
speak of, and so apparently, beyond the loss of our false keel,

1904J COALING 271

we have suffered little damage. It is an eloquent testimony
to the solid structure of the ship.'

When I subsequently came to compare the experiences of
the three ships during this long gale, I found that the com-
plete lulls, such as I have recorded, took place at different
times in their various localities ; and I have no doubt that by
this irregular action of the wind the waters of the Sound were
pressed down in some places and heaped up in others in a
manner that is well known in inland lakes. But, even when
all the physical facts are realised, the story of our grounding
and release remains a very extraordinary one. Rarely, if ever,
can a ship have appeared in such an uncomfortable plight as
ours to find herself free and safe within the space of an hour.
Such a sudden and complete relief of our distress seemed to
argue that we had been rather unnecessarily and foolishly
alarmed at our situation, but on looking back I remember
that we had no reason to expect that the forces of Nature
would so suddenly come to our rescue : the best we looked
for was a period of calm when we might lighten the ship and
attempt to drag her from her perilous position; and such a
prospect, with the weather thoroughly unsettled and the
season closing rapidly, was not hopeful. To be in ten feet of
water in a ship that draws fourteen feet cannot be a pleasant
position, nor can there be a doubt that the shocks which the
' Discovery ' sustained would have very seriously damaged a
less stoutly built vessel.

On the 1 8th the wind was still blowing strong, but had
gone round to the south-east, bringing smoother water in our
Sound, and now, as we were most anxious to complete our
coaling operations, I decided to seek shelter in the inlets of
the glacier tongue to the north. So at a comparatively early
hour we uprooted our ice-anchors and steered in that direc-
tion, closely followed by the ' Terra Nova.' In half an hour
we were passing close by Hut Point, and the small bay in
which we had spent such long months, but which had tendered
us such a treacherous farewell. As we sped along we looked
for the last time with almost affectionate regard on the scene

272 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

which had grown so familiar, on the hills of which we knew
every ridge and fold, on the paths which our footsteps had so
often trodden, and on the huts and other signs of human life
which we were leaving behind us. One wonders what is
happening now in that lonely solitude, once the scene of so
much activity !

In the afternoon we ran alongside the ice-edge in an inlet
on the north side of the glacier tongue ; soon the ' Terra
Nova ' was rubbing sides with us, and our whips were rigged
for coaling. The weather by this time had cleared and the
wind had almost dropped, but we knew that these conditions
were not likely to last long, and officers and men buckled to
with a will to remedy the alarmingly empty state of our
bunkers. Late in the afternoon the 'Morning' suddenly
appeared around the corner. She had been driven far to
leeward by the gale, but at length had worked up and found
some shelter in the New Harbour, where also the ice had
recently broken away for the first time for two years.

By midnight we had received fifty tons of coal from the
' Terra Nova,' and that ship stood out in the offing. A
northerly breeze had sprung up, and we were now obliged to
go round to the south side of the glacier to get alongside the
1 Morning.' Notwithstanding the long hours which they had
already worked, our people elected to go right on throughout
the night, and soon more coal sacks were being tumbled on
board.

Now, as always, the manner in which our people undertook
a heavy task and worked on at it without rest was a sight for
the gods. Perhaps the strongest support of this splendid spirit
was the fact that on such occasions, by mutual consent, there
was no distinction between officers and men. At such times
our geologist could be seen dragging coal bags along
the decks, whilst the biologist, the vertebrate zoologist,
lieutenants and A.B.'s, with grimed faces and chafed hands,
formed an indistinguishable party on the coaling whips. It
did not matter how formidable might be the scientific designa-
tion of any officer: in time of difficulty and stress he was

r9o4] PLANS FOR THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY 273

content to be plain John Smith and to labour in common for
the general good.

The ' Morning ' afforded us twenty-five tons of coal, and I
have an ever grateful recollection of that kindly deed, for in
giving us so much, Colbeck reduced himself to the narrowest
margin, and voluntarily resigned himself to the necessity of
having to return directly homeward without joining in any
attempt at further exploration. I have already mentioned that
I had determined to try to penetrate to the westward around
Cape North, and now that it had become necessary to pro-
mulgate my plans, I saw that whilst the 'Terra Nova 'could
keep pace with us wherever we went, we were likely to be
much hampered by the company of the small * Morning,' with
her feeble engine power. But whilst these facts were evident,
I naturally felt a reluctance to except from our further ad-
ventures the ship which had stood by us so faithfully in our
troubles.

But Colbeck needed no reminder to see the difficulty of
my position ; his practical common sense told him he could
be of little use to us, and with his usual loyalty he never
hesitated to act for the best, at whatever sacrifice to his own
hopes and wishes.

So before we left the glacier in McMurdo Sound our pro-
gramme was arranged, and it was decided that the three ships
should remain in company while we journeyed up the coast,
but that afterwards we should separate, the 'Morning' pro-
ceeding to the north, whilst the ' Discovery ' and the ' Terra
Nova ' turned west. The companies of both our relief ships
expressed a strong wish that, whatever separation took place,
they might be permitted to be with us when we entered our
first civilised port ; and as this seemed to me a most reasonable
desire after all their efforts on our behalf, I fixed upon Port
Ross, in the Auckland Islands, as a spot at which we might
rendezvous before our final return to New Zealand.

In accordance with these plans, before we left McMurdo
Sound, the captain of each relief ship was in possession of
full instructions providing for all such eventualities as the

VOL, II. T

274 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

premature separation of the ships or the failure of any to
arrive at the rendezvous before a certain limiting date.

We finished our coaling from the ' Morning ' at 6 a.m. on
the 19th, and by seven were alongside the glacier for the pur-
pose of getting in water, as our tanks were quite empty, and
we had nothing to supply the wastage of the boilers. Our
people had now been almost continuously at work for thirty-
six hours, but not a moment was lost in setting about this
fresh task. Now, however, commenced all those small diffi-
culties which were a natural result with complicated machinery
which had so long been idle. It was beyond expectation that
things would be found to work as efficiently as if they had
been in constant use, and the engine-room staff especially
knew that, as they expressed it, they would have to work
1 double tides ' to put their department in order again.

On this particular morning it was the steam -pipes of our
ice-melters which gave out and caused a long and tantalising
delay, so that by the afternoon, when we were preparing to
start work, the wind had sprung up from the south again,
making our position untenable. We got clear of the south
side of the glacier with some difficulty, and steered round to
the north side, but scarcely had we planted our anchors when
the wind increased to a gale. So swiftly did it sweep down on
us that the ship could be kept up to the ice only by steaming
full speed, and we had barely time to recover our men and
anchors before we were drifted out of the inlet altogether.
There was nothing for it now but to run to the north and
hope to get our water elsewhere, and away we flew with our
consorts at our heels.

And so that night, running swiftly through the water with
a howling gale behind, we saw the last of McMurdo Sound.
It was a fine scene, for although the wind blew with great
force, the sky was comparatively clear. Away to the south-
west behind the ragged storm clouds could be seen the deep
red of the setting sun, against which there stood in sharp out-
line the dark forms of the western mountains and the familiar
cone of Mount Discovery. On our right in a gloomy threaten-

1904] DRIVEN NORTH 275

ing sky rose the lofty snow-clad slopes of Erebus and the high
domed summit of Cape Bird. For the last time we gazed at
all these well-known landmarks with feelings that were not
far removed from sadness, and yet whatever sorrow we may
have felt at leaving for ever the region which had been our
home, it is not surprising that after our recent experiences the
last entry in my diary for this night should have been, ' Oh ! but
it is grand to be on the high seas once more in our good ship.'

February 20 saw us still speeding along the coastline to the
north with a strong following breeze ; although the sky was
overcast the land was clearly in view and we were able to keep
within ten miles of it in a perfectly clear sea, though we could
see a fringe of pack-ice and numerous small bergs close to the
coast. It will be remembered that this stretch of the coast
was quite unknown until we had made our way south along it,
and that even then we had been obliged to keep a long dis-
tance out in many places on account of the pack-ice. Now we
were able to fill in all the gaps which had formerly been
missed, and even more; for our indefatigable surveyor,
Mulock, remained on deck day and night during this run,
taking innumerable angles to peaks and headlands, whilst our
artist, Wilson, was equally diligent in transferring this long
panorama of mountain scenery to his sketch-book.

At three in the afternoon of the 20th we sighted the white
cliffs of the curious glacier tongue which, as may be seen on
the chart, runs out for many miles in a strangely attenuated
form. At 10 p.m. we rounded the end of this snout and bore
up for Wood Bay ; the high cone of Mount Melbourne and the
bluff cliffs of Cape Washington could be seen in the distance.

The main object in going to Wood Bay was to fill up our
water supply, but we had also come to the conclusion that this
place must be closer to the magnetic pole than had been
supposed, and for a long time we had cherished the hope of
being able to make a series of magnetic observations on its
shores, but in this respect we were destined to be disappointed,
as my diary shows :

'■February 21. — At 2 a.m. the wind, still freshening from

T2

276 THE VOYAGE OE THE < DISCOVERY' [Fed.

the west, brought the " Morning " up on us again. She looked
very trim and snug under her canvas. As she approached she
ran up a signal which we could not distinguish, but guessing
that she wanted to take advantage of the breeze and get away
north, I hoisted "Proceed on your voyage," and soon her
answering pennant fluttered out, her helm went up, and she
shot away to the north-east ; and so our imposing little fleet is
breaking up. At 6 a.m. we rounded the inner angle of Cape
Washington, and to our surprise found the whole bay full of
pack-ice. We passed through one broad stream and got well
inside the headland, but beyond this from the crow's-nest I
could see no open water, and it was obviously impossible to
proceed into any of the inlets. Signalling to the "Terra
Nova " to remain outside, we pushed in towards the southern
shore, and tried to secure the ship to a small berg ; but there
was a considerable swell running into the bay, and after some
unsuccessful efforts to reach the berg we tied up to a small but
solid floe. Then all hands, officers and men, tumbled over
the side and started working like demons to get the ice on
board ; by 3 p.m. we had finished, and I was sincerely glad, for
some of our people are almost dropping with fatigue. They
had little rest before we came out of the ice, but since, they
have had practically none. We never quite appreciated what
a lot of work there was to be done till we got to sea, but what
with the bending of ropes and sails, the securing of movable
articles, and the constant chipping away of ice from every
conceivable place, there has not been a moment's peace for
our overworked crew.

' The day has been very fine and bright, with occasional
south-westerly breezes, but quite warm when the wind fell.
There was a good deal of young ice in the bay when we
entered, but it vanished in the course of the day. Wood Bay
was looking its best. The south side is fringed by the ice-
cliffs terminating the slopes of Mount Melbourne, with rocky
headlands and huge masses of black morainic material occa-
sionally occurring. The north side is limited by splendid bare
rocky cliffs intersected with deep glacier valleys.

1904] TROUBLE WITH PUMPS 277

' It was 5 p.m. before we could clear the pack by standing
close along the southern shore, where we saw quantities of
skuas, and one small Adelie penguin rookery, showing again
how these birds take advantage of every available landing
place. On arriving in the open water, Armitage swung the
ship, but before he could complete his task the sun dis-
appeared. At seven we steamed out of the bay, meeting a
heavy swell from the south-east, which is causing us to roll
heavily. I trust this does not mean a gale, as we are by no
means prepared to meet one yet.'

1 February 22. — Last night we had an exceedingly unpleasant
experience, with some hours of serious alarm. I suppose such
things must be expected to happen under the circumstances,
but I shall be extremely glad when we have settled down into
sea trim. As far as I was concerned the trouble began at
1 a.m., when Skelton called me and asked permission to stop
the engines, as the pumps had refused duty, and the water was
gaining on the ship. When we stopped, the ship dropped
broadside on the swell and commenced to roll 300 each way.
This was not a pleasing condition under which to contend with
any difficulty, much less with such a one as now faced us, for
on looking down into the engine-room I found that the water
had risen well over the stokehold plates, and with the rolling
of the ship, it was washing to and fro with tremendous force.
It was evident that the fires in the main boilers would soon be
swamped ; so to avoid accidents they were drawn, which of
course put the steam pump out of action, even if it had been
in working order.

'The next thing was to try the hand pumps, and the
carpenter with the deck watch was soon heaving at these, but
without any result. Examination showed that they were quite
choked up with ice, so the next hour or two was spent in
attempts to clear them. Meanwhile the water was obviously
gaining, though to this moment we have failed to discover
exactly why, as there is no serious leak to our knowledge. At
3 a.m. it was suggested that the small boiler under the fore-
castle should be lighted, and an attempt be made to work the

278 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

steam pump with it. An hour later therefore one party was
rushing to and fro with fuel for this boiler, and another was
struggling with the refractory hand pumps, but the water was
gaining as steadily as ever. Meanwhile Dellbridge, working
up to his waist in water, had taken the steam pump to pieces,
examined each part, and replaced it.

1 It was 6 a.m. before we had steam in the small boiler, and
this meant that it had been raised in the quickest time on
record. At the same time Dellbridge reported the pump
ready again. I asked somewhat needlessly if he thought it
would work now, to which he grimly replied, " It's got to, sir."
Nevertheless when it was started we found to our consterna-
tion that it did not. Then, and not till then, someone thought
of examining the bilge suction, and here in a moment was
found the cause of all the trouble. The pump, we discovered,
had never been out of order, but the rose which drew the
water from the bilges was quite choked up with fine ashes.
When we left our winter quarters all this part had been a mass
of ice, and it had therefore been impossible to clear out the
bilges, which were still in a half-frozen condition. When this
suction had been cleared we had the satisfaction of seeing a
stream of water pouring out of the ship's side, and soon after
the hand pumps brought their small power to aid in the relief.
By eight o'clock everything was reported in working order, the
fires were re-lit and I got to bed. The whole of our engine-
room staff have been on duty for twenty-four hours without a
spell. Our scare has been useful in one way, as we can rely on
our pumps for any sudden call in future.'

The heavy swell continued throughout the 22nd, but
gradually fell towards the evening. Somewhat to our sur-
prise, it did not prove to be the forerunner of a gale, and on
the 23rd the sky was comparatively clear and the wind light.
In the middle of this day we approached and passed Coulman
Island at a very short distance, getting a fine view of its high
cliffs and of the mountainous mainland. The coast to the
south of the island was heavily packed, as it had been on our
former visit, and even on the outside of the island we were

1904] THE RUDDER DISABLED 279

obliged to force our way through several loose streams, besides
a quantity of young ice, broken into tiny rounded pancakes
with frilled edges, caused by the chafe of the swell. In the
evening a breeze sprang up from the west, which enabled us to
make sail and afforded us much relief from the continual heavy
rolling. We had always thought that the ' Discovery ' was a
particularly lively ship, but we never appreciated it more than
on this day, when we found ourselves lurching from side to side
in the most uncomfortable fashion, while our consort followed
in our wake with scarcely a movement.

After passing Coulman Island we were able to hug the
coast much closer than we had done when travelling south,
and it is worthy of note that, as we could see, both Tucker
Inlet and another unnamed one north of Cape Hallet are
much deeper than Ross supposed. Either would afford excel-
lent shelter to a ship. The two inlets curve in such a manner
that the mass of land on which Ross has placed the names of
Wheatstone, Hallet, and Cotter forms a peninsula. Mowbray
Bay is also a deep inlet.

Early on the 24th we sighted the Possession Islands, and
later passed through the group. There are nine islands and
islets, very various in size and shape. That on which Ross
landed is the largest, and has a shelving beach on the western
side, though it is steep and precipitous on the eastern. The
smaller islets are mere rocks, but some are of very curious
shape. One is an almost perfect column more than 300 feet in
height ; another which has a similar but broader appearance
from the south, when viewed from the east or west is seen to
be pierced with two huge arches, the larger of which must be
nearly 1 50 feet in height. Altogether these islands are a curious
and interesting group.

Directly after we had passed through the channels between
them the carpenter came to me with a serious face to call my
attention to the rudder, and I immediately went aft ' to inspect
it. I found that the solid oak rudder-head was completely
shattered, and that it was held together by little more than its
weight ; as the tiller was moved to the right or left the rudder

28o THE VOYAGE OE THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

followed it, but with a lag of many degrees, so that it was
evident that the connection between the two was quite insecure.
How we had come by such an injury I could not guess, unless
it was on the freeing of the ship or from collision with some
submerged spur of the glacier in McMurdo Sound ; but it was
obvious that in such a condition we could not hope to weather
a gale without losing all control over the ship, and therefore
that the sooner we got our spare rudder shipped in place of
the damaged one, the better. On looking back at this incident
I cannot but recognise how exceedingly fortunate it was that
the sharp eyes of our carpenter should have detected the fault
at this time, for, as will be seen, a few days later we were in
such a position that the loss of our rudder would have been a
most serious matter, and the steps which we now took would
have been almost impossible in the open sea. The fault, such
as it was, was not easily seen, for the injured rudder-head was
below the level of the deck and partly submerged by the wash
of the screw. I have had reason before to speak of the
invaluable qualities of our warrant officers, and certainly this
was a case that proved them. As it was, immediately I realised
our crippled state, I determined to make for Cape Adare and
to seek shelter in Robertson Bay ; the events which followed
I quote from my diary :

• We signalled to the " Terra Nova " that our rudder was
damaged and that we should anchor in the bay. There was
now a brisk breeze, and with sail, steam, and current we
approached Cape Adare at a rapid pace. As we came nearer
we could see a very large number of bergs scattered about off
the entrance of the bay ; nearly all were tabular, and they
varied from 50 to 150 feet in height and from a quarter to
three-quarters of a mile in length. Streams of pack were lying
inshore and stretching from berg to berg. It was not alto-
gether pleasant turning and twisting amongst these immense
masses of ice with the knowledge that the rudder might give
out at any moment. At the entrance of the bay we were
involved in a heavy pack, but it was noticeable that the floes
were decayed and water-worn to an extent which we have not

i9o4i TliE RUDDER REPLACED 281

seen since we first entered the Ross Sea. As we came through
this pack the leadsman suddenly got a sounding of five fathoms,
but though we sounded repeatedly before and after, nowhere
else could we get anything but deep water. It appeared as though
there must be a submarine ridge or hill at this particular spot.

1 Late in the afternoon we dropped our anchor in thirteen
fathoms off the beach we had formerly visited ; a few officers
went on shore to take magnetic observations and to secure
bird specimens, but the majority, with the men, set to work at
once to shift the rudder. In spite of the facilities which are
afforded by our rudder-well, the task is not an easy one, as the
rudder itself and all the fittings connected with it are very
ponderous. By ten to-night, however, when the light grew
dim, the damaged rudder had been hoisted on deck and the
spare one prepared for lowering it into its place. Whilst we
were at work the tide setting out of the bay brought down on
us a heavy pack ; our anchor held well, but the " Terra Nova "
evidently did not like the look of things, and has weighed her
anchor and put out to sea.'

' February 25. — By 6 a.m. we were at work again. The
weather fortunately remained quite calm and bright. At 9.30
the spare rudder was in place, and, after a hasty breakfast, at
10.15 we weighed our anchor and pushed out to sea. A snow-
storm swept down upon us immediately after, and we lost
sight of the " Terra Nova," but pushing out in the direction in
which she had last been seen we had the satisfaction of finding
ourselves close to her when the storm passed, and soon after
we were steaming north-west in company. An almost in-
credible amount of work has been done in the " Discovery "
since we left winter quarters ; it has been one long fight to
bring her into sea trim, and difficulty after difficulty has arisen
in the most exasperating manner ; but now, I think, thanks to
the determined energy of our people, we may say that all
things are in order again, and that our ship is prepared to face
most emergencies. The only thing I am doubtful about is the
steering power of our spare rudder, as it has scarcely half the
area of the old one.'

282 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY [Feb.

It was of great importance that our ship should be in good
sea trim at this time, because according to our program me we
were now about to make the attempt to penetrate a new region,
and we expected to find quite enough to occupy our minds in
contending with the obstacles in our path without having to
consider internal troubles.

Now, therefore, we turned to the west with high hope that
with our steam-power we should be able to pass beyond the
point which had been reached by Sir James Ross in his sailing
ships. At first all went well with us, as, except for bergs and
very loose streams of pack, there seemed nothing to obstruct
our course. The number of bergs was extraordinary j it would
appear that the current which runs up the east coast of Victoria
Land continues to the north-west after passing Cape Adare,
and leaves a region of slack water to the westward of Robertson
Bay, and, as a consequence, many of the bergs which stream
up the coast are carried by eddies into this area where they
present such a formidable accumulation.

When pack-ice is entangled amongst icebergs it has to be
navigated with some caution, as amongst the floes will always
be found numerous fragments of the bergs themselves ; these
pieces generally float low and are not easily seen, but as they
are very solid and often possess sharp spurs it is eminently
desirable to avoid them.

By the afternoon of the 25th we were in the thick of the
bergs, and, to our disappointment, we found the pack-ice
growing closer. Having but a very limited supply of coal in
our bunkers, it was necessarily our policy to avoid the pack as
far as possible ; and as we could not afford to force our way
through long stretches of it, we turned outwards in hopes of
finding a clearer passage. This took us a long distance from
the land, but we trusted that we should soon be able to return
towards it.

With the closing of the season and our advance to the
north, our days were gradually drawing in, and already we had
a night of four or five hours, when navigation amongst the ice
promised to be anxious work.

1904] HEAVY PACK 283

For the incidents of the next few days I turn to my diary
once more. On the night of the 25th I wrote :

'Shortly after 8 p.m. it became thick with driving snow-
storms from the east. We are still surrounded with bergs, and
thick weather is undesirable; however, the snowstorms are
like April showers, frequent but quickly over, and after they
burst upon us it is not long before we see our consort and the
bergs again. We are going half-speed for the night hoping
that to-morrow will afford us a brighter outlook.'

' February 26. — I had scarcely lain down in my clothes
last night, thinking of a clear sea ahead, when the pack was
again reported. We pushed through several streams, hoping
to escape, but to no purpose. At 5.30 we found ourselves
completely embayed ; then the fog came down upon us, and
we were obliged to stop engines. Whilst waiting about we
took the opportunity to sound, and, to my surprise, got no
bottom with 1,000 fathoms of line out. It is evident that the
continental plateau slopes down very steeply off this coast. We
were just preparing to get a net over when the weather cleared
and we saw the land and clear water for some way towards it.
We decided to waste no time in pushing on in this direction,
but soon after noon our channel closed in again and we found
ourselves surrounded with heavy pack. The weather was now
quite clear, and from the crow's-nest one could get a good idea
of our surroundings.

'From the high peaks of Mounts Minto and Adam the
mountains gradually descend towards the west and grow more
heavily glaciated; the coastline abreast of us seems very
indented and is marked with numerous dark outstanding cliffs
behind which the comparatively low mountains are entirely
snow-covered except where occasionally a sharp pyramidal
peak thrusts its summit through the white sheet. Away to
the west the land still descends, and all eminences are lost
under the snowy mantle which slopes down gradually to the
sea level at Cape North. A little ahead of us I could see the
black headlands of Smith's Inlet, but between us and it, and,
in fact, over the whole sea to the west, lay the broad expanse

234 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5 [Fe6.

of a mighty field of pack-ice dotted with numberless bergs.
Here and there towards the shore could be seen leads of open
water, but they were nowhere continuous, and it was evident
that at the best it would take us some days to reach the
far cape.

1 The temptation to push on was great, and I sent to learn
how our coal supply stood ; the reply showed me that we had
little over eighty tons remaining, an amount which would
allow of sixteen days' steaming at our present consumption.
I reflected that at least ten of these should be allowed for the
return voyage, and I knew how little we could do with the
six that remained if once we became involved in the pack.
Reluctantly, therefore, I decided to turn to the north-east and
seek a way around this formidable barrier ; we must now look
for the first opening in it and reserve our small margin of coal
for more promising circumstances. It is grievously disappoint-
ing to find the pack so far to the east ; Ross carried the open
water almost to Cape North.

'After being brought up by the pack, we sounded and
obtained bottom at 610 fathoms, and then devoted the after-
noon to getting a haul with our trawl. Whilst this operation
was in progress a stiff breeze sprang up from the west and the
glass commenced to fall rapidly. Hampered with our trawl-
line we drifted alarmingly close to several small bergs, so that
I was not sorry when we got our net on board again ; it pro-
duced some new species, but the catch was not so satisfactory
as we could have wished.

' By the time we were ready to proceed the wind had
increased to a moderate gale, and the ice-streams began to
move with such rapidity that we made all possible speed for
the open sea. We could not reach it, however, without forcing
our way through a broad belt of the heaviest pack we have
seen ; the floes were much hummocked, and rose almost to the
level of our deck. However, with a full head of steam we
forced a way through, and reached the open water just before
dark. We have since made sail, and are now standing to the
eastward with a strong ice-blink on our port hand, but a com-

i9o4] SKIRTING THE PACK 285

paratively open sea to leeward. The sky has become very
overcast and the weather threatening, but the sea is smooth.' •

''February 27. — We are skirting this wretched pack; I
cannot think what brings it so far to the east ; last night we
came through several streams, and were forced to turn to the
south-east; but this morning we straightened up again, and
are now going nearly due north.

1 Before noon the wind gradually died away, and we now
have a brisk and increasing breeze from the south. The glass,
which had been steadily falling since noon yesterday, is slowly
rising ; we have passed away from this region of bergs, but the
strong ice-blink is always on our port hand. If in no other
way, we can guess our proximity to the pack-ice by the con-
stant presence of the charming little snow petrels ; they never
seem to wander far from the pack. Last night we had a flight
of Antarctic petrels around the ship ; they came and went in
the gloom in very ghostly fashion, and this morning there were
still a number about us. This morning brought more of the
bird friends that we have missed for so long, and we saw again
the fulmar petrel, the small prion, and a sooty albatross ; these
indicate, without doubt, a clear sea to the north. I wish one
could say the same of the west.

1 Our poor dogs are made very miserable by the wet. Born
in the South, they have absolutely no experience of damp con-
ditions, and at first they were much alarmed by them ; they
show the same horror of a wet deck or a wet coat as a cat
might do. But the most curious result of their ignorance was
the fact that they had to be taught to lap; they had never
quenched their thirst except by eating snow, and when water
was put before them they didn't know what to do with it ; in
fact, they grew very thirsty before they could be persuaded to
drink by thrusting their noses into the water tins.'

' February 28. — The S.E. breeze increased in force during
the night, and by morning it was blowing a full gale with con-
stant snowstorms. The night was not pleasant, as we got
amongst the ice again, which kept us all on the qui vive ; at
midnight we found it stretching across our bows, and the snow

286 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb.

petrels had increased in number ; at 3 a.m. we passed through
several loose streams, and immediately hauled to the north.
With a strong breeze we now bowled along at a good rate.
The "Terra Nova" was some distance astern, but turned in
our wake ; in order that she might come up with us, I stopped
the engines, and we stood on under sail alone. At six o'clock
she was some two miles astern, but soon after a heavy snow
squall blotted her out, and when this had passed nothing of her
could be seen. I do not think there is any cause for anxiety,
as the weather remained thick, but I cannot think why she did
not keep close touch with us, as she should have found it easy
to catch us after we stopped our engines.

' During the forenoon it blew very hard with a rapidly rising
sea. I was very anxious about our foremost spars, as the hemp
rigging is now quite slack and we have had no chance of set-
ting it up. Our foretop-gallant-mast was bending like a whip ;
it must be a beautiful spar to have stood the strain.

'The ship has been kicking and plunging about in the
most objectionable manner : the upper deck has been awash,
and water has been pouring down through the skylights and
chimneys. It has been horribly stuffy below, and the majority
of us have been feeling extremely sea-sick. Altogether it has
been a very unpleasant day, but perhaps the most serious thing
that it has disclosed is the uselessness of our small rudder
under such conditions ; it had so little effect on the ship that
we could only keep our course by constantly trimming our
sails. Had we met an iceberg, we should have had no choice
but to throw the yards aback. This is really a grave matter,
as the nights are long and we may fall across bergs at any
moment. Our deck watch is reduced to five hands, moreover,
and this is all too small a number to deal with any sudden
emergency ; as it is, they have to be constantly on the alert to
stand by the braces.

'The barometer ceased to fall at seven o'clock, and the
wind immediately slackened.'

' February 29. — We stood steadily on to the north last
night in hopes that the " Terra Nova " would catch us up, but

I9Q4] BALLENY ISLANDS 287

as there were no signs of her at 4 a.m. I determined to go
about. The wind had fallen light, but there was a heavy sea
running, and it was a good half-hour before we could wear the
ship round. We have been standing due west all day about
latitude 67^ ; the glass has been rising, the wind dropping and
the ship kicking about most unmercifully. We passed a few
bergs, mostly small and flat-topped ; the seas were breaking
over them, dashing the spray to a height of 200 or 300 feet.
I fear there is no chance of seeing the " Terra Nova " again
until we reach the rendezvous.'

' March 1. — Last night we got amongst a number of bergs
and some loose streams of pack, so we hove-to and kept a
sharp look-out ; at four o'clock we got under way again with
steam and proceeded steadily to the west. The weather has
been thick, with an overcast, gloomy sky, and we have had a
light breeze from the north ; there has been a steady ice-blink
on our lee, sometimes appearing ahead, to be quickly followed
by sight of a loose stream of pack. There can be no doubt
that since leaving Victoria Land we have been skirting a con-
tinuous mass of pack which must cover the whole sea south of
the Balleny Islands.

' That it should have lain so far to the eastward this year
is very annoying ; however, if we can push on upon this course
we ought to strike the islands. Birds have been plentiful all
day, but to-night the albatrosses have left us; snow petrels,
Antarctic and fulmar petrels are our constant companions, and
this afternoon we had the very unusual sight of a small flock
of black-headed terns. We have also passed two or three sea
leopards asleep on the floes : one we surprised greatly by
ramming the floe on which he was taking his siesta, whereat he
opened his formidable jaws and threatened us in the most
ferocious manner.'

'■March 2. — ... Land was reported at 5 a.m., and on
the port bow we could see black rock showing streakily through
the mist. By 7.30 we were close up, and found on our port
bow an island of considerable size. Our course took us just
to the northward of its steep northern extremity. The general

238 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Mar.

aspect of the land much resembled that of Coulman Island,
but the glaciation was much heavier. High, precipitous, dark
cliffs were capped by the sharp edge of the ice-cap, which
undulated smoothly over the lesser slopes, and lay broken and
crevassed on the steeper ones ; at places the vast snow-sheet
descended to the sea, and spread out with immense fan-shaped
glaciers fringed with high ice-cliffs. These conditions of the
coast could be seen clearly, but above the height of 300 or
400 feet all was hidden in dense stratus cloud.

' By noon we were abreast of this forbidding land ; the
clouds showed signs of lifting, but still enveloped the summit
of the island. The coast was less than two miles from us, so
that we could see each detail clearly, and twice, as we passed,
an immense mass of n6v6 became detached from the cliffs and
fell with a huge splash into the sea. As I write we are standing
to the west of the island, and, to our astonishment, with a clear
sea. Once more we are treading untrodden paths. But
before we turn our thoughts to the west we are puzzling over
the question as to what this island and others we can dimly
see to the north really are. We are about the latitude of the
Russell Islands, yet we cannot follow Ross's description of
them, nor can we understand where the Balleny Group lies.
One thing is certain, however : whatever these islands may be,
no one has ever seen them from this side before, and the sight
of a clear sea to the west is most encouraging.'

It is as well perhaps to explain the dilemma we found
ourselves in with regard to these islands. In 1839 Balleny
discovered a group of islands in this region, but whilst the
position of his ship was most carefully reckoned and the
bearings of the land masses taken, he did not supply sufficient
data accurately to fix the position of the various islands which
he named. Three years later, Ross, when some way to the
eastward of this position, saw land which he imagined must be
to the southward of Balleny's discoveries ; from the great
distance at which he saw it he believed it to be divided into
three distinct masses, and under this impression named them
the Russell Islands. We came to this region, therefore, with

i9o4] A PROBLEM SOLVED 289

the expectation of seeing two groups of islands, and were
naturally much puzzled when we found that by no means
could we reconcile the accounts of the two explorers to fit this
theory ; and at first the clouded condition of the land added
much to this difficulty.

It was only after I had read the accounts many times, and
compared them with what we actually saw, that the solution
suddenly flashed upon me, and as is so often the case, when
the key was once supplied the matter became obvious to us
all. We saw then that the island which we had just passed was
Balleny's Sturge Island. Balleny had seen it from the north,
in which direction it presents a comparatively narrow front ;
he could have had no idea of its length in a north-and-south
line. At a later date Ross must have seen this same island,
and, as we saw was quite possible, from a great distance he
must have imagined it to be divided into three, and hence
made the mistake of naming it as a separate group.

Later on this same day the cloudy screen about the islands
gradually vanished ; we were able to see the land clearly both
north and south of us, and Mulock obtained sufficient bearings
to fix accurately the position of each island.
In the evening of the 2nd I wrote :

1 This afternoon, as the weather cleared and the sun shone
forth, we got a good view of the islands now falling behind us,
and had no longer a doubt as to their identity. Looking
astern, on our right was Sturge Island, more than twenty miles
in length, with the lofty summit of Brown's Peak arising
towards its northern end. The nearest island on the left was
Buckle Island, its outline from this side being the exact
reverse of that sketched by Balleny's mate from the other.
The smaller island next to the north was Borrodaile Island,
and this also could be recognised from the sketch. Young
Island presented a high land to the left, though Peak Freeman,
its highest point, was never wholly clear of cloud. The last
of the group reported by Balleny, Row Island, we did not see,
but this was not surprising, as it is stated to be comparatively
low.

vol. ?i, y

29o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Mar.

' Now that we have settled the knotty question as to the
geography of these islands, our position seems extremely
hopeful. This region to the westward has always been found
heavily packed. We are the first to enter it, and to our
delight we find an open sea ; it seems as though the pack has
been driven to the south-east, into that area which we skirted.
The wind has fallen, and we have furled our sails ; a long
swell comes from the north-west, showing an absence of ice in
that direction. We are standing directly to the west, towards
Wilkes Land, and every eye is keenly on the alert for some
new development — so keenly, in fact, that twice this after-
noon has an excited person rushed up to me to report some
imaginary discovery of land in the fantastical cloud forms that
fringe our horizon. The night promises to be fine, though the
glass is falling. Birds are gathering about us in numbers once
more — the commonest to-day is the fulmar petrel ; it looks as
though it nested on the islands. Rorqual whales have been
spouting in all directions, and altogether signs of life are
plentiful and cheering.'

1 March 3. — Early last night the sky clouded over, and
towards the end of the middle watch it began to snow ; by the
morning we found ourselves in a thick fog. We had made
sail again to a northerly breeze, and at 5.30 a.m. we hove-to in
none too pleasant a position, for we could not tell where we
were drifting or when some monster iceberg might appear on
our lee. At 11 a.m. there was a slight clearance, and we
decided to push on, which we have since done, though every
now and again the fog comes down on us as thick as ever.
At noon to-day we estimated we were in longitude 159 E., and
since that we have sailed some way to the west, so that we are
now practically behind Wilkes' alleged land. But as there is a
long swell from the north, it is plain that there cannot be any
extent of land in that direction ; it is still possible that Wilkes
may have seen some islands, but this we can only determine
when the weather clears.

1 It has cleared to some extent to-night, and has shown us
more than one berg in our vicinity. At seven o'clock we

i9o4] TURNING NORTH 291

passed a large one that was slowly oscillating. We could see
it gradually tilt over until its flat surface was half submerged,
then it slowly righted itself again ; this went on for some time,
the oscillations growing larger, until suddenly it got beyond the
point of recovery and with a huge splash turned turtle. The
sight of this immense mass rolling over in the foaming sea was
very impressive, and we were grateful that it should have
chosen such an opportune moment for our benefit. We are
longing for clear weather • one cannot but believe there must
be land somewhere in this region, especially on account of our
soundings, but we know that we cannot go on like this much
longer. We have only sixty tons of coal remaining, a bare
sufficiency to take us north ; no doubt the wisest plan would
be to turn north now, but I have decided to go on as we are
for another day in hopes that fortune may favour us with one
clear sight of our surroundings.'

' March 4. — The wind failed us last night, and it has been
calm all day. The sky has been dull, but the horizon quite
clear ; we could have seen land at a great distance, yet none
has been in sight, and thus once and for all we have definitely
disposed of Wilkes Land. Both Armitage and I got good
sights, and both fixed our noon position to be in latitude
67.23 S., longitude 155-30 E. We have been standing N.W.
true, and on such a course we should have sighted Eld's Peak
and Ringold's Knoll on our right had these places existed. It
is therefore quite evident that they do not, nor can there be
any land in this direction, as the long ocean swell has never
ceased to roll steadily in from the north, and we have other
signs of bird life which show a clear sea in that direction.
To-night Cape Hudson should be in sight on the port bow,
but that also is conspicuous by its absence. After reading
Wilkes' report again, I must conclude that as these places are
non-existent, there is no case for any land eastward of Adelie
Land. It is a great disappointment to have to turn north at
such an interesting time, but I feel that it is imperative ; we
have scarcely coal enough for ten days' steaming, and our late
experiences have shown clearly how unmanageable the ship

u 2

292 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Mar.

is under sail alone with our small spare rudder. There is
nothing for it but to turn homeward, and even as it is
we shall have to rely on favouring winds to reach our
rendezvous.

* It is a curious fact that although we have sighted no land
we are still on the edge of a continental plateau, and in com-
paratively shallow water. This morning we got 250 fathoms,
and this afternoon 254 fathoms ; the continental shelf would
seem to extend as far as the Balleny Islands. This afternoon
we put over a trawl and got a haul which delighted the heart
of our biologist with quite a number of new species.'

1 March 5. — During the night we passed close to the
supposed position of Cape Hudson — except for a few bergs,
in a perfectly clear sea. We had a full moon which, although
usually hidden by clouds, gave a good light by which objects
— and certainly land— could have been seen at a great distance.
This morning there is not a sign of land, and remarkably few
bergs. At 3.30 we got soundings in 245 fathoms, and at eight
in 260 fathoms. The continental plateau must be extensive,
and Wilkes certainly had the chance of being misled by his
soundings. At noon to-day we were in latitude 66.23 S.,
longitude 154.7 E., and so we have crossed the Antarctic
Circle again after an interval of two years and sixty two days.

1 This morning the breeze sprang up from the north-west,
and we made sail, standing close-hauled to the N.N.E.
Throughout the day the wind has freshened and hauled round
to the west, so that we are now standing almost due north. I
hoped to sound again to-night, but it is blowing too hard ; I
think we are in for a gale.'

On March 5, 1904, therefore, our exploring work came to
an end, and we found ourselves entering once more that
storm -swept area of the ' Westerlies ' which separated us from
civilisation. The programme with which I had hoped to close
the season had been much hampered by our lack of coal, but
if we had been unable to carry out our cherished plan of
rounding Cape North, we had at least cleared up some
geographical misconceptions in a more northerly latitude.

i9o4J THE LAST ICEBERG 293

Two days later we saw the last of the Antarctic ice under
conditions which made us exceeding grateful that it was the
last, as my diary shows :

* March 7. — . . . Since we shut off steam yesterday we
have been progressing to the north, but in a very curious
manner. In spite of all head sails being set, the ship has
such a tendency to come up in the wind that the helm has to
be kept hard up, and so we plunge along about five knots, with
no power of control over the ship except to stop her by throw-
ing the yards aback. This is not so bad as long as there are
no bergs in sight, and yesterday I thought we had seen the last
of these unwelcome neighbours; but this morning, when it
was blowing great guns, the boatswain came down and reported
a berg on the lee bow, and I dashed on deck to see a huge
mass of ice showing under the foot of the foresail. We had
either to go on or to " heave-to," as I knew we could not alter
course to pass to leeward. I decided finally to go on, but the
ship was labouring so heavily that it was fully twenty minutes
before we could be certain that the bearing was changing in the
right direction, and that we stood a good prospect of weather-
ing it. In another ten minutes we passed close to windward of
it, and could see the mountainous waves dashing over its lofty
pinnacles and imagine the condition of the unfortunate vessel
that should run foul of it. It was an impressive farewell to the
Southern ice, for since that gaunt, wave-beaten mass has
dropped astern we have seen no more.'

With our last view of these formidable Southern bergs
my tale draws to a close, for what remains is little more than
the story of ordinary life on the high seas, and may be told
briefly.

The month of March is the most stormy season of the year
in the Southern Seas, and during the days which we spent in
travelling to the north the weather made no exception in our
favour. From the 6th to the 14th we had continuous gales
with conditions of greater physical discomfort than we had
ever experienced on board the ' Discovery.' The ship was in
very light trim and was tossed about on the mountainous seas

294 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Mar.

like a cork. There are few things more exasperating than the
unceasing pitching and plunging of a very lively ship. Many
of us were very seasick, and, to add to our distress, our decks
were leaking badly, so that we lived in a perpetual drip below.
The wind blew almost constantly northward of west, so that
we were obliged to remain close-hauled. Our crab-like motion
under sail soon showed us that we should be drifted to leeward
of our rendezvous, and on the 9th we were obliged to start our
engines again. Even with steam and sail it was touch and go
whether we lay our course until the 13th, when a lucky slant of
wind sent us well to windward. On the 14th we sighted the
Auckland Islands on our lee bow, and early on the following
morning we furled our sails off the entrance of Ross Harbour,
and steamed into the calm waters of the bay.

It is not easy to forget that morning when, weary and worn
with all our long struggle with the ice and the tempests of the
South, we steered into this placid shelter and, for the first time
for more than two years, feasted our eyes on hillsides clothed
with the green of luxuriant vegetation.

Ross Harbour is a splendidly protected winding inlet, and
it was in its deepest arm, shut of! from all view of the sea, that
we finally came to an anchor, within a hundred yards of the
thick scrub which grows down to the water's edge. A glance
at our bunkers was alone sufficient to show by how narrow a
margin we had accomplished our work, for less than ten tons
remained of our stock of coal, and yet not an ounce had been
wasted on our northward voyage. Our plans had barely
carried us to this uninhabited island, and with such a remnant
we could not have made the longer journey to New Zealand.

It was with great surprise, and not altogether without
anxiety, that I found neither of our consorts had yet arrived at
the rendezvous. However, I reflected that it was quite pos-
sible that by going to the west we had achieved a windward
position and thus got ahead of them in spite of their long start,
and this conjecture proved to be correct.

Meanwhile we settled ourselves down to wait, determined
to enjoy our new surroundings thoroughly, and to make our

i904] REASSEMBLY IN ROSS HARBOUR 295

ship as smart as possible for her first appearance to the eyes of
the multitude. It was a curious idea this last, but it was very
strongly held by us all ; it seemed a point of pride with us that
the good ship which had carried us so well should not be
allowed to display any untidiness in public, and so all hands
fell to with a will. There was much scrubbing of decks and
cleaning of paint work ; then came a fresh coat of paint to
cover up all the travel stains, and in a few days the ' Discovery '
looked as though she had spent her three adventurous years in
some peaceful harbour.

On March 19 the 'Terra Nova' hove in sight, and on the
following day we were still more relieved by the safe arrival of
the ' Morning.' Both ships had the same tale to tell — a tale of
continuous adverse gales which had blown so heavily that at
times they had been obliged to ' heave-to,' and throughout had
had a long and hard struggle in beating up to the islands.
The little ' Morning ' had had an especially dismal experience.
She had been nearly a month fighting this terribly hard
weather, with all sorts of added troubles in connection with
her ramshackle engines and pumps, and her ill-ballasted con-
dition. Captain Colbeck will no doubt tell of the adventurous
incidents of this month, but none of us is likely to forget the
utterly worn-out condition in which his small company arrived
at Ross Harbour, or the universal testimony of officers and
men that disaster had only been averted by the consummate
seamanship with which their small vessel had been handled.

The few days which we remained in Ross Harbour after
the arrival of our consorts were spent in ballasting the ' Morn-
ing ' and in giving a much-needed rest to her crew ; we were also
able to obtain from the ' Terra Nova ' the addition to our coal
supply necessary for the last stage of our journey to civilisation.

On March 29 our small fleet set sail once more, and now
everything favoured our prosperous voyage; with a strong
breeze from the south-west and a moderate sea, we set all our
canvas and ran rapidly to the north. On the 30th we sighted
Stewart Island, and later the coast of the mainland ; the fol-
lowing day found us running up the coast, and at length

296 THE VOYAGE OF THE ' DISCOVERY ' [April

with the well-remembered outline of the Bankes Peninsula
before us.

At daybreak on Good Friday, April i, we were off the
Heads of Lyttelton Harbour, and before noon we were safely
berthed alongside the jetty from which we had sailed with
such hearty good wishes more than two years before.

I have found my pen inadequate to describe many an
incident in this narrative, but perhaps I never realised its
inadequacy so completely as when I set about to picture the
warmth of the welcome which we received on our arrival in
New Zealand. Those who have been patient enough to follow
the course of this story will remember the kindness with
which our small party of adventurers were treated before our
departure for the South, and how each visit of the relief ship
brought us not only welcome news from the Old Country, but
greetings and presents from this newer land. It is little
wonder, therefore, that as we entered Lyttelton Heads after
so long an absence, each one of us felt that we were returning
to what was very nearly our home — to a place where we
should find rest and peace after our wanderings, and to people
who would greet us with sympathetic friendship. And all this
we found in fullest measure ; New Zealand welcomed us as
its own, and showered on us a wealth of hospitality and
kindness which assuredly we can never forget, however diffi-
cult we may have found it to express our thanks. In these
delightful conditions, with everything that could make for
perfect rest and comfort, we abode for two full months before
we set out on our last long voyage; and even though that
voyage was to carry us to our homeland, there was many a sad
heart when for the last time we steamed out of Lyttelton
Harbour and waved our farewells to those who had taken so
deep an interest in our fortunes.

June 8 found us at sea again. The ' Morning ' sailed with
us, but soon parted company ; the ! Terra Nova ' had left more
than a fortnight earlier. We did not sight land again until
July 6, when we first saw the mountains of Tierra del Fuego.
Meanwhile, however, our voyage had not been without interest,

i$04] VOYAGE HOMEWARD 29?

as it had enabled us to accomplish some tasks of importance.
Amongst these was the completion of our magnetic survey,
which was thus carried about the greater part of the circum-
ference of the Antarctic area, as well as to such regions as we
had visited within it.

After leaving New Zealand we gradually increased our
latitude until the greater part of our track lay between the
parallels of 5 6° and 6o°. This was a route which had often
been taken by ships, but one in which the depth of the ocean
was entirely unknown. So far as the weather and the circum-
stances of the voyage would permit, we endeavoured to supply
this deficiency, and although we were not able to sound so
frequently as I had hoped, the few soundings which we took
are of great interest, as they constitute our only knowledge of
the depth of the Pacific in high Southern latitudes. On the
whole, these soundings showed a fairly uniform depth of
something over 2,000 fathoms. The shallowest, 1,710 fathoms,
was obtained on the meridian of 136 W., whilst the deepest,
2,738 fathoms, occurred on that of 106 W. close down on the
60th parallel. This is only a step, and a very small one,
towards what is greatly needed — namely, a complete oceano-
graphic survey of the seas about the Antarctic Circle.

Another point of geographical interest occurring in this
voyage may be noted : on two occasions an island named
Dogherty Island has been reported approximately in latitude
59 S., longitude 120 W., but later observations have thrown
some doubt upon its existence. On June 25 we arrived on
the supposed position of this land, and found a depth of
2,318 fathoms. It was remarkably clear both before and after
we took this sounding, and had there been an island within
any reasonable limits of its assigned position we could not
have failed to see it. The case for the retention of an oceanic
island on the chart after it has been proved absent from its
supposed position is that the original discoverer may have
largely miscalculated that position, but the evidence against
the existence of Dogherty Island is now too strong to allow of
this explanation.

298 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [July

-I had originally intended to round Cape Horn on our
homeward voyage, but as we approached this longitude we
were driven to the northward by S.E. winds, and consequently
altered our plans to pass through the Magellan Strait. We
entered this beautiful channel on the evening of July 6, and
on the following night anchored off Puntas Arenas ; the 9th
found us racing out through the Eastern Narrows on the
strong ebb tide, and three days later we anchored in Port
Stanley (Falkland Islands). Here we replenished our stock of
coal and took the last series of magnetic observations in con-
nection with our Southern Survey.

On the 20th we put to sea and turned our head to the
north, to face the last long stage of our journey ; and now
for the first time we found our life on board contained the
elements of monotony. Our work was done — nothing re-
mained but to hasten homeward — and we realised how poor a
show of haste the ' Discovery ' was capable of displaying. We
would willingly have spirited our good ship from the southern
to the northern hemisphere, and chafed at the long weeks at
sea which resulted from our slow progress.

And so our passage to the north was somewhat wearisome,
but slowly and surely the miles were traversed, and we passed
from the wild and stormy seas of the Westerlies to the mild
regions of the gentle S.E. trade wind, and from this to the
sweltering heat of the Doldrums.

On August 13 we recrossed the line, and a week later
struggled slowly through the N.E. trade towards the Azores ;
here I decided to take in a small stock of coal, and on the
last day of the month we anchored off Punta Delgada, in the
island of San Miguel.

On September 2 we put to sea for the last time, and now,
with favouring breezes, made comparatively rapid progress
towards the Channel.

Early on the morning of the 9th we sighted the home-
land once more, after an interval of three years and one
month, and as we slowly steamed up the Channel it can be
imagined there were not many eyes that did not gaze long-

1904J HOME 299

ingly over our port bulwarks. All Nature was smiling to wel-
come us, and all day long we passed in clear view of that
glorious panorama of the south coast which every sailor
knows so well ; one wonders how many hearts have swelled at
that sight !

At daylight on the 10th we were south of the Isle of
Wight, and before noon the ' Discovery ' lay at Spithead,
surrounded by many craft, whilst on board we welcomed
those who had waited so long and so patiently for this
moment.

There seems little to add. To attempt to describe the
hearty welcome which we received from our countrymen, and
the generous tributes which have been paid to our efforts,
would be beyond the scope of this book, which purports to
deal only with the simple narrative of our voyage. For me,
and for the small band who laboured so faithfully together in
the ' Discovery,' there has been one cloud to dim the joy of
this home-coming, for there was not one of us, I think, who
did not feel the sadness of the day which brought the end of
our close companionship and the scattering of those ties
which had held us together for so long.

Yet although this inevitable parting has taken place, we
hope that as the years roll on we may meet again, and we
know that when such meetings come they will renew old
friendships and recall some of the pleasantest memories of our
lives.

3oo THE VOYAGE OF THE ■ DISCOVERY '

GENERAL SURVEY OF OUR OBSERVATIONS

They that have wrought the end unthought

Be neither saint nor sage,
But men that merely did the work

For which they drew the wage. — Kipling.

It is impossible at this date to give anything like a complete
summary of the results of our Antarctic Expedition, for until
the scientific collection and observations have been thoroughly
examined by experts, all deductions that can be drawn from
them must be open to doubt. But in addition to the mass of
important matter which cannot be safely discussed until it has
been completely investigated, there is a large field of more
general interest which does not need the close study of records,
and concerning which ideas can be advanced without prejudice.
In this field lie the purely geographical problems which we set
forth to solve, as well as the outlines of others which formed
the main objects of our various sledge journeys.

In the course of the narrative of our voyage I found it
impossible to give in connected fashion all the observations of
irregular occurrence which, when pieced together, form the
main facts of our discoveries and exhibit problems of the
greatest interest for future explorers.

At this point I propose, therefore, to collect these facts and
observations in more connected form, partly to give a clearer
idea of the physical conditions of the field of our labours, but
mainly that those who follow in our footsteps may have the
full benefit of our experience. In considering these objects
the reader will readily understand the order in which I present
the following paragraphs.

PACK-ICE 301

Pack-ice. — The ice conditions in the Ross Sea have been
observed in the course of five different seasons. Although
differences in date make it impossible to compare these seasons
closely, one is led to believe that four were very similar and
constitute the normal condition, whilst one — the summer of
1902-3 — was exceptional. The normal condition seems to be
that the sea becomes completely frozen over in the winter, the
movement of the ice-sheet leaving narrow spaces of open water
only at its edge, in such places as the northern face of the Great
Barrier, and possibly in rents which are speedily refrozen.

The gales at Cape Crozier grow excessively violent towards
the end of September and in October, and by this time the
ice-sheet has probably commenced to weaken. The general
break-up which results was witnessed on two occasions by our
sledge parties ; on one day they saw the sea completely covered
with ice, and on the next looked forth on a clear sheet of open
water. The ice thus freed drifts to the north, and forms that
belt of pack through which ships must pass to reach the sea in
the early summer. Drifting under the influence of wind, loose
pieces will always travel faster than the main pack, and con-
sequently the southern edge of the belt will generally be a hard
and fast line where loose pieces are crowding on the main pack,
and the northern edge will be free where loose pieces are
tending to detach themselves from it.

Towards the end of December and the early part of January
this belt extends from the Antarctic Circle for about 200 miles
to the south, and is probably best attacked on the meridians of
1780 to i3o° E. To the westward of this the pack would be
augmented by the /coastal ice of Victoria Land, and to the
eastward by conditions which are not well known, but on which
the discovery of Scott Island and the difficulties experienced
by Ross throw some light.

The ice probably leaves the Ross Sea in large fields and is
broken by the ocean swell, which penetrates the pack for a
great distance; and this accounts for the fact that the floes
increase in size as one approaches the southern edge, though
nowhere exceeding one or two miles in length, The character

3o2 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

of the ice in the main pack frequently changes, giving the
impression that a quantity of ice of a previous season is caught
when the sea freezes over ; but none of the floes met with is
formidable — all are more or less rotten and decayed.

The exceptional ice conditions of the summer of 1902-3
seem to have arisen from causes commencing at a very early
date in the winter of 1902. What must be considered an
abnormal succession of southerly gales again and again broke
up the ice in McMurdo Sound, and even late in the winter
there was open water within a few miles of the ' Discovery.'
The continual formation of fresh sheets of ice must have tended
to congestion, which the exceptionally fine weather conditions
of December and January failed to relieve, so that the greater
part of the Ross Sea remained filled with ice ; and not only
had the ' Morning ' great difficulty in getting to the south, but
the sea was never sufficiently open to admit of the swell on
which we depended to break up the ice in McMurdo Sound
and release the ■ Discovery.'

In connection with this fact it is interesting to note that,
though the main pack usually drifts to the north early, there is
an eddy in McMurdo Sound in which a mass of ice is
detained throughout December and January. At the end of
January in 1902 and 1904, this mass was suddenly carried to
the north, but it did not disappear until nearly a month later
in 1903. When this occurred there was a noticeable change in
the drift of the surface waters through the Sound.

Continuing to drift northward, the main pack is dissipated
by the beginning of February, and during this month a ship,
by coming directly south on the 178th meridian, could reach
the Great Barrier without encountering any pack-ice. It is
strange to think that there may be a season in the year when
the enterprising tourist steamer may show its passengers the
lofty smoke-capped form of Mount Erebus, as easily as it now
does the fine scenery of Spitzbergen.

The sea-ice met with on the coast of Victoria Land is of a
different character from that found in the main pack. It is
very solid and hard, comparatively free from snow, and, except

ICEBERGS 303

where dust and grit have settled on the surface, little decayed.
Its uniform smoothness shows there is very little pressure.
The pack-ice met with in the vicinity of King Edward's Land
was very heavy also, but the floes were much hummocked and
many were evidently more than one season old. It appears
probable that a large quantity of pack is detained amongst the
numerous grounded bergs and ice-islands in this region, where
also the snowfall seems heavier than to the west. The region
south of the Balleny Islands will probably always be found
heavily packed owing to the constant drift from the
Victoria Land coast, but it is evident that the exact position
of this pack is uncertain, as although in February 1904 we
found it far to the east, Ross at the same season in 1841
observed an open sea to the eastward of the 168th meridian.

The pack-ice is, of course, the main obstruction to explora-
tion in the far South. A study of its disposition and move-
ment is therefore of great importance to the navigator. Mr.
Ferrar has added some interesting notes on the physical pro-
perties of sea-ice in his geological summary.

Icebergs. — The main supply of icebergs in the Ross Sea is
from the Barrier and King Edward's Land. The glaciers on
the coastline of Victoria Land are in an extraordinary con-
dition of stagnation, and nearly all the bergs met with along
its coast have undoubtedly come from the east. From Cape
Adare to Cape Crozier there are only two ice-flows capable of
giving off a clean tabular berg of any dimensions, and our
observations went to show that the supply from these is
extremely small. In this connection it is instructive to note
that the rate at which bergs are given off in various regions
can be gauged to some extent by the comparative newness of
the exposed faces of the ice-cliffs. As a rule, the cliffs of the
Barrier exhibit a smooth uniform face, whereas those on the
coast of Victoria Land are honeycombed with the action of
the sea and the weather.

It will be remembered that we found innumerable bergs
aground on the shoals off King Edward's Land, and that some
were very large. We saw one or two small ones in the act of

304 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

calving from the high cliffs in that direction, but we did not
see any being detached from the Barrier itself, and I am
under the impression, after our examination of its edge, that it
must break away in very large pieces.

A stream of small bergs, with an occasional large one, sets
along the Barrier and turns north along Victoria Land. Many
of these are delayed in the larger bays and inlets of the coast
and hung up on such shoal patches as exist off Cape Crozier,
Cape Washington, and Cape Adare. From the latter especially
there extends a long string of grounded bergs which appear to
have run ashore in an attempt to round the corner too sharply.
To the westward of Cape Adare, stretching on to Cape North,
we found immense quantities of bergs, but after turning to the
north we saw none until we had passed to the westward of the
Balleny Islands, when they were again fairly numerous. I
cannot think that the bergs we saw before entering the pack in
January 1902 can have had any connection with the Ross Sea.
I imagine they must have come from further east.

The size of Antarctic icebergs, as I mentioned in my
narrative, has been much exaggerated, though when the
formidable appearance of these objects is considered there is
every excuse for such exaggeration. Of the many hundreds
seen by us, very few exceeded a mile in length or 150 feet in
height ; the vast majority were less than a quarter of a mile
across and less than 120 feet high. The largest we saw were
aground off King Edward's Land, and here too it will be
remembered, we found some exceedingly tall ice-cliffs. We
had various devices for measuring the heights of icebergs and
ice-cliffs when we cruised alone, but it was easier still to get a
true estimate of these when the ' Terra Nova ' was in company
with us, as then a direct comparison could be made with the
height of the masts.

Another very important point to be determined with regard
to Antarctic icebergs is the proportion of the submerged to the
visible part. Sir John Murray has estimated this as about
7 to 1, but I am inclined to think that it is much less. My
opinion is founded, firstly, on general observations of the

CURRENT 305

depths in which bergs ground (120 to 150 feet bergs do not
touch bottom in more than 100 to 120 fathoms of water) )
secondly, on an eye estimate of the proportion as indicated in
an overturned berg; and, thirdly, on the nature of the ice
itself as exposed in the face of the berg on the cliff from which
it has come. The transition from snow to ice is very gradual,
and strongly impresses one that the mass throughout must
contain large quantities of air — an impression supported by the
examination of some ice taken from the bottom of an over-
turned berg. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to
ascertain exactly this proportion by actual measurement, but
for the reasons which I have adduced I believe that it is not
greater than 5 to 1.

I regard this factor as highly important. It would be of
interest if it only enabled the mass of these great floating
islands to be calculated, but it does much more ; for it must
be remembered that the bergs are detached from ice-sheets
covering or connected with the land, and that the dimensions
of the bergs give the thickness of the sheets from which they
have come. In fact, from these data we can make an
extremely interesting statement. If the average height of
bergs be taken as 150 feet, and the proportion of the sub-
merged to the visible part be accepted as 5 to 1, we can say
that 900 feet is the average thickness of the ice-sheet extending
over a very large area of the Antarctic Regions.

Current. — The general drift of the current in the Ross Sea
is indicated by the direction taken by the bergs, to which I
have referred. It will be remembered that on our return
along the Barrier we had the good fortune to recognise a berg
which we had seen on our outward journey. It had drifted
seventy miles to the west in twelve days, but the surface water
had been moving at a greater speed, as we could tell by its
effect on the ship. The tidal streams do little more than
accelerate or retard this current, and it was only occasionally
that we were helped in our journey to the south and east by a
favouring stream. To the eastward of the Balleny Islands the
surface water is moving towards the north, but the absence of
vol. 11. x

3o6 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

bergs seems to show that there is no deeper stream in this
direction. To the westward of the Balleny Islands we did not
notice any marked current, and the bergs were much scattered.
On the whole, there seems little doubt that the water is circu-
lating from east to west about the Antarctic lands, and therefore
I think that, apart from other considerations, exploring efforts
in the Far South should be directed to the west. I may remark
that had the ' Discovery ' been released from the ice after her first
season it was my intention to ask permission to go south on
the meridian of Cook's farthest position, and from there to
work to the west, in hopes of making King Edward's Land.

I have touched so far on those results of our experience
which may serve to aid the explorer to reach the Far South ; I
pass now to matters more immediately connected with our
work. The main geographical interest of our expedition lies
in the practical observation of a coastline from Mount
Melbourne in latitude 74^° to Mount Longstaff in latitude
830, and of the conditions which lie to the east and west of
this line. Our previous knowledge extended only to that part
which lies between Mount Melbourne and McMurdo Sound ;
and of this we had but the vaguest description. This great
region, which constituted the principal field of our labours,
afforded interests of a most varied description, as I trust the
reader of this book will have gathered.

It remains to give some connected account of these
interests, and as the most extensive problems, here as else-
where in polar regions, depended on conditions of glaciation,
it is well first to consider this governing factor.

The Inland Ice. — The extent and uniformity of this great
sheet must necessarily be matters of some doubt ; it is there-
fore desirable to marshal all the evidence concerning them.

The outline of the coast which limits the ice-cap and the
position and heights of the mountain ranges are shown on the
chart. It will be seen that these coastal ranges are com-
paratively low between Mount Melbourne and the Ferrar
Glacier, whence one might be led to suppose that the ice-cap
was also lower at this part. But low as the mountains are, in

THE INLAND ICE 307

one place only does the inland ice pour any of its volume into
the sea, whilst the mountains themselves form an effective
screen to the conditions which exist behind them. I have only
one note that throws light on these \ as we journeyed down the
coast we looked back over the ice-river in latitude 75°and saw
its surface rise sharply to a ridge between the mountains.
I wrote : ' Beyond this the surface still seemed to rise, and bare
patches of rock could be seen at a greater altitude, but it was
impossible to estimate the exact distance or height of these.'

Turning now to our journey up the Ferrar Glacier, it will
be remembered that the mountains rose on each side of us as
we approached the interior, and that when we reached the
interior plateau at a height of 8,900 feet we observed nunataks
to the north standing above our own level. From these
observations I think there can be little doubt that the land
rises behind the coastal mountains of the Prince Albert Range,
and that the interior ice-cap nearly maintains the altitude
which it has to the southward.

To the south of the Ferrar Glacier there are a number of
detached mountain ranges of great altitude that flank the
coast. In the distance at which we first saw them they bore
the appearance of islands, but closer approach narrowed the
glaciers which lay between them, and revealed an extensive
mountain region beyond, behind which must lie an ice-cap of
great altitude and extent.

Coming now to our journey over the ice-cap, it will be
remembered that we travelled to the westward over a plain
which did not vary in altitude more than sixty or seventy feet
for 200 miles; but as one's view on such a plain was very
limited, it would be impossible to state definitely that the
conditions were the same for many miles north or south of
our course. We did not reach the inland plateau until we
were fully seventy miles from the coast, and it is therefore
extremely improbable that the full height of the ice-cap could
be seen anywhere from the sea or from the Barrier surface.

From the facts before us, therefore, we may say with
certainty that the ice-cap is of very great extent, and that in

3o8 THE VOYAGE OF THE ! DISCOVERY '

the latitude of 7 8° it is comparatively uniform in altitude;
while, beyond this, the evidences which I have briefly sketched
serve to increase the impression of its vastness, and to indicate
that it maintains an approximately uniform level over the
whole continent. Whether we accept what our imagination
must suggest or pause at the actual facts which have been dis-
covered, this great ice-sheet is unique ; it has no parallel in
the world, and its discovery must be looked upon as a notable
geographical fact.

Glaciers. — There are innumerable glaciers on the coast of
Victoria Land, but the great majority merely discharge local
neve fields lying in the coastal valleys ; very few run back to
the inland ice, and these may be divided into two classes — the
living and the dead. In the long stretch of coast between
Cape Adare and Mount Longstaff, over n° of latitude, there
appear to be only four living ice-discharges from the interior.
The first falls into Lady Newnes Bay, the second into the ice-
river in 750 S. to which I have referred, whilst the Barne and
Shackleton Inlets form channels for the other two. The
Skelton and Mulock Inlets may also actively discharge from the
inland ice, but this is very doubtful. From observations which I
have mentioned one must gather that the movement of the most
northerly of these discharges is very slow, but, judging by the
movement of the Barrier, the southern ones are more active.

The Ferrar Glacier is typical of the dead glaciers j the ice
lies in the valley practically stationary and gradually wasting
away from the summer thawing, so that to all intents and pur-
poses it is a dead limb. The most conclusive proof of the
stagnant condition of the ice in this region was afforded by the
north arm of this glacier; the reader will remember that I
descended this to find that the ice-stream ended in the tamest
manner far from the sea. All these evidences, and many others
which space will not allow me to mention, lead up to one great
fact — namely, that the glaciation of the Antarctic Regions is
receding.

For us in the South the appreciation of this fact and all its
consequences served to throw a flood of light on many a knotty

THE GREAT BARRIER 309

point, as I shall presently show, and, indeed, the fact itself was
wonderfully impressive when we came to consider what must
once have been the condition of Victoria Land. The Ferrar
Glacier probably contains as much ice as any hitherto known
in the world; the Barne and Shackleton Glaciers contain a
great deal more. Yet in the first of these we saw that the ice
must have been from 3,000 to 4,000 feet above its present level,
and we knew that naturally the others must have been enlarged
in like proportion. It is difficult to conceive the vastness of
these great ice-streams at the period of maximum glaciation.

The Great Barrier. — If the lofty plateau of Victoria Land
is unique and wonderful, surely this great plain on the sea-level
is still more marvellous. It was a surprise to everyone, and not
least to ourselves, to find that our long journey to the south
was made without a rise of level. What was the thickness of
the ice-sheet to the south, or what lay beneath it, was obviously
impossible for us to determine, but on collecting all the
indirect evidences which bear on these points, I came to a
conclusion which I still hold — that the greater part of it is
afloat j and, strange as it is to imagine that the sea should run
beneath such a solid sheet for so many hundreds of miles, I
have yet to learn any reasonable argument against such an idea.
As there are some, however, who do not agree with my con-
clusion, I will endeavour to give the reasons which guided me
in forming it.

In first considering the edge of the Barrier the reader will
see that on the chart the height of the cliff is given in feet and
the depth of the sea in fathoms ; if the proportion of five or
even six to one be taken as the depth of the submerged ice, a
small calculation will show that there are still some hundreds
of fathoms of water between the bottom of the ice and the
floor of the sea. And the Barrier edge sixty years ago was in
advance of its present position, in places as much as twenty or
thirty miles, consequently our soundings lie directly beneath
Sir James Ross's Barrier and a long way from its edge. The
part that has broken away must therefore have been water-
borne, and this at least shows the possibility of the ice-sheet

310 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

being afloat for an almost indefinite distance to the south. But
had there been any doubt about the flotation of the present
Barrier edge, it must have been dispelled by the fact that
during our stay in the Balloon Inlet, although we had evidence of
considerable tidal movement, the ice rose and fell with the ship.

We have so far proved, therefore, that the edge of the Great
Barrier ice-sheet is afloat, and since thirty miles of this floating
sheet have been broken away without altering this condition,
there is no reason for limiting the distance for which it
continues.

Passing now to our southern journey, it remains to be
shown that, as I have stated, we travelled practically over a
level plain. Of this the gradual disappearance and reappear-
ance of land masses over a continually level horizon left little
doubt, but a yet clearer indication was the uniformity of the
barometric pressures. The aneroid readings were recorded
three or four times a day, and were frequently checked with
the hypsometer. On my return from the southern journey I
tabulated the readings on each half-degree of latitude, in com-
parison with simultaneous readings taken in the ship, applying
the necessary corrections. When an empirical correction for a
height of 250 feet is applied to the Barrier readings, the com-
parative differences are small, and if anything the Barrier read-
ings are the greater, showing a fall in level, or, what is more
probable, a rise in the barometric gradient. The following is
extracted from the table in question :

1

Latitude

Difference between Means of Ship and

Barrier Readings corrected, and with

allowance of 250 feet for height of

Barrier

79°

79° 30'
8o°

8o° 30'
8i°

8i° 30'
820

+ •045
+ *o6
+ -04
+ •085
+ -06

— '02

-•035

THE GREAT BARRIER 311

The sign shown in the second column indicates the
manner in which the difference must be applied to the ship
readings to produce equality.

It must be remembered, of course, that this comparison of
pressures cannot be an exact method of determining levels in
such circumstances. A small difference in pressure may be
due to the normal barometric gradient or to local disturbance,
as well as to a small difference of level, yet I do not think that
anyone studying these figures can come to any conclusion but
that we travelled over a level plain, except perhaps for a slight
rise where the last two readings were taken, and this is easily
explained by our exceptional nearness to the coastline at the
time.

As this great ice-sheet moves along the coast of Victoria
Land, the thrust of the immense glaciers in the Shackleton
and Barne Inlets tends to push it from the land, and thus the
vast chasms of which I have given some account are formed.
For many miles from the entrances of these inlets the ice is
waved into long undulations, and as one approaches them the
waves become more marked, the confusion increases, and the
cracks and crevasses grow numerous. Within ten miles of the
coastline at any place there are signs of disturbance, and, as
my story showed, such a region is ill adapted for the sledge
traveller. But without the region of these disturbances, or
some ten or fifteen miles from the land (except immediately
off the mouths of the inlets, where the confusion is wider
spread), the Barrier moves with tranquillity, no ridge or
crevasse or other irregularity is met with, and the surface
presents one monotonous, even plain of snow. Although it
may be possible, it seems to me highly improbable, that a mass
of ice could be travelling over the land in such an even,
undisturbed fashion. Where the ice-sheet is pushing past the
Minna Bluff and around the north and south ends of the
White Island, it is starred into long radial crevasses, running
from ten to twenty miles from the land. The rifts are so
straight and close so gradually that on crossing them the sides
appear5to be mathematically ruled straight parallel lines. It is

3i2 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY'

scarcely imaginable that such extraordinary uniformity of
fracture should occur in an ice-sheet that is resting on the
land, where there must be some irregularity in friction and
ice-tension tending to divert the straightness of the rents.

One other evidence of importance remains to be noticed
in this connection. In one of the crevasses extending from
the north end of White Island Mr. Royds took some serial
temperatures. Close to the land he found that the tempera-
ture fell with the depth to a mean level of — 90, but at a
distance of ten miles from the land he got a different result.
Here at first the temperature fell, but as the thermometer was
lowered its column rose again until, at a depth of nineteen
fathoms, it showed zero. Deeper than this he could not go on
account of the snow in the crevasse, but I think it must be
conceded that the only reasonable cause for such a rise of
temperature as was observed is the presence of water beneath
the ice.

When all the facts which I have mentioned are considered,
I do not see that there can be any reasonable cause to doubt
that the Great Barrier ice-sheet is afloat at least as far south as
we travelled.

Movement and Extent of the Great Barrier. — After our
observations of the stagnant condition of the ice about our
winter quarters and in the Ferrar Glacier, the report of the
Barrier movement came as a surprise. The reader will
remember that its discovery was more or less accidental, and
resulted from the fact that Mr. Barne, on visiting Depot ' A '
in 1903, found that its bearing was altered, and thirteen and a
half months after its establishment he carefully measured its
displacement, which he found to be 608 yards. The direction
in which it is travelling must be a little to the east of north,
and consequently this figure probably represents the whole
movement during the period. The direction of movement is
indicated by the vast disturbances encountered off the eastern
slopes of Mount Terror. Here the sheet is pressing up and
shearing past the land-ice, raising numerous huge parallel
pressure ridges. It would almost seem possible that move-

THE GREAT BARRIER 313

ment was taking place along each of these according to the
state of the tide. Dr. Wilson, who had the greatest oppor-
tunity of examining this region, thinks that there must be a
submarine land ridge between Mount Terror and the White
Island, checking the flow of ice in that direction. He also
observed that glaciers on the south side of Erebus and Terror,
where there is an exceptionally heavy snowfall, are pressing
towards the south-west, eventually finding relief around Cape
Armitage. That there was some pressure from the Barrier
around White Island was shown by the ridges which formed
on the eastern side of our peninsula.

I am inclined to place the eastern limit of the floating
portion of the Barrier near the Balloon Inlet in longitude
1630 W. It is noticeable that the ice-cliff immediately to the
east of this has not broken away since Sir James Ross traced
it. The disturbed condition of the ice in this vicinity is no
doubt due to King Edward's Land, but it is not easy to see
why the effect should be precisely what it is.

The full extent of the Barrier ice- sheet must, for the
present, be a matter of surmise. At our most southerly point
we saw long snow-capes running out beyond Mount Longstaff
and meeting the level horizon, while further still the mirage
threw up small patches of white, indicative of still more distant
capes and mountains. The scene to the south was much what
it was to the north, and the weather so bright and clear that
we can at least make one statement with certainty. The high
mountainous coastline does not turn to the east before reaching
the 84th parallel beyond the slight trend it already has in that
direction. But at such distances one can only speak of the
high land ; whether the level surface of the Barrier continues
to skirt those lofty land masses it is impossible to say, but, for
my part, I am strongly of opinion that it does.

Speculations on Former Ice Conditions. — Having given the
reasons for my belief that the Great Barrier is afloat, it may be
interesting to add some ideas which have come to me with
regard to its origin, although I make no pretence to being an
expert in glacial matter?.

3M THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

It is evident that when the Southern glaciation was at a
maximum, when the glacier valleys were filled to overflowing,
and when the great reservoir of the interior stood perhaps 400
or 500 feet above its present level and was pouring vast masses
of ice into the Ross Sea, the Great Barrier was a very different
formation from what it is at present. There are abundant
evidences of its great enlargement ; granite boulders were
found on Cape Royds and high on every volcanic island in
our neighbourhood ; on the slopes of Terror, Dr. Wilson
found morainic terraces 800 feet above the present surface of
the ice ; Mr. Ferrar showed that nearly the whole of the Cape
Armitage Peninsula was once submerged ; and, in fact, on all
sides of us and everywhere were signs of the vastly greater
extent of the ancient ice-sheet.

It is not until one has grasped the extent of the former
glaciation and the comparatively rapid recession of the present
that one can hope to explain the many extraordinary ice forma-
tions that now remain in the Ross Sea, but armed with this
knowledge one is at least able to advance a theory concerning
their origin.

My opinion is that at or near the time of maximum glacia-
tion the huge glaciers, no longer able to float in a sea of 400
fathoms, joined hands and spread out over the Ross Sea,
completely filling it with an immense sheet of ice. At that
time the edge of the sheet and the first place at which it could
be water-borne bordered on the ocean depths to the north of
Cape Adare. Then followed the receding ice conditions, when
the ice-sheet as a whole grew thinner, and at length a time
came when it was curiously circumstanced. The Ross Sea is
comparatively uniform in depth north and south • the ice-sheet
pressing out over this level floor would consequently have been
more or less uniform in thickness, and finally the wastage
would have been more or less uniform over the whole area.
As a result of these conditions there came a time when the
whole ice-sheet became buoyant, and when it had either to
break away with great rapidity or to float whilst remaining fast.
I imagine that it floated and broke away gradually, and that

FORMER ICE CONDITIONS AND CLIMATE 315

the present rapidly diminishing Barrier is the remains of the
great ice-sheet

It is not the only remains, for the whole coast bears signs
of the old ice- sheet in curious ice formations that can be
accounted for in no other way. Lady Newnes Bay contains
a large fragment of it ; the present ice discharges are wholly
insufficient to account for such a sheet as fills this bay ; more-
over, its surface is not gradually inclined but advances in long
and steep undulations, the outer waves cut off by deep hollows
from the interior mass. The single sounding taken in this
vicinity shows that here, too, the greater part of the ice-mass
is still afloat. In the course of the narrative I referred to the
long ice-tongue in latitude 750 S. ; this also must be a remnant
of the heavier glaciation. Other typical remnants are to be
found in the steep snow-slopes and ice-cliffs which fringe many
parts of the coast. These slopes, which are very common
about our winter quarters, start on a bare hillside and, wedge-
shaped in section, gradually increase in thickness till they end
in a perpendicular cliff dipping into the sea, consequently they
have no present source of supply.

In conclusion it may be said that there are few photographs
of the coastal scenery which do not exhibit in some way or
another evidence of the vastly greater extension of the ice-
sheet in former times.

Former Climate. — A word may be added as to the change
of climate which has caused the recession of the ice conditions
in the Far South. It has been a surprise to me to find that
the idea that a great glacial epoch is the result of a compara-
tively mild climate is supported by much authority. Both
Mr. Ferrar and I arrived at this conclusion independently
when in the South. The chief argument in its favour is that
it is physically impossible for cold air to contain much moisture,
but living in a severe climate it was impossible not to realise
that greater severity would have meant more sterile ice condi-
tions. In this connection it is also interesting to note that our
greatest snowfall occurred in the summer, and that the Balleny
Islands are more heavily glaciated than Victoria Land.

316 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

There can be little doubt, therefore, that at the period of
maximum glaciation the climate of Victoria Land was milder
than it is at present.

Physical Geography of Victoria Land. — Mr. Ferrar has dealt
with this subject at such length in his geological summary that
it is unnecessary for me to add many remarks concerning it.
He has set forth the general results of his labours, and I think
it must be admitted that they are of great importance.

It has to be remembered that little or nothing was known
of the geology of this land before we set forth, that since our
return the formation of a very large part of it has been revealed,
and that there is much evidence to show that this part may be
taken as typical of the whole.

The simple horizontal structure which Mr. Ferrar describes,
and the absence of lateral pressure in the formation of such a
huge and extensive range of mountains, appear to have been
wholly unexpected, and to have excited the interest of many
geologists. The details of Mr. Ferrar's reports and collections
have yet to be investigated, but there can be little doubt that,
when all is made known, the geology of the Antarctic Continent
will have received an immense addition. In this connection,
however, we have to record one disappointment ; we confi-
dently hoped that Mr. Ferrar's discovery of fossil remains
would prove of great importance, but an examination of them
since our return has shown that they cannot be identified, and
consequently much of the value of the discovery is lost.

Speaking at the Royal Geographical Society, Dr. Smith
Woodward said on this subject : ' The carbonaceous matter is
really of great importance, because it was discovered 500 miles
south of the fossil plants brought back by the Swedish Ex-
pedition. . . . All who have seen it are quite agreed that this
carbonaceous matter must be due to vegetation, but it shows
no structure whatever. ... It seems impossible to determine
whether it is due to land vegetation or to marine vegetation.'
It seems, therefore, that the fossils of which we hoped so much
are in too carbonised a state to be of use in indicating the age
of the great sandstone formation in which they were found.

VICTORIA LAND 3-17

Although Mr. Ferrar has dealt with the general disposition
of the mountain ranges and the more recent volcanic outbursts
on the coast of Victoria Land, a word might be added in
speculating on the distribution of land beyond the limits of our
discoveries. I recall once more that in our most southerly
position we saw the high mountainous coastline running in a
S.S.E. direction. If such a line be carried for a hundred
miles beyond our position, it will be seen to be making directly
towards Graham Land, and I cannot but think that it continues
to do so. If so, the geographical pole would be situated 200
miles or more from it, and on the high ice -plateau which must
continue behind, if we are to allow for the comparatively rapid
movement of the Barrier. The alternative theory held by some
is that this coast sweeps round and joins King Edward's Land ;
if so, the turn, as I have pointed out, must be made a very
long way south. Unfortunately, our knowledge of King
Edward's Land is very limited. Judged by the outline of the
hills and the blackness of the rocks, it appeared to be of the
same comparatively recent volcanic formation as the land in
the vicinity of our winter quarters, and if this is so, there would
be little to prove a connection with Victoria Land ; but, on
the other hand, pieces of granite were brought up with the lead
from the shallow water in its vicinity, and this would seem to
show that it is continental. I have already described our view
of King Edward's Land, and it will be remembered that we saw
nothing of the wild rugged mountain scenery of Victoria Land.
In all such remarks as I have made concerning the exten-
sion of Victoria Land to the south, and the limits of the
Barrier ice-sheet, there is one factor which must be acknow-
ledged to be extremely confusing. I can think of no reason to
account for the comparatively rapid motion of the ice-sheet ;
it is certain that there must be a supply of ice from some
region to the south, and it would seem that in this region there
is a heavier precipitation than that which we experienced in
the vicinity of the ship, but it is most difficult to reconcile
these facts with the general conditions of glaciation which came
under our observation.

318 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

The cause of the Barrier movement remains therefore a
problem of extraordinary interest, and shows that there are still
conditions in the extreme South of which we have no know-
ledge. It would seem not altogether unreasonable to suppose
that there may be some connection between this matter and
the warm snow-bearing southerly winds which we so constantly
experienced.

In considering the northern extension of Victoria Land it
would appear probable that the coast runs more or less in a
straight line from Cape North to Adelie Land. With reference
to our work in this region, I have already shown the probable
cause of Ross's error in imagining the Russell Islands to be a
group separate from that discovered by Balleny, and I have
described our course to the westward. Concerning the latter
I may add that whilst it is certain that we must reject Wilkes
Land to the eastward of Adelie Land, Wilkes' soundings still
remain as a guide to the limit of the continental plateau in this
region. Our own uniform soundings of 250 fathoms, together
with his, show that there is a considerable extent of shallow
sea, limited more or less by the track of Wilkes' ship, approxi-
mately along the Antarctic Circle.

Meteorological Conditions. — The meteorological work of our
expedition consists of that laborious record kept by Mr. Royds,
which embodied continuous observations for two years in our
winter quarters four hundred miles south of any former
meteorological stations, as well as such as were taken on our
sledging journeys. All these observations have to be corrected
and reduced before definite results can be obtained, and there-
fore their full value cannot be known at present. The reader
can hardly have read the narrative of our voyage without
gleaning some idea of the climate in which we lived, and of
some of the interesting meteorological problems with which we
were confronted ; so that a few additional remarks concerning
them may not be out of place.

In some respects our meteorological station was very
fortunately situated, whilst in others it was less satisfactory.
From this point of view the proximity of Mount Erebus was

METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS 319

a great stroke of luck, as the smoke of that volcano gave us an
indication of the direction of the upper air currents, and showed
that they blew almost constantly from the west. In this con-
nection it will be remembered also that there were some
interesting evidences to be gathered from the surface of the
snow on the high level plateau of Victoria Land ; here also, as
shown by the sastrugi, the wind blows continuously from the
west.

As regards the winds at our winter quarters, the commonest
direction was S.E., but although one would wish this to be
typical of the whole region, I fear there is much evidence to
show that this wind was purely local. It was often possible to
see very varying weather conditions simultaneously at different
places about the ' Discovery.' For instance, at one time a
bank of heavy nimbus cloud hung over Cape Bird ; the western
ranges were in calm and sunshine ; clouds of drift were being
swept from the slopes of Mount Discovery by a southerly
wind ; the wind was S.E. at the ship ; whilst off Cape Armitage
and a mile or two to the eastward of our peninsula it was again
calm. The same confusion was shown by the snow-waves : as
a rule, in the vicinity of the ship they pointed to the S.E. ; out-
side White Island they were confused from W.S.W. to S.S.E. ;
south of White Island and to the Bluff they were south ; at the
depot S.W. ; and off the eastern slopes of Terror again south.

All this, together with the observations made on sledge
journeys, shows such a confused condition of air-currents that
it would be impossible to assert that the prevalent wind in our
region was S.E. It is true that at the eastern end of the
Barrier we experienced east and S.E. winds, but if this is the
general direction over the whole Barrier, it is difficult to see
where the body of air goes to, unless it turns to the north on
arriving at Victoria Land ; it certainly does not go over the
mountains.

The prevalent direction of the wind has naturally an
important bearing on the general circulation of the atmo-
sphere in the Southern Regions, and it is therefore un-
fortunate that we should have been subject to local winds.

320 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY '

The reduction of barometric pressures will doubtless throw
light on the question, however. Another drawback common
to all polar expeditions is the impossibility of measuring
the snowfall on account of surface drift, &c. There is
no form of snow-gauge that can be used with success.
One effort was made to ascertain the precipitation in our
region, which, although it was not exact, is perhaps worth
recording. When the ice about Cape Armitage was a year
old it occurred to me that we might get a rough idea of the
net annual deposit by measuring the depth of snow at various
points on its surface. This was done with difficulty, owing to
the sastrugi and varying nature of the snow, but I calculated
that a rough average of the results would represent between
four and five inches of hard packed snow. Rough as it is,
this figure is something of a guide, for it means that the surface
of the Barrier is annually augmented by about this amount.
It may be added that excavations into the surface of the
Barrier invariably revealed a succession of crusts at irregular
intervals, the amount of snow between being usually in fair
agreement with the deposit mentioned.

In speaking of the deposit on the lower level of the Barrier,
a word may be added concerning that on the lofty plateau of
Victoria Land. It may be remembered that in many parts
of this plain we found the surface covered with a shining crust
traversed by innumerable transverse cracks which gave it a
scaly appearance, such as may be seen in the mud of a dried
pond. I thought at the time that this could be no recent
formation, but it was only much later that the possible meaning
of it occurred to me — namely, that there was no net deposit of
snow on this plateau ; or, in other words, that the climatic
conditions were such that the evaporation equalled or exceeded
the deposition.

The meteorological condition which puzzled us most was
the warm southerly blizzard to which I have repeatedly referred,
and it must be admitted that the fact of our highest tempera-
tures coming with a southerly wind is a very extraordinary one.
On this, as on other matters, however, it is premature to

ZOOLOGY 321

speculate at present, and I have only made the foregoing
remarks to show that there are many interesting and curious
problems which it is to be hoped a close study of the ' Dis-
covery's ' meteorological records will solve.

Vertebrate Zoology. — This department, with exceptions, lay
in Dr. Wilson's hands, and as it is one which must excite a
very general interest I have asked him to supply to this book
a summary of his work. To this I can add little except to
remark that, if the birds and beasts that came under his
observation were few in species as compared with those
observed by others, it is because our expedition laboured
on the limit of such life, and for the first time travelled
beyond its limit. It is only reasonable that the expedition
which most deeply penetrates the sterile polar area should
have least to record in this respect.

Invertebrate Zoolog)'. — The readers of my narrative will
have gathered that Mr. Hodgson, our biologist, was a very
active member of our community, and I certainly breathed a
sigh of relief when I learned that his collections had been safely
received at the British Museum. But this is only the commence-
ment of the work which has to be done in this connection,
and it will be many months, and possibly years, before the full
results of this important department are published.

Physical Work. — The most important branch of this work
carried out by our expedition was that connected with mag-
netism. The magnetic work may be divided into three
classes : that done at sea, that done at the shore station, and
that done on sledge journeys. The first consists of obser-
vations taken around the belt of the Southern Seas and
throughout the area of the Ross Sea ; the second, of the
continuous records taken with the variometer instruments;
and the third, of the important observations taken by Mr.
Bernacchi on the Barriers, others taken by Mr. Armitage
to the west, and observations for declination taken on my
southern and western journeys. The reduction of all these
data requires much patience and skill, and it must be a long
while ere the full results are made known ; but it can at least
vol. 11. y

322 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

be said that the mass of material obtained will go far to accom-
plish the main object which was named by the Royal Society
when it appealed to the Government for the despatch of an
Antarctic Expedition.

Of other physical work performed by the expedition I have
made mention in the course of the narrative, and in this con-
nection the reader will no doubt remember the seismic, the
gravity, and the auroral observations, as well as those taken for
atmospheric electricity and for tidal movement, the whole of
which must show that many valuable records were brought
back by the ' Discovery.'

Oceanography.— A considerable number of soundings were
taken during our voyage, and in most cases in very interesting
places, but it must be confessed that the ocean ographical work
as a whole was very limited. The reason is obvious, as the
greater part of our time was spent either locked in the ice
or cruising in shallow seas ; yet, as I look at the vast amount
of this work which remains to be done in this area, I cannot
but regret that we were unable to effect more.

In the foregoing summary I have been forced to pass
rapidly from subject to subject, and yet I hope that in so
doing I shall have persuaded the reader that the voyage of
the ' Discovery ' was not conducted in a spirit of pure adven-
ture, but that we strove to add, and succeeded in adding,
something to the sum of human knowledge.

The natural result of such an attack as the beginning of
this century has seen on the Antarctic Regions is a period
of reaction and quiescence, during which the light thrown on
Southern conditions will be considered and discussed and
fresh problems will be evolved. But it is not reasonable to
suppose that this period will continue indefinitely; all ex-
perience shows that as long as problems remain to be solved,
sooner or later their solution will be attempted. With the full
knowledge, therefore, that the time will come when others will
follow in our footsteps and pass beyond them, I have written
these pages for the future as well as for the present.

APPENDIX I

SUMMARY OF THE GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS

MADE DURING THE CRUISE OF THE

S.S. ' DISCOVERY,' 1901-1904

By H. T. Ferrar, M.A., F.G.S., Geologist to the National
Antarctic Expedition

Previous Knowledge.

It is unnecessary to recapitulate the numerous voyages that have
been made to the southward of latitude 6o° S., therefore we will
very briefly touch on the points of interest obtained by the
expeditions which have entered our area, in so far as the
information obtained bears on this subject.

In the year 1839 Captain Balleny, of the shipping firm of
Messrs. Enderby, of London, discovered five islands near the
Antarctic Circle in about longitude 1630 E. On one of these
islands (Buckle Island) an active volcano was observed, and on
another specimens of ' scoria and basalt with crystals of olivine '
were found.

Sir James Clarke Ross, in the year 1841, when in charge of the
Magnetic Survey Expedition in H.M.S. 'Erebus' and H.M.S.
' Terror,' made the discoveries on which the work of this
expedition has been built. These discoveries may be summed up
very briefly :

(1) An open shallow sea to the south of the Antarctic Circle.

(2) A great range of mountains which rise occasionally to

heights of 1 5,000 feet, and extend in a north-and-south
direction for at least 500 miles.

(3) An active volcano (Mount Erebus), over 12,000 feet high,

' emitting flame and smoke in great profusion.'

(4) A wall of ice (the Great Ice Barrier) on an average 150 feet

high and about 470 miles:long.

Y 2

324 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Appx.

Dr. Robert MacCormick, who was in charge of the geological
work of the expedition, landed on two islands lying off this coast.
The specimens he obtained have been recently described by Mr.
G. T. Prior ; they include basalt, palagonite-tuff, phonolite and
muscovite-granite from Possession Island, and basalt from
Franklin Island.

Dr. MacCormick considered the whole range to be volcanic,
but this is obviously not the case, for all the higher peaks are
pyramidal in outline and exhibit house-roof structure — a structure
which could not be produced by the eruption of rocks from local
centres.

The French expedition under Dumont D'Urville, during this
international attack on the South Pole, obtained specimens of
granite from some low rocky islets lying off the coast of Adelie
Land, and it was thought that these strongly suggested the
existence of a continental mass of land. The fact that H.M.S.
* Challenger,' in 1874, in an area about 2,000 miles from South
Victoria Land, dredged up gneiss and granite, probably dropped
from icebergs, was also given as evidence of the existence of a
continent, and it was thought that these rocks had been derived
directly from that continent.

Many years elapsed before any additional information was
obtained. Captain Jansen, in the year 1895, returned from Cape
Adare bringing, among other rocks, a granitic pebble, which Dr.
Teall tells me ' has been crushed by earth movements, and must
at one time have formed part of an extensive tract of land.' In the
same year Mr. Borchgrevink obtained schistose and granitic rocks,
and these are said to show a strong similarity of the South Victoria
Land rocks to those of Ade'lie Land.

The 'Southern Cross' collection (Sir George Newnes' expedi-
tion, 1 898- 1 899) includes various plutonic and volcanic rocks as
well as slates and quartz grits, the latter being apparently the only
sedimentary rocks found by them in situ in South Victoria Land.
These have been carefully described by Mr. Prior in one of the
British Museum publications. The slates and quartz grits are
noted as occurring at the head of Robertson Bay. Being cleaved
they must have been subjected to earth pressures, and as such
pressures were probably long anterior to the stretching tension
which dislocated the Beacon Sandstone formation of the Royal
Society Range, these rocks would seem to be of a much older
date.

I.] GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 323

1
South Victoria Land.

If reference be made to the chart, it will be seen that we have
to consider :

(a) Islands lying off the coast of South Victoria Land.

(b) A magnificent range of mountains, proved by the great

journey of Captain Scott to be at least 800 miles long.

(c) The rocks composing this range.

(d) The ice in all its forms.

The Islands.

The islands such as the Balleny Group and Beaufort Island
may be dismissed with the observation that these, like the islands
from which specimens have been obtained, were surrounded by
cliffs. These cliffs occasionally display irregular coloured bands
similar to the bands on Cape Adare and Coulman Island, and as
the latter proved to consist of basalt agglomerate, it is highly
probable that the same rock is developed in all. The soundings
near these islands showed the depth of the sea to be about 270
fathoms, and as the outlines of the Balleny Islands, at any rate,
are stepped cones, great denudation must have taken place in the
past.

Scott Island^ in latitude 670 24' 5" S., longitude 1 790 55' 5" W.,
was discovered by Captain Colbeck in December 1902, and the
specimens collected by Mr. Morrison are all of the same type of
olivine basalt.

The Possession Islands have already been mentioned, but it is
very probable that the specimens previously obtained here were
not found in situ. The rocks collected by Mr. Morrison may be
safely taken as representative of this group of islands. Two
varieties were procured by him : the one a palagonite-tuff very
similar to the tuffs found on Cape Adare and Castle Rock near the
1 Discovery's ' Winter Quarters, and the other a grey olivine basalt
with large porphyritic crystals of olivine.

Coulman Island, like the other islands, is surrounded by very
high and almost perpendicular cliffs, which show occasional bright
red and yellow patches. These patches prove to consist of basalt-
agglomerate at Cape Wadworth, the northern end, and it is prob-
able, therefore, that the coloured bands on Cape Anne consist of
the same rock. The 'Southern Cross' obtained a hornblende-
basalt, and the ' Discovery's ' collection includes a specimen from

326 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Appx.

a basaltic dyke which was exposed at the north end. The rocks of
this island appear to lie horizontally as a whole, but an anticline on
the west side shows that they have been gently folded over an east-
and-west axis.

Franklin Island has been visited three times, the first time by
Ross, who describes the north side as ' a line of dark precipitous
cliffs between 500 and 600 feet high, exposing several longitudinal
broad white bands, two or three being of a red ochre colour.'
The specimens he collected are all of basalt of the same type, and
in the 'Southern Cross' collection there is a specimen of limbrugite
remarkable for the number and large size of the olivine enstutite
nodules. Mr. J. D. Morrison, of the 'Morning' supplied similar
specimens with a note to the effect that this rock ' forms a belt
about 30 feet thick running horizontally along one side about 300
feet above sea level.' In addition he mentions a pebbly beach
similar to that at Cape Adare, and therefore probably due to the
same cause.

Ross Island Group.

This group of islands includes practically all the land within
fifty miles of the ' Discovery's ' Winter Quarters, and is by far the
most extensive mass not attached to the mainland. The rocks of
which these islands are composed are all volcanic, and point to
volcanic activity of the first magnitude, which dates back from the
present day, but does not quite bridge over the very long period
since the intrusion of the dolerite sheets on the mainland.

Ross Island is practically made up by the material ejected from
the four volcanoes, Erebus, Terror, Bird, and Terra Nova. It is
roughly triangular in shape, and measures almost exactly fifty
miles from north to south and from east to west.

Mount Erebus, in the year 1841, was observed to be emitting
flame and smoke in great profusion, but during the years 1902-1903
only steam was seen to be produced. The mountain rises more as
a dome than as a cone, and the flowing convex curves give it a
very massive and undenuded aspect. It appears to have been
built up in three stages, the activity becoming less as each stage
was completed. The earliest stage is marked by a girdle of rock
encircling the mountain at a height of about 6,000 feet above sea
level, which on the north side appears as a huge crag. The
second stage ended with the production of a crater at about 11,000
feet above sea-level, and the lava streams which issued from it are

I.j GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 327

still preserved. The last stage produced the small cone placed
asymmetrically in the upper crater, and from this cone the steam
now issues.

Mount Bird, the low dome at the northern foot of Mount
Erebus, and Mount Terra Nova, the dome which joins Mount
Erebus to Mount Terror, are both undenuded and obviously
have craters at their summits, and therefore belong to the same
recent eruptions.

Mount Terror, like Mount Erebus, is entirely covered by snow,
and as it is more conical than Mount Erebus it covers almost the
same area, though it is only a little over 10,000 feet high. The
cone is truncated, apparently by a crater half a mile in diameter,
and the sides of the cone, where bare of snow, display many
small parasitic vents.

The rocks collected from this huge island are chiefly of volcanic
origin, but granite.., sandstones, and rocks of a hypabyssal nature
are found as erratics in certain localities.

The ' Southern Cross ' obtained hornblende-basalts from a
bare rock-cliff, ten miles or so to the westward of Cape Crozier,
and Mr. Morrison brought back a portion of a basaltic bomb from
a" boulder on the beach at Cape Crozier. Lieutenant Royds,
Dr. Koettlitz, and Dr. Wilson have all added to the collection
from this locality by bringing rocks on sledges over the ice
under very trying conditions. These rocks, with the exception of
the columnar olivine-basalt obtained by Dr. Wilson from the
so-called Crozier cliffs, do not differ materially from those
collected near the penguin rookery. The latter include granites
and sandstones, which are probably erratic, olivine-basalts from
recent lava flows, yellow trachytic rocks which occur as bosses
on the slopes of Mount Terror, and tuffs from below the lava flows.

From the 'V cliffs, Hogsback and the Sultan's Head, Mr.
T. V. Hodgson has supplied the expedition with vesicular basalts
and a great variety of palagonite-tuffs. Hutton Cliffs, near Turtle
Back Island, are composed of bedded tuff- rocks, which strike N.E.
and S.W. and therefore may be contemporaneous with the tuffs of
Sultan's Head. The Turtle Back is composed of fragments of
black basalt similar to that of Winter Quarters. Cape Royds,
Cape Barne, and the Skuary, three bare areas on the west side of
Mount Erebus, besides supplying boulders of granite and other
rocks, give us the basalt which contains lenticular crystals of
felspar in parallel orientation. Cape Royds consists entirely of this

328 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Appx,

basalt, and it is found also at a height of 1,500 feet on the side of
Mount Erebus.

Winter Quarters.

About four square miles of bare rock, entirely of volcanic origin,
was the only land within walking distance of the 'Discovery's'
Winter Quarters, and therefore did not offer a promising field
for discovering the geological history of South Victoria Land. Of
this area, Castle Rock, a crag 400 feet above the snow and 1,400
feet above sea level, consists of palagonite-tuff very similar to that
at Cape Adare and Possession Island, and is probably the neck of
some ancient volcano.

The three heights called Harbour Heights, as well as the cone
called Crater Hill, are scoria cones, but the chief ejecta from
them consists of black fine-grained basalt, both compact and
vesicular. On one of these masses of black basalt, near the base
of Castle Rock, a small quantity of native sulphur was found, and
this was the only example of solfataric action observed in the
immediate neighbourhood

At the base of Crater Hill, on the S.E. side, an olivine basalt
of high specific gravity was found ; a similar basalt also appears
on Cape Armitage and the rock at both places occurs in almost
horizontal sheets.

Observation Hill, about 750 feet high, consists principally of
hornblende-trachytes, and these, having been erupted from a local
centre, practically form the hill. The rock with parallel stmcture
which is found at the north foot of the hill and in the Gap is an
earlier extrusion than the rest, and lies unconformably below them.

Turning now to the other islands, White Island is so covered
by detritus that it is only near the summit that the rock met with
is undoubtedly in situ. Here also extrusions of basalt are found,
which suggest that this island is of the same general age as Ross
Island.

Black Island likewise consists mainly of basalt, and near the
north-west extremity vesicular and amygdaloidal flows were
encountered. At the south-west end yellow trachytic rocks form
a bold headland, but do not cover an area greater than about four
square miles.

Brown Island has a well-defined crater at its summit, which
is quite undenuded, and from it have issued basalts in various
conditions. A great part of the summit consists of a yellow

I.j GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 329

trachytic rock, but owing to lack of time a specimen was only
obtained from an off-shoot of this huge boss of rock. The northern
end is comparatively low, and the bright red areas around small
conical depressions point to the presence of scoria cones similar to
those at Winter Quarters.

The Dailey Islands are fine small conical masses surrounded
by the ice in the middle of McMurdo Sound. Only one of these —
the largest— has been visited, and the usual scoriaceous basalts
were procured.

The Dellbridge Islands, situated near the base of Mount
Erebus, have supplied a rather surprising variety of rocks.

Razor Back consists of a vesicular basalt which is very much
contorted and locally is scoriaceous.

Tent Island has an exposure of about 100 feet of conglomerate
on the steep north-west face. The upper part of the island consists
of sheet on sheet of basalt, making up a thickness of about 200
feet. These sheets dip at an angle of about 150 to the S.E. and
mainly consist of red basalt glass with lenticular crystals of
feldspar.

Inaccessible Island was visited by Mr. Hodgson, and the
specimens he obtained include tuffs, vesicular basalts, and
trachytic rocks. He tells me the rocks are all very confused,
but generally dip to the north at an angle of about 400.

The Volcanic Cones on the Mainland.

Four or five perfect cones, quite undenuded, stand at intervals
along the coast of South Victoria Land, and form a very striking
contrast with the comparatively unbroken outline of the mountain
ranges that abut on the Ross Sea. There are one or two other
cones which need not be considered, such as that on the summit
of Cape Jones, but all are isolated and do not form, as was
previously supposed, a continuous belt.

Mou?it Brewster, probably only 4,000 feet high, is situated near
Lady Newnes Bay, and is important as it obviously does not
belong to the high land which rises to heights of over 10,000 feet
on the west of it. This small mountain is an almost perfect dome,
and has a slightly flattened summit. It rises rather suddenly
from the low foothills at the base of the great Admiralty Range,
and the snow-covered curves differ essentially from the com-
paratively bare precipitous cliffs of that range.

33o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Appx.

Mount Melbourne is conical, but has a small crater, probably a
quarter of a mile in diameter, at its summit. It is situated on the
south side of Wood Bay, and rises directly out of the sea on two
sides. The mountains to the west of it recede from the coast,
so that it stands in icy isolation guarding the entrance to the
bay. Basalt was obtained near the mountain by the ' Southern
Cross' Expedition, and pumice pebbles, which must have come
from its flanks, have since been found on a small floe floating in
Wood Bay.

Mount Morning is about 5,000 feet high, and is situated near
the foot of the Royal Society Range. It is a low dome which
covers a comparatively large area, and lava-streams are still
apparent on its sides ; but as no specimens have been collected,
nothing further need be said.

Mount Discovery is a most striking mountain of accumulation,
as it has the shape of a pear standing on its broader end, and the
curves which meet at its summit descend symmetrically on all
sides almost to sea level. It appears to be composed of basalt
similar to that of the Ross Island Group, and parasitic vents are
not conspicuous. The Minna Bluff, a long narrow peninsula pro-
jecting from it towards the south-east, is also composed of basalt
similar to that from Winter Quarters.

King Edward VII. Land.

King Edward VII. Land, between the latitudes of 760 and
780 S. and the longitudes of 160^ and 1500 W., does not show great
relief, but a bold headland stands out conspicuously before the
main mass. As fragments of plutonic and gneissic rocks were
obtained from an iceberg which had grounded near here, it is
possible that the main mass is made up partly of rocks of these
types.

The Continental Range.

South Victoria Land, as far as we know at present, consists of
a great range of mountains, stretching in a north-and- south direc-
tion for at least 800 miles, and apparently it is the eastern edge of
a vast plateau. The only direct evidence of the existence of this
plateau was obtained between latitudes 770 and 780 S., where
Captain Scott travelled 200 miles westward at a uniform height
of 9,000 feet above sea level.

L] GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 33 1

The land as a whole does not show great relief, though Surgeon
MacCormick considered the whole range to be volcanic. The
Ross Expedition was less fortunate than the ! Discovery ' : the
latter was able to steam in close to the land and so see the peaks
from many points of view. Thus, just south of Cape Washington
a tabular mountain was observed with apparently horizontal bed-
ding planes and almost perpendicular scarps which showed plateau
structure, but the earlier explorers were too far from the land to
see this.

The great chain of mountain ranges naturally divides itself
into sections or links, and these may be conveniently considered
separately.

(1) The area between Cape Adare and Cape North, a distance
of 100 miles, is more snow-covered than is the land further to the
south, and near Cape North the cloak of snow is almost uniform.
The coast, which is parallel to the mountains, faces north-east,
and the peaks, which are generally pyramidal, have their shoulders
truncated sharply at the shore. There are very few deep valleys,
but the snow often exhibits prominent terraces, one above another
and parallel to the coast, and the whole suggests the existence of
some horizontal structure in the rock beneath.

(2) The Admiralty Range occupies the 250 miles of coast
between Cape Adare and Cape Washington, and forms the highest
and perhaps the largest land mass. Here one sees the possibility
of a division of the area into two distinct geological districts, fol-
low foothills are almost continuous along the whole length of this
part of the coast. Behind the foothills there appears to be a de-
pression, and behind this, again, a wall — possibly a fault-face or
escarpment — which rises up to heights of 10,000 feet and which
has weathered into a series of fine pyramidal peaks.

(3) The Prince Albert Range, an area 200 miles in length and
trending due north and south, is the lowest large land mass seen
by the Expedition. This range is important, not only because it is
practically a new discovery, but because of its extreme uniformity
of character. It is remarkable that here the eastern border is
always steep, and gives the impression that it is only the outlying
edge of some great plateau from which streams of ice flow down
between nunataks. The structure of the Royal Society Range is
perhaps the key to the explanation of this uniformity of landscape.

(4) The Royal Society Range has a length of some fifty miles,
and is the only part of South Victoria Land which has been

:,32 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5 [An>x.

examined in detail. In the main, all the structures observed in the
Admiralty Range are again seen, but are much more striking.
There are foothills of insignificant height, a north-and- south valley
separating the foothills from the main mountain mass, and a
mountain mass rising in a uniform cliff behind to a height of
10,000 feet, and with occasional peaks rising to 12,000 or 15,000
feet in altitude. From our Winter Quarters this range could
always be seen, though quite fifty miles away ; and even at this
great distance, so clear was the atmosphere, the plateau form was
always evident, and was rendered still more striking by the broad
band of lighter-coloured rock below, which extends from end to
end of the range. Thus the form of the range appears to be
determined by the horizontality of the rocks which compose it —
a fact abundantly proved by the sledge parties who traversed it.

(5) The four ranges which determine the 300 miles of almost
straight coast to the south of latitude 79° S. appear to be exactly
similar to those already considered, and may be dismissed with
the mention of the plateau character which is strikingly shown and
beautifully illustrated by sketches made by Dr. Wilson during
Captain Scott's great journey to the south, when latitude 820 17' S.
was reached, and are all the more valuable in that they were
made by an unprejudiced observer. At the same time, Mr.
E. H. Shackleton obtained some valuable photographs, and the
next year Mr. Barne repoited a horizontal structure in the land at
about 8o° S. Mr. Mulock has carefully surveyed the land in this
high latitude, and the great plateaux separated by the deep, steep-
sided channels or inlets are being carefully charted, and this will
form a valuable addition to the geology of the area.

The Rocks Obtained in South Victoria Land.

The rocks obtained by the expedition fall naturally into five
quite distinct groups. Briefly they may be classed as gneisses,
granites, sandstones, dolerites, and recent volcanics, but little is
known of the field relations of these types, except the order in
which they occur. The important deposit of sandstone provides
a convenient stratigraphical datum line with reference to which
the other phenomena may be considered, and the above order
may be taken as chronological.

I.] GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 333

The Gneissic Rocks.

As the gneissic rocks occur at sea level at the foot of the
highest part of the Royal Society Range, and as they are also
found in the interior of the range below a sequence of rocks 12,000
feet thick, they may safely be regarded as forming the ancient
platform on which the central part of South Victoria Land is built.

The foothills of the Royal Society Range appear to be mainly
composed of metamorphic limestone, which Mr. G. T. Prior tells
me probably belongs to the gneissic series. These limestones
form rounded hills which rise to heights of over 4,000 feet above
sea level and are quite isolated. Dr. Koettlitz and Dr. Wilson
both aided me in collecting from these hills, and Mr. Barne pro-
cured a specimen of schist from near latitude 8o° S.

On both sides of the Blue Glacier the rock shows important
structural planes which dip to the east at an angle of 700 while the
strike is north and south. The hills end sharply on the west in a
very straight and steep face, which is suggestive of a fault. The
limestone is almost pure white, and the calcite is in rather well-
formed rhombohedral crystals often an eighth of an inch across.
When weathered it becomes so crumbly that it was difficult to get
a hand specimen from the rounded surfaces that were exposed.
Basic dykes cut obliquely across the planes of division, but only
at one spot, where one of these dykes is twenty yards thick, was
thermal metamorphism evident.

Cape Bernacchi and the low rounded hills to the west of it
appear to consist of gneissic rocks which are similar to the gneisses
forming the lowest part of the left bank of the Ferrar Glacier. At
the point where the ice of this glacier just begins to float in its
narrow fjord-like channel there is an exposure of the limestone,
which dips to the north-east at an angle of about 70° The New
Harbour Heights, as well as the north-western extremity of the
foothills, are composed of hornblende-gneiss. The rock at the
latter spot is dark, fine-grained, and very streaky ; the foliations
dip to the south-west at an angle of 6o° — a fact of some importance
when we consider the dip of the rocks of New Harbour Heights,
which is to the north-east.

At the foot of Cathedral Rocks, at a distance of forty miles
from the coast and over 2,000 feet above sea level, there is an
exposure of gneiss some 500 feet high and three miles long.
There is a very sharp dividing line between the gneiss and the

334 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Appx.

granite which overlies it, but numerous dykes of both grey and
pink granite form a network over the face of the cliff. The cliff
of gneiss is covered by the ice on the west side, and is cut off
suddenly on the east by a tongue of granite ; and occasionally
quite isolated patches and wisps of gneiss may be observed in the
middle of a mass of this granite. The gneiss as a whole is dark
in colour, being composed of thin laminae, usually under a quarter
of an inch thick, in which light and dark minerals are alternately
dominant.

The Granites.

Numerous fragments of granite rocks have been recorded from
the Ross Sea area, but up to the time of the departure of the
'Discovery' Expedition nothing is recorded as to the occurrence
in situ of this type of rock. Granites are very abundant in all the
moraines from Cape Adare to Cape Crozier, and therefore must
have a very wide distribution.

The first locality where this type of rock was found in place is
in latitude JJ° S., at the entrance to the so-called Granite Harbour.
Here a prominent headland, two miles long and some 500 feet
high, proved to be composed entirely of granite, and no other rock
in contact with it was examined during the short time spent ashore
here. The massif consists of an ordinary grey granite in which
occur basic dykes and segregation veins. These segregation veins
as a rule consist of a coarse-grained variety of granite with large
pink idiomorphic crystals of feldspar. They are usually vertical and
about ten yards wide, and shade off almost gradually on each side
into the ordinary grey rock. It is noteworthy that the change from
grey to pink is not quite gradual, but takes place]in stages repre-
sented by bands a foot or so across, which is suggestive of a com-
posite dyke. These bands become successively coarser and pinker
from the edges towards the centre, and are separated from one
another by smooth vertical joints. Schistose, gneissic, and various
hypabyssal rocks, as well as the ordinary dolerites and sandstones,
occur as boulders on the narrow beach at the foot of this hill.

Between the Royal Society Range and the foothills several
isolated knolls of granite occur, but they are almost completely
buried in snow.

At a height of 5,500 feet Mr. Skelton collected a grey granite
in which schistose veins had been developed dipping towards the
south. Again, at a height of 4,000 feet, he collected a somewhat

I.] GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 335

coarse-grained pink granite with phenocrysts of feldspar up to a
quarter of an inch across. This exposure has suffered denudation,
and it is here that the type of hollowed crystalline rock with the
white incrustation occurs. Mr. Prior kindly analysed parts of
this incrustation for me, and tells me it consists mainly of carbonate
of lime.

The hill on the east side of Descent Pass rises to a height of
4,900 feet, and consists mainly of granite with abundant large
crystals of orthoclase, and here the second type of cavity occurs.
On the north side of this hill, and in the Ferrar Glacier, the same
type of granite is found ; but in it occur basic dykes which, by
weathering, produce black patches visible on the hill-side at a
distance of at least eight miles.

Dr. Koettlitz collected granitic and gneissic rocks from an
exposure more than 3,000 feet above sea level in the transverse
valley at the east foot of the Royal Society Range, while the author
obtained quite a normal grey granite from one of the neighbouring
isolated hillocks.

The gneiss of Cathedral Rocks is overlain by a mass of granite
nearly 4,000 feet thick, which appears to build up this the northern
extremity of the Royal Society Range. Dykes of both grey and
pink granite ramify into the gneiss, but as a whole the granite has
nearly horizontal upper and lower surfaces, which can be traced
round the spurs of the range for a distance of four or five miles up
the south arm on the western side. At the foot of the first of the
three shoulders which go to form the Cathedral Rocks, a tongue of
granite appears to burst through the gneiss from below. This
tongue is mainly grey in colour, but great masses of pink feldspar
rock seem to have been caught up in it ; but the masses become
scarcer as one proceeds eastward along the foot of the cliff. The
connection of this granite with that of the hill on the east side of
Descent Pass has not been established owing to the glaciers which
descend from the valleys at the foot of the Camel's Hump.

Granite has been obtained from three spots on the north side
of the Ferrar Glacier, or rather on the north side of the East
Fork.

The mountain north-east of Cathedral Rocks rises to a fine
gable nearly 7,000 feet high, but does not rise much above the
mountains to the west, of which it is a part. The gable is about
5,000 feet above the ice, and of this height 4,000 feet appear to be
of granite, and a specimen of augen-gneiss taken from the foot is

336 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Appx.

probably a modification of the mass above. The dark rock pro-
ducing the gable is separated from the granite by a very definite
and almost horizontal line which may be traced westwards for over
ten miles.

Half-way between this gable and the point where this group of
hills terminates on the west, a dolerite has been found to lie
directly upon the even surface of the granite. The former
appears to have flowed out over the surface of the latter, and the
contact plane dips to the west with an inclination of about 2°.
The western end of this exposure of grey granite is hidden from
view by a rise in the surface of the ice, but on gaining the western
extremity of these hills a pink granite is found. This granite
appears to be intrusive in the dolerite ; tongues of the former
extend upwards into the latter, and the usual vertical columns of
dolerite are very much disturbed.

Fifty miles inland, in the Dry Valleys, and at a height of 5,000
feet above sea level, small and large boulders of both grey and
pink granite were found. These boulders were resting on the side
of Beacon Height West on a surface of sandstone ; and since the
hills to the southward rise to great heights, it is possible that
granite occurs at a greater elevation than 5,000 feet. On the side
of Knob Head Mountain great boulders of granite lie on a surface
of dolerite, and as the mountain consists mainly of sandstone,
these boulders must have their source further inland.

The Beacon Sandstone Formation.

The existence of a fossiliferous sedimentary rock in South
Victoria Land has always been considered probable since the
'Challenger' dredged up sandstones, limestones, and shales in a
high southern latitude ; but, on the whole, it seemed very doubtful
whether the ' Discovery' would be able to encounter any of these,
as it was thought the coastal belt of the land was composed
entirely of volcanic rocks.

Granular sandstone fragments were dredged up by the
' Discovery ' near Coulman Island, and the tabular structure of the
Prince Albert Range pointed to the possibility of a sandstone rock
being developed. Sandstone was also found in Granite Harbour,
and when a broad band was observed extending horizontally from
end to end of the Royal Society Range, it seemed probable that
here a sedimentary rock would be found. Mr. Armitage's pioneer

t] GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 337

journey through the mountains proved the existence of plateau
features as well as horizontal structure, and among the specimens
he brought back were a quartz grit and an arkose. Therefore
there was a very great possibility of fossiliferous sandstones, shales,
or even limestones being developed locally. He reported the
sandstone to reach a height of 8,000 feet, and to be accessible at
a spot eighty miles inland and at the very edge of the inland ice.

Captain Scott therefore arranged that I should accompany him
to the edge of the inland ice, and should do as much geological
work as was possible on the return journey. At the second
attempt to gain the inland ice, the parties were confined to their
tents for a period of six and a half days. At the end of this time,
November 11, 1903, I found I had a month in which to examine
600 square miles of new country and get back to the ship by
December 12.

Accordingly, as soon as the gale abated, I made straight for
Depot Nunatak. Utilising the outward journey as a reconnais-
sance, I knew that here the capping dolerite would be encountered,
and possibly the very top of the Beacon Sandstone. The latter
was not exposed, but in the moraine at the base of the nunatak I
found abundant masses of sandstone, the majority of which were
locally blackened by what I took to be graphite.

My companions, Kennar (P.O.) and Weller (A.B.), had mean-
while spread out our gear in order to get rid of the moisture that
had accumulated in it during the lie-up, and that night hopes ran
high as, under the shelter of the nunatak, we exchanged minus
temperatures and driving snow for bright sunshine and not more
than thirty degrees of frost, and we all looked forward to finding
something new. The next day, therefore, saw the camp at a spot
about ten miles south-west of Finger Mountain, where 300 feet or
so of the sandstone could be seen cropping ^ut below the 500 feet
of overlying dolerite. Imagine my delight when, taking bag and
hammer up to the rock face, I discovered thin, irregular, black
seams running through an almost pure sandstone. The seams
here were in close proximity to the dolerite, and were therefore
much charred ; so, after collecting the best specimens, a move was
made diagonally down the valley to the Inland Forts, where 2,000
feet of sandstone was exposed. Here I hoped to find better
specimens on the base of the sandstone or the surface on which it
rested, but, after carefully examining 1,500 feet, no better speci-
mens were obtained, nor was thj old floor to be seen.

VOL. II. z

338 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5 [Appx.

The Beacon Sandstone was also examined at the foot of Finger
Mountain, in the Dry Valleys at the foot of Beacon Height West,
and at the foot of Knob Head Mountain. In character it is mar-
vellously uniform, and the horizontal bedding planes have seldom
been tilted by the intrusive sheets of dolerite. Locally the beds
have been disrupted, but, as masses have been lifted bodily, no
great changes in the character of the rock have been produced.

The relation of the dolerite to the sandstone can perhaps be
best studied at Finger Mountain. Here dykes are displayed cut-
ting upwards across the bedding planes of the sandstone, sills
forcing their way between the strata, or even pipes which appear ■
to feed the superincumbent sheets.

The Beacon Sandstone as a whole is very uniform in texture,
but the grains of quartz are not very firmly packed together.
Locally it becomes almost a quartz grit, or again, arkose
characters are developed. Current bedding and collections of
quartz pebbles appear and disappear quite suddenly in the
mass, and these may even form part of the carbonaceous seams.
Only at one spot did the rock become calcareous, and the
calcite, by cementing the quartz grains together, produced a
more durable rock, which therefore projected as a shelf beyond
the remainder.

This calcareous band is only about four inches thick, and as it
occurs near the top of the sandstone, and as such abundant traces
of organic matter occur in the sandstone blocks at the foot of
Depot Nunatak, it is highly probable that this vicinity will yield
more abundant organic matter than any other. A nunatak higher
than Depot Nunatak, and about six miles from the south of it,
displays dark bands in what is possibly the Beacon Sandstone,
and this spot therefore may be worthy of closer examination in
future.

The two following sections will give a general idea of the nature
of the great Beacon Sandstone formation :

a. At a spot ten miles south-west of Finger Mountain —
(8) 700 feet columnar dolerite.
(7) 200 „ almost pure sandstone with occasional

pebbles.
(6) 2 „ carbonaceous band with fossils.
(5) 12 „ sandstone with brown bands.
(4) 12 „ hard white sandstone, with a three-inch
fibrous strip.

(12)

200

(II)

200

(IO)

200

(9)

IOO

(8)

2CX)

(7)

50

(6)

200

(5)

IOO

(4)

So

(3)

10

<«)

60

(0

30

t) GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 339

(3) 12 feet black shale.

(2) 6 inches hard calcareous band.

( 1 ) 6 feet black shale.

B. At the Inland Forts —

(13) 100 feet dolerite cap.

white sandstone.

sandstone with ferruginous concretions.

yellow sandstone.

sandstone with rod-like impressions.

yellow sandstone with ferruginous concretions.

white sandstone.

yellow sandstone.

marble-like sandstone.

white sandstone.

sandstone with stalagmites.

almost white sandstone.

variegated brown and yellow sandstone.

The Dolerites.

The dolerites appear to be confined to the mainland, where
they occur as very extensive sheets, which in the main cap the
Beacon Sandstone. The top of these sheets, which probably form
the highest summits of the Royal Society Range, has not been
attained, and therefore there is no direct evidence that surface
flows have not been produced. As indirect evidence we have the
fact that no scoriaceous rock of any description has been found in
any of the moraines, and therefore it is probable that no surface
flows occur in this district.

It is convenient to commence at the highest point above sea
level, about 8,000 feet, from which doleritic rocks have been
obtained, and work down the great valley to the lowest point
where they occur, at a height of about 4,000 feet above sea
level.

Mr. Armitage, on the first journey through the Royal Society
Range, returned with weathered specimens of dolerite from Depot
Nunatak, and at the same time Mr. Skelton photographed the
rock, which rises as a mass of great columns through the snow.
The rock is an outlier, and rears itself up to a height of 500 feet
above the snow, and the columns, which are continuous from top to

z 2

340 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY' [Appx,

bottom, are about twelve feet in diameter. The Nunatak is about
sixty miles from the coast, at an elevation of about 8,000 feet, and
appears to be part of the great sheet capping the sandstone five or
six miles to the eastward.

This sheet, on the east side of the South- West Arm, is quite
similar in outward form to Depot Nunatak, and rises some
700 feet in an almost sheer cliff. Locally portions of sandstone
have been lifted bodily by the dolerite, and the junction specimens
prove that the dolerite is the younger rock. A great pipe fifty
yards in diameter bursts vertically across the bedding planes of the
stratified rock, and appears to feed the sheet, which extends con-
tinuously as far as Finger Mountain.

At the Inland Forts on the north side of the Ferrar Glacier
the hills rise to a very uniform height and are capped by dolerite.
Two or three small pipes rise through the sandstone, but these
could hardly have supplied an appreciable proportion of the great
mass above.

Finger Mountain rises 500 feet above the ice, and is composed
of alternate layers of sandstone and dolerite. Near the ice-
cascade the lowest rock visible is part of the Beacon Sandstone
formation, and above this is a sheet of columnar dolerite which
unites with another sheet on the west side of the hill. These
two sheets are partially separated by a wedge of sandstone half a
mile long, and the wedge is 200 feet thick, where it is cut off by
the eastern slope of the hill. The bedding planes are horizontal,
and are made conspicuous by the metamorphic action of the
dolerite. Where the dolerite sheets are in contact the columns
are continuous and vertical, but where the sandstone intervenes
the columns of the upper portion have a slight tilt to the west.
Here also numerous dykes and sills prove the intrusive nature of
the dolerite.

These same relations were observed in the Dry Valleys and on
the Terra Cotta Hills, and need not be reiterated.

The summits of both the Beacon Heights, of New Mountain
and of Knob Head appear to consist of dolerite ; and in all
four a second sheet, almost identical with the lower sheet in
Finger Mountain, separates 200 feet or so of sandstone from
the main mass which forms the greater bulk of the said
mountains.

At the foot of New Mountain and at the foot of Knob Head
there is another sheet of dolerite. The outcrop at the last spot,

L] GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 341

which is 100 yards long and 200 feet high, exhibits columns about
twelve feet in diameter and between twenty and 200 feet in length.
There are occasional horizontal joints, but cup-and-ball structure
is not developed to any great extent. The sandstone appears to
rest upon the surface of this dolerite, but the junction of the two
could not be discovered.

We have already seen that the mountains which separate the
North from the East Fork are capped by dolerite, and that another
sheet of dolerite, apparently arising at the western end, has flowed
over a surface of granite. This last feature appears to be again
developed in the Cathedral Rocks, for a black columnar rock is
separated from the granite by a very definite line. Therefore
dolerite probably helps to build the Cathedral Rocks as well as
other parts of the Royal Society Range.

In Granite Harbour a dark rock lies unconformably upon the
surface of a light-coloured one, and as the lower rock was proved
to be granite, and boulders of dolerite were found on it, we may
very reasonably assume that here also a sheet of dolerite lies upon
an older mass of granite.

A few additional notes on the basaltic rocks of Cape Adare may
be included here. It may be remarked that this Cape lies at the
foot of the gigantic mountain range and possesses horizontal sheets
of basalt, basaltic agglomerate and tuffs, and its rocks may there-
fore have some connection with the same rocks in Coulman Island
and the other islands off the coast. The sheets consist of both
olivine and hornblende bearing basalts which are occasionally cut
through by vertical dykes.

This structure appears to be characteristic of the steep coast-
line between Cape Adare and Cape Jones, a distance of 150 miles.
This part of the coast is a cliff varying in height from 500 to 1,000
feet, and always shows layers arranged more or less horizontally,
making up the whole cliff. Low anticlines and synclines with east
and west axes, occur at intervals along this piece of coast, and
occasionally red bands could be distinguished which appear similar
to those on Coulman Island or Cape Adare.

The Ice.

The Sea-ice. — The term Sea ice is perhaps the most suitable for
all ice produced by the freezing of the sea, and it also draws a
distinction between this ice and that which has another origin. In

342 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Appx.

high latitudes the sea freezes over during the winter months often
in a very uniform sheet. This sheet breaks up during the summer
and floats north to form the pack-ice, which is usually encountered
by exploring ships near the Antarctic Circle. The pack varies from
year to year, and its structure in Arctic regions has been described
by Dr. Drygalski and others. The first two inches frozen are
composed of plates of ice lying horizontally. These plates are
usually under half an inch across and are separated from the
greater mass of ice by a half-inch layer of very confused crystals.
The major part consists of bundles or sheaves of fibres arranged
perpendicularly to the surface of freezing, and this fibrous structure
extends to the bottom of any given floe.

The salinity of sea-ice seems to depend more upon the rate of
freezing than upon the depth or distance from the upper surface.
The amount of salt varies greatly, as may be seen if reference be
made to our observations on the salinity of the sea-ice. The mean
salinity is about 4*3 grammes of sodium chloride per litre of melted
ice, but by fractional crystallisation a salinity up to 266-6 grammes
per litre may be produced.

Snow accumulates on the surface of the ice, and by pressing it
down below sea level weakens it ; and sometimes so much snow
accumulates that a drift is formed which has its under surface
dissolved by the sea during the ensuing summer. Thus, then, we
see that it is possible for water substance to pass from the
atmosphere back to the ocean without taking part in the glaciation
of the land.

Hummocks are rather exceptional in the sea-ice of McMurdo
Sound, but where the Ross ice-sheet moves in towards Winter
Quarters Peninsula a great series of hummocks was produced
some two miles long. These hummocks in the year 1903 rose to
heights of from twelve to twenty feet above sea level, and were
sometimes merely bucklings of the ice, or at other times were
fractured slabs standing up vertically.

The thickness of the sea-ice varies according to circumstances.
Where snow accumulates any thickness may be produced, but in
an exposed spot, such as 100 yards off Hut Point, the thickness
produced by freezing is under Z\ feet in the year. In Arrival Bay,
where the land precludes a rapid circulation of the water, as much
as ten feet has been produced by freezing alone. The following
observations were made at the ice-gauge off Hut Point :

I.] GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 343

March 1, 1903. — A water-hole, or an area uncovered by floe-
ice.

April 24, 1903. — Sun below the horizon ; thickness 3 feet.

August 23, 1903. — Re-appearance of the sun ; thickness 3 feet
6 inches.

December 5, 1903. — Nearly midsummer; maximum thickness
8 feet 5£ inches.

January 5, 1904. — Summer month ; thickness 5 feet 10 inches,

January 28, 1904. — Air becoming colder ; a water-hole.

The ice is therefore dissolved from below, and the water-hole
observed three years in succession off Cape Armitage is further
proof of this action of the sea-water.

The sea-ice in McMurdo Sound gradually creeps north during
the winter, but the ice-foot protecting the land prevents the sea-ice
acting as an abrading or transporting agent to any great extent.

The Shore-ice may be taken to include all ice that fringes the
shores of South Victoria Land and remains firmly frozen to them.
Three types may be distinguished :

(a) The fringe due solely to the spray from the sea which
freezes on the land. This is the 'typical ice-foot,' and owing to the
small rise and fall of the tide its height never exceeds three feet.
The chief function of this fringe is conservative, for it protects the
beach from the action of floating ice and eroding breakers.

(b) There is a border of glacier-ice around the land of Winter
Quarters. This ice has no apparent source. It slopes gently sea-
wards, and ends as a cliff which varies in height from six feet to
300 feet, and the distance between the cliff and the bare land
varies from ten yards to a mile. This fringe is even more effective
than the ice-foot as a conservative agent, for its surface is inclined
at an angle of less than 20°, and seldom allows stones to roll over
it on to the sea-ice.

(c) The third type of shore-ice is more in the nature of a
'piedmont.' The great snow-fan between the hills and the
stranded moraines on the west side of McMurdo Sound maybe taken
as an example. This mass of snow is about ten miles long and
five broad, and the whole of it is aground. It has no obvious
source, and the surface rises from a few feet at the seaward edge
to about 1,000 feet on the sides of the foothills. As it is
practically motionless, it must afford a very material protection to
the land.

344 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' lAppx.

The Land Ice.

The Inland Ice. — By the term inland ice we mean the uniform
cloak of ice and snow of unknown extent which covers land of
continental dimensions. In South Victoria Land this uniform
covering has been met with on the west side of the Royal Society
Range at a height of nearly 9,000 feet, and has been traversed by
Captain Scott and party for a distance of about 200 miles. The
inland ice drains eastwards through very deep and steep-sided
valleys, and no nunataks have been observed far from the actual
edge of the bare land. The Ferrar Glacier lies in one of these
valleys, and it is remarkable that the ice from the hinterland which
flows into the North Fork does not reach the sea, but ends in an
insignificant cliff some distance from it. No gradual passage
from granular snow to compact glacier-ice was observed at the
edge of the inland ice ; the granular snow as a rule lies directly
upon a corrugated surface of massive blue ice.

The inlets, which seem to be characteristic of the South
Victorian mountain ranges, appear to be best developed south of
latitude 790 S. The inland ice drains through these inlets, and
augments the Ross Piedmont, or ice-sheet. The Prince Albert
Mountains appear to be a fringe of land buttressing a vast interior
ice-field. This ice drains into the Ross Sea through channels the
breadth of which appears to be greater than the length, and there-
fore in form the ice-streams resemble the Greenland glaciers made
familiar to us in Dr. Drygalski's work.

Local Ice-caps. — This type of ice-covering may be described as
being continental on a small scale. The covering of snow on Ross
Island is a very good example of an Antarctic local ice-cap, and
any features exhibited by it may be applied to the mantles of snow
upon other isolated land masses.

On Mount Erebus, as on the mainland, there are streams of
ice which drain radially and are separated from one another by
nunataks. The streams of ice do not follow definite depressions
that could be described as valleys, but descend to the sea in an
almost uniform cloak. This cloak is interrupted along the margin
of the land by hills of lava which have all the characteristics of
nunataks. The streams, which thus become individualised, end in
cliffs which vary in height between fifty and 200 feet, and oc-
cationally give birth to icebergs.

Piedmonts. — Large areas of ice which lie at the foot of high

L] GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 345

land and which have no obvious single source may be described
as 'piedmonts.'

(a) Three types may be distinguished, and the first may be
termed a piedmont on land. The slope of snow west of the
stranded moraines in McMurdo Bay should probably be included
here, but as there is evidence that it is a relic of a once greater
glaciation, it has been included with the more permanent develop-
ments of ' shore-ice.' Along the foot of the Prince Albert Range
there appear to be many such snow-slopes, and together they
produce a continuous series of piedmonts which coalesce almost
imperceptibly with the great ice-streams flowing between the
hills.

(b) The second type of piedmont is well represented on the
sides of Coulman Island. The flat top of this island sheds its
superfluous snow over the bare rock-cliffs, and produces along
the base of the cliffs great snow-talus fans. These fans, which
are sometimes separate, sometimes continuous, end as a cliff of
ice in the sea. The outline of this cliff is an undulating line, and
the height usually varies between fifty and 100 feet. This type
may be called a ' piedmont aground,' because the ice is resting on
the sea-bottom, and the bergs seem to be calved just at that point
where the ice becomes water-borne.

(c) Piedmonts afloat are by far the most important and are
represented by three very prominent examples — namely, the sheet
of ice in Lady Newnes Bay, the sheet near Cape Gauss, and the
great Ross Ice Sheet. All three have, as characteristics, a surface
of great extent which may or may not be slightly undulating, a
seaward edge forming a cliff between fifty and 200 feet high, and
a depth of water at that edge which is without a doubt sufficient to
float the ice. (As far as possible I have avoided using the word
' barrier,' as it does not imply area, and in preference employ the
term ' sheet ' in restricted sense, as it does imply a plane super-
ficies.) In this summary it is not necessary to marshal the
evidence in favour of the view that these ice-sheets are afloat, and
we will therefore conclude with the suggestion that the term
' piedmont afloat ' is descriptive of this class of ice formation.
No foreign matter was observed in the great ice-cliffs of these
piedmonts, and no rock debris was met with on its surface either
by Mr. Royds and Mr. Bernacchi on their journey south-eastwards,
or by Captain Scott and his party on the great journey southwards.
Soundings made in an area which was covered by ice only sixty-

346 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Arpx.

five years ago, proved the sea-floor to be mainly rock-floor with
occasional pebbles and diatoms, which show that the soles of
these floating sheets do carry rock matter.

The Glaciers

All Heim's types of glaciers may be recognised in South
Victoria Land.

(a) The ice-streams, or the Greenland type of glacier, which
have their source in the inland ice, end in the sea ; these are
present in great number in the Prince Albert Mountains, as well
as in the succession of ranges forming the coast between latitudes
79° and 830 S. They also appear to be developed in the Admiralty
Range, and there are two examples — the Ferrar Glacier and the
Koettlitz Glacier — which lie north and south respectively of the
Royal Society Range.

{b) The Norwegian type of glacier consists of streams of ice
flowing down well-refined valleys from a large firn field. This
is exemplified by the Blue Glacier, which arises in the Royal
Society Range and ends in McMurdo Sound in a cliff* some
seventy or eighty feet high.

(r) Valley glaciers, or those of Alpine type occur in great pro-
fusion in the Royal Society Range. Some of those flow into the
Ferrar Glacier and blend with it, while others, such as the three
flowing southwards into the North Fork, end some distance above
the ice in the main valley.

{d) Cliff-glaciers are best represented on the left bank of the
East Fork of the Ferrar Glacier, but others may be seen along the
coast of South Victoria Land, notably on Cape Washington. The
cliff-glaciers among the Royal Society Mountains often arise in
corries and are often only an intermediate stage between a ' corrie "
and a ' valley ' glacier.

(e) The corrie-glaciers that are found at the foot of the Inland
Forts are perhaps the most notable. Four occur here, and they
fill up the cirques between the Forts. At present they flow south-
wards and are building up crescentic moraines around their
terminal faces ; whereas, at some former time, they drained
northwards through cols into another valley system.

(/) Ice-slabs occur among the foothills of the Royal Society
Range, and consist of masses of ice about fifty feet thick, and four
to six square miles in area. They appear to have been nourished

L] GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 347

by the Snow Valley until their supply was cut off by decrease of
precipitation, and they now lie as relics among the comparatively
ice-free hills.

Icebergs.

When the slow rate of movement of the glaciers of South
Victoria Land is considered, we are driven to the conclusion that
they do not supply an appreciable number of icebergs. Therefore
the piedmonts afloat, which have been proved to move at the
greatest rate, must supply the majority. If this is the case, then
the preponderance of the well-known tabular form is not surprising.
It has long been established that bergs travel with the ocean-
currents, so that little need be said regarding the transport of rock-
material by floating ice beyond stating that the drift is north up
the coast of South Victoria Land ; therefore any rock-fragment
dredged from the sea-bottom in the Ross quadrant must have
come from a point further to the south.

The Moraines.

The so-called beach at Cape Adare appears to be a collection
of old moraines, and even on the summit of the cape at an alti-
tude of 800 feet moraines and ice-scratched stones may be seen.

On Possession Island as well as in Wood Bay similar flat areas
covered by moraines are said to occur, and Mr. Morrison's
description of the beach on Franklin Island leads one to suppose
that here also ice has played its part. These observations are in
keeping with those made on Ross Island and elsewhere during our
stay in the Antarctic, and the simplest explanation of the occurrence
of isolated moraines in this frigid region is that the ice was once
developed on a greater scale than at present. Other moraines
have been seen near Cape Crozier, above the cliffs on the eastern
side of Mount Terror, near Winter Quarters, and on the side of
Mount Erebus above Cape Royds. The islands at the south end
of McMurdo Sound, and also the ice between them, are literally
buried in transported material.

Englacial rock debris is only encountered near the snouts of
glaciers, where it is usually found in well-defined layers separated
by almost pure ice. The Blue Glacier and the ice-slabs in the
foothills of the Royal Society Range afford the best examples, and
tliese are brought into prominence by the fact that thawing usually

348 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Appx.

proceeds at a greater rate where ice and gravel occur together.
In the channel at the foot of Knob Head, and also in the Dry
Valleys near Finger Mountain, englacial matter may be seen
below a layer of ice at least fifty feet thick. At the former locality
two streams of ice flowing in opposite directions meet, glacial up-
thrust takes place, and the boulders which are raised to the
surface form an ordinary medial moraine.

Supra-glacial material is very scarce if we take the Tasman
Glacier of New Zealand, or the Zmutt Glacier of the Alps, to be
normal. The lateral and medial moraines of the Ferrar Glacier
consist of long lines of stones which are sometimes three feet in
diameter, and are seldom accompanied by finer material. These
lines are usually about thirty yards in width, and the larger boulders
are generally five or six feet apart.

The stranded moraines both on Cape Royds and on the main-
land often have a core of ice, and it is often difficult to make sure
what proportion of a given moraine is formed of rock matter.
During the summer this ice melts, and the finer material is separated
from the boulders and gravel by water action, so that stratified and
false-bedded sands and gravels are now being produced in an area
which is virtually the centre of a continental ice-sheet.

Among the moraines on the west side of McMurdo Sound, as
well as on one of the Dellbridge Islands, and among the moraines
on the west side of Discovery Gulf, great deposits of sodium
sulphate in well-formed crystals have been found. Among the
isolated moraines in the bay between Black and White Islands,
large bosses or mounds of the same white salt have been seen ;
and at one spot near White Island a mass of perfect crystals was
found on the surface of pure ice. In the White-Black Island Bay
balanus shells and sponge spicules occurred upon the ice in
association with this salt. The occurrence of this salt, mingled
with shells and ice-scratched stones, is a freak of Nature which is
difficult to explain.

Tetnperatures at fixed depths in the ice fringing the land around
Winter Harbour were determined during the year 1903. It will
suffice here to note that the highest temperature recorded at a
depth of six feet was — 90 C, and the lowest — 24-4° C. The change
throughout the year was very gradual : the minimum reading
was made some time after midwinter, and the maximum in
January.

Observations of temperature in crevasses at greater depths

I.] GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 349

show that the seasonal variations occur at considerably later date
than the corresponding air temperatures, and that the maximum
temperature reached by the ice is far below its freezing-point. One
observation may be quoted in conclusion : Crevasse near the meet-
ing-point of the ice of the South-West Arm and of the main
stream from the inland ice, November 3, 1903, 7 p.m., depth thirty
feet.

Temperature of the air, + 200 F. ( - 670 C.)
ice, -210 F. (-29-4° C.)

Denudation.

Wind. — The winds of South Victoria Land prove to be as
strong and as constant as any oceanic trade-wind. Around Winter
Quarters the bare land surfaces are usually covered by a loose
cloak of rock debris quite six inches deep. Below this depth the
earth is permanently frozen throughout the year, and from this
zone rocks with fresh unweathered fractures may be obtained.
The wind removes all the finer disintegration products, so that the
exposed surfaces are always composed of stones loosely packed
together, which protect a mixture of small stones and impalpable
powder beneath. These loose stones are often smoothed and pitted
in the manner peculiar to wind- worn stones, and some of the harder
ones have a superficial glaze on their exposed surfaces.

In the Snow Valley at the foot of the Royal Society Range
there are granite boulders which have become hollowed by some
agent which may be aided by wind. These hollowed blocks
resemble cavities in Corsica and elsewhere, to which reference has
already been made.

Water. — In the area covered by our observations the effect of
water as an agent of denudation is limited. On the sides of
glaciers and among the moraines it serves to separate the gravel
from the finer material and to distribute the latter over the surface
of the ice. On the north-east side of Brown Island its present-day
effects are most marked, for after a summer snowfall in January
1903, thawing took place at such a rate that cascades were pro-
duced. These coursed down the hillside in narrow channels and
spread mud and sand in deltaic form over the lower slopes.

On the sides of the Ferrar Glacier, the streams that are pro-
duced during the summer follow channels between the ice and the
rock, and in this way must undercut such cliffs as the Cathedral Rocks.

350 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Apf*.

The presence of the Beacon Sandstone formation proves that
water in times past had at any rate an important constructive
action, and even since the deposition of the sandstone and the
intrusion of the plateau dolerites, water seems to have had a destruc-
tive effect upon the original plateaux of the Royal Society Range.

Chemical Action. — Decomposition of rocks by chemical action
is more obvious in the dry climate of South Victoria Land than in
other areas where rain removes the soluble salts as soon as they
are formed. The common occurrence of soluble crystalline salts
in the moraines has already been mentioned, and perhaps the fact
that many ponds among the moraines are extremely saline to the
taste suggests a clue to the peculiar distribution of the soluble
matter.

Frost Action. — In high southern latitudes the precipitation of
water-substance is very small, and therefore frost-riven rock masses
are not very conspicuous. As wind usually removes thin coverings
of snow from bare rock surfaces, it is only on the edges of local
snow-fields that thawing and freezing can take place with any
degree of regularity. Snow is drifted by the wind on to the north
side of Castle Rock during the winter, and during the summer great
masses of rock are split off and litter the area at its foot. Cathe-
dral Rocks likewise face north, and appear to be more subject
to frost-action than the more isolated peaks of the Western
Mountains.

The Action of Ice. — The types of surface clearly due to ice
action are rather inconspicuous. A few roches moutonnies have
been observed in Granite Harbour and on the foothills of the
Royal Society Range, but owing to the extremely low mean
annual temperature the ice appears to be more conservative than
erosive in its action.

Transport has taken place on a great scale in the past, but
now, owing to the almost stagnant condition of the ice, it has
practically ceased. The icebergs, which appear remarkably free
from foreign matter, are the chief agents of transport at present,
and, as we have seen, they always carry matter from a higher to
a lower latitude. So great is the quantity of loose rock material
on the surface of the land that one is tempted to speculate on the
effect that would be produced if a slight increase of the ice were
to bodily remove this covering and distribute it over the clayey
floor of the Ross Sea.

In conclusion, it is my pleasant duty to briefly express my

t] GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 351

thanks to Captain R. F. Scott, R.N., C.V.O., U.Sc, &c, and the
officers of the ' Discovery,' who by their interest in my work, and
their ever-ready help, were a very material assistance to me.
The photographs taken by Lieutenant-Engineer R. W. Skelton,
R.N., are invaluable, and by them I was able to decide before
leaving the ship what localities would repay close examination.
The kindly interest Captain Scott took in my work and the
arrangements he made for me were more than I could possibly
have expected. To Mr. W. G. Fearnsides, M.A., F.G.S., Fellow
of Sidney Sussex College, and to Mr. Bernard Smith, B.A., of
Sidney Sussex College, my thanks are due for many valuable
suggestions. Lastly, I am indebted to Mr. R. H. Rastall, B.A.,
F.G.S., of Christ's College, for reading the manuscript and
suggesting many improvements in the text.

APPENDIX II

ON THE WHALES, SEALS, AND BIRDS OF ROSS
SEA AND SOUTH VICTORIA LAND

By Edward A. Wilson, M.B., F.Z.S., Zoologist on the
National Antarctic Expedition

There are no land mammals, properly so called, within the
Antarctic Circle. There are no South Polar bears ; there are no
Antarctic foxes ; there are no large mammals of any sort or kind
save whales, which live entirely in the water, and seals, which
spend more than half their time there.

Geology has not disclosed to us any lost Antarctic mammalian
fauna, although it has suggested to us the possibility that at one
time there was a climate, and perhaps a vegetation, that might
have suited it. There are deep and difficult questions upon which
it appears right to hold whatever theory best suits our immediate
requirements, as to the various connections and communications,
whether of land or ice, which have or have not existed between all
or any of the Southern Hemisphere land masses and the Antarctic
continent. There is every probability that in some bygone age the
Antarctic land mass acted as a bridge between some of the
Southern continents, but whatever it may have done of service in
the distribution of types for them, it has apparently done little or
nothing for itself. Separated now by some hundreds of miles of
very stormy ocean from the nearest habitable lands, with currents
of wind and water all setting in precisely the wrong direction, it
maintains an almost perfect barrenness.

The Antarctic continent now boasts of a vegetation which
includes a few low forms of moss and lichen, and a terrestrial
fauna which consists of one minute and primitive form of wingless
insect. Of the whales and seals and birds, the last-named alone

Appx.IL] ANTARCTIC FAUNA 353

have any pretension at all to a terrestrial habit of life, in that they
use the moraines and rocky cliffs of the continental shores as
nesting sites. But they are all pelagic sea-birds.

Yet in this exceedingly unpromising land of barren rock and
ice there are forms of life which are to be met with nowhere else,
and in this very fact lies the interest that attaches to a study of the
Antarctic fauna.

To begin with the mammals, there are whales and seals ; and
of these a somewhat surprising number of different species. In
Ross Sea alone we met no fewer than seven different whales and
dolphins. In Ross Sea also we found five different kinds of seal,
and as many as twelve different species of bird. Of these at least
half are known to make use of the coasts of South Victoria Land
for nesting.

Of the whales, the most prominent of all are the Killers, or
Orca whales, which scour the seas and the pack-ice in hundreds to
the terror of seals and penguins. The Killer is a powerful piebald
whale of some fifteen feet in length. It hunts in packs of a dozen,
or a score, or sometimes many scores. No sooner does the ice
break up than the Killers appear in the newly formed leads of
water, and the penguins show well that they appreciate the fact by
their unwillingness to be driven off the floes. From the middle of
September to the end of March these whales were in McMurdo
Strait, and the scars^ that they leave on the seals, more particularly
on the Crab- eating seal of the pack-ice, afford abundant testimony
to their vicious habits. Not one in five of the pack-ice seals is free
from the marks of the Killer's teeth, and even the Sea Leopard,
which is the most powerful seal of the Antarctic, has been found
with fearful lacerations. Only the Weddell seal is more or less
secure, because it avoids the open sea. Living, as it does, quite
close in shore, breeding in bights and bays on fast ice some ten or
twenty miles from the open water, it thus avoids the attacks of the
Killer to a large extent.

Two other dolphins are commonly to be seen on the outskirts
of the Ross Sea pack-ice. Of these one is known as the Dusky
dolphin, a very handsomely marked animal, with dark brown back
and whitish under parts.

The other is an allied species that has hitherto been undescribed.
We were not able to procure one, though many attempts were made
with the harpoon, but as all these dolphins, the Killer included, are
easily seen as they play in herds around the ship, the fact that the

VOL. II. A A

354 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Appx.

back and belly are dark brown, and the sides have two white
patches like an hour glass, sufficiently distinguishes the animal
from any other that is known. It is not well to name a beast that
has not been captured, but for convenience sake amongst ourselves
we called it the ' Hour-glass dolphin.' It never was seen to asso-
ciate with the Dusky form, though both occurred in herds about
the same latitude and longitude, and both were much the same in
size — from eight to ten feet long — and of a similar colouration.

We saw also a very large number of Rorquals in Ross Sea, but
not a single Right whale. When Sir James Ross reported large
numbers of the latter in the seas of South Victoria Land, consider-
able hopes of a new and valuable whaling ground were raised, and
a number of whaling ships left Dundee for the Antarctic. But their
hopes were not realised, for no Right whale was either seen or
taken where Ross had seen so many.

The real reason for this has been an open question ever since ;
and the explanations given vary between a lack of faith in Sir
James Ross's power to identify the Right whale on the one hand,
and, on the other, a belief that the animal which had been hunted
almost to extermination in more northern waters had disappeared
in consequence from the Antarctic ; or, thirdly, perhaps, that it
had changed its summer feeding-grounds to seas still less accessible
than these.

Whichever is the true explanation, the fact remains that no one
has since seen a Right whale in Ross Sea. It still occurs in the
more northern waters, round Chatham and Campbell Islands,
and in the Southern oceans generally, but apparently it avoids
the ice.

The Rorqual, on the other hand, is abundant. Hardly a day
passed, in cruising along the coasts of South Victoria Land, but
one or two, and sometimes a much larger number, were seen.
Near the Balleny Islands they were for some days particularly in
evidence, and the broad, blue slate-coloured back, with its small
dorsal fin, was almost constantly in sight, while the spout was to
be seen on all hands, a high jet of condensed vapour rising verti-
cally for twelve or fifteen feet into the cold grey air. The Rorqual,
or Blue whale, as it is called, has a habit of appearing at the
surface to blow without showing the dorsal fin at all. This has
led to the belief that Sir James Ross mistook it for the Right
whale. But as one watches the Rorqual, one sees that before each
deeper sounding the dorsal fin comes plainly into view, and it is

II.] ANTARCTIC FAUNA 355

hardly to be believed that experienced whalers whom Ross had
with him on the ' Erebus ' could have made such a mistake as
this. The spout of the Rorqual, moreover, is characteristically
high, single, and upright, whereas the spout of the Right, or
Whalebone whale, is definitely shorter and divided into two to
form a double spout.

There are still two other forms of Finner whales which must be
mentioned : the one, a round-backed, black, and solitary whale of
from twenty to thirty feet, with a very small hook-like dorsal fin ;
and the other, in direct contrast to this, a gregarious whale having
a dorsal fin of quite enormous length and prominence. This latter,
which was apparently noticed in Ross Sea by MacCormick as
well as Ross, has not been named. No example has yet been
taken. It is a square-headed whale of some twenty feet in length,
black above, but white, so far as we could see, beneath the throat.
The dorsal fin, which comes well out of the water, must have been
between two and three feet in height, long, curved, and pointed,
somewhat like a sabre. There was no possibility of mistaking it
for the only other high-finned form, the Killer, for the ochre-
coloured saddle of the Killer and the buff patch on the head are
recognisable even at a distance. The shape of the head, too, is
more pointed in the Killer, and its movements far more active and
restless than those of the High-finned black whale.

Beaked whales were also to be seen in schools from time to
time, and we had the good fortune in McMurdo Strait to see one
'breeching.' The whole school of whales, about ten in number,
was blowing and splashing in the bay, when suddenly we saw one
of them leap clean out of the water and fall back with a resound-
ing splash.

It would be unwise to attempt to give specific names as yet to
these various whales, but if, as may some day happen, their study
should be more systematically taken up, it may be of use to know
that there are at least these seven different species that I have
mentioned to be found within the limited area of Ross Sea alone,
and that two, at any rate, are new, and at present undescribed.

Leaving now the whales, we come to a group of animals
which are very typical of the polar regions. There are five species
of Antarctic seals, of which three are only to be found within
the Circle. These are the Crab-eating or White seal {JLobodon
carcinofihagiis), the Ross seal {Ommatophoca rossi), and the
Weddell seal {Leptonychotes weddelli). Of the other two, the

356 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Ai-rx.

Sea Leopard (Stenorhynchus lefttonyx) and the Sea Elephant
{Macrorhinus /eom'mts), the former is constantly to be found in
the pack-ice, though it wanders more or less freely to the shores
of all the Southern ocean continents and islands.

But the Sea Elephant has not the same right to be included
in the Antarctic list as the others, since his occurrence there is
almost certainly accidental, just as the occasional occurrence of
the Weddell seal in Kerguelen Island and the river Santa Cruz
must also be considered as purely accidental. The Crab-eater
also has been reported twice from Australia, both accidental
occurrences of a typical Antarctic species in temperate regions,
and to be explained by the fact that large masses of ice drift
up into more northern waters from the south, no doubt very
often with seals upon them. It is less easy to account for the
appearance of the Sea Elephant so far south as latitude yy° 50',
in McMurdo Strait, for the animal must have traversed some
hundreds of miles of open sea against the prevailing winds and
ocean currents.

That seals do travel long distances by sea is obvious, and a
fact well known to sealers, but it is curious to find one so far from
its usual home as this. The headquarters of the Sea Elephant are
the Macquarie, Kerguelen, and other islands of the Southern
oceans, as well as the coast of California.

The one Sea Elephant which fell to our lot in the Antarctic
was a young male of eleven feet in length and a girth of no less
than eight feet under the fore flippers. He was the only example
seen, and was discovered as he lay asleep on a sandy beach at Cape
Royds. The stomach itself was empty of food, as also were the
intestines, which were contracted into firm, hard cords, and con-
tained only a few threadworms ; yet the seal was heavily
blubbered, having upwards of two inches of fat under the skin all
over. The Sea Elephant, as we had the opportunity of seeing also
on the Macquarie Islands, uses his fore flippers much more as do
the Eared seals than the Earless, both for support and for pro-
gression. The colour of the beast is a uniform dirty yellowish
grey, somewhat darker along the back than underneath, and
without either spots or streaks ; the head is enormous. The lion-
like breadth of the flattened muzzle, the wide gape of the mouth
showing a huge pink cavern, with massive canines, the immensity
of the neck and shoulders raised high on the fore flippers, the very
large brown eyes, and the protruding nostrils, all combine to give a

II.] ANTARCTIC FAUNA 357

most characteristic appearance to this seal which distinguishes it at
once from all the others.

The nostrils are extensile sacs which give the appearance of a
short proboscis to the animal when much excited, and the openings
when at rest, instead of facing upwards as in the other Antarctic
seals, look straight ahead from an enormous width of muzzle.
It has a peculiar habit of throwing up the head and tail simultane-
ously, while it gives vent to a hoarse and wide-mouthed roar, which
is intended to dismay the onlooker, as the seal himself makes clumsy
efforts to retire.

The animal, as is now well known, is becoming very scarce ;
it was a few years ago within the danger limits of extinction,
thanks to the thoughtless methods of the sealers who worked
on the Southern ocean islands. There is now, however, a close
time which protects the animals to some extent, and although it
is now almost impossible to find the older full-grown males, there
are still in certain favoured spots a large number of young males
and females.

The Sea Leopard is, after the Sea Elephant, the least strictly
polar of the Antarctic seals. It is to be met with, however, fairly
constantly in the pack-ice, but always solitary. It runs to twelve
feet in length, and may have a girth beneath the flippers of six
feet. Its head is large in proportion to its body, and holds a most
formidable array of teeth. It is very long and snake-like, and
most admirably adapted to move rapidly under water, where its
diet, as we verified by examining the contents of the stomach,
includes not only fish and Emperor penguins, but, when occasion
offers, the young of the other more harmless kinds of seal.

It is, as a rule, dark grey, with blacker back, and rich black
and silver splashes on the flanks and shoulders. There is, in
some cases, a tendency to a tawny colour in the under-parts and
flippers, but the most sure way of determining the species, as it is
of every other species, is to examine the teeth. In this animal the
canines and the incisors, particularly the outer incisors of the
upper jaw, are very large, recurved, and powerful. The post
canines, five on each side above and below, are powerful three-
lobed tridents, admirably made for catching and holding fish
and tearing flesh to pieces. This seal is a carnivore of the most
aggressive type, and probably in the Antarctic has but one enemy
to fear, and that enemy is the still more aggressive carnivorous
dolphin, the Orca or Killer whale.

358 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [App*.

The Crab-eater, the common White seal of the Antarctic pack-
ice, is the most variable in appearance of all the Southern seals.
In the summer months it is possible to find a group of chocolate-
brown seals with a very beautiful silver sheen and handsome
dappling on the sides of the neck and flanks and shoulders. The
flippers may be a rich dark brown with blacker shades, and nothing
on the whole could be less appropriate than to call the animal
white. Again, one may find an individual with a chestnut dappling
on a creamy coloured coat, with a long line of chocolate colour
down the centre of the back. This animal would be moulting,
and by casting off the coat which has been bleached to a creamy
white, would become converted into the dark and handsome silvery-
coated seal described above. But in an old seal the coat may have
become bleached to such an extent as to have lost all trace of the
characteristic dappling on the flanks and shoulders. In this con-
dition it is as nearly white as possible. It is not so large as either
of the seals that I have yet described, nor is' it nearly so large as
the Weddell seal, which will be mentioned later on. The Crab-
eater runs to about eight feet in length, and is one of the most
active seals in all its movements. It lives almost entirely upon a
shrimp-like crustacean which it collects in large numbers with
mud and gravel by grouting along the bottom of shallow seas or
along the submerged foot of an iceberg. The use of the extra-
ordinary development of the lobes of the post canine teeth in this
seal was suggested by Captain Barrett Hamilton, in an article on
the seals of the ' Southern Cross ' collection. These lobes, as he
pointed out, form a sieve when the jaws are closed, through which
the water can be ejected from the mouth, while the mud and
crustaceans are retained and swallowed. There is probably some
object to be served in the swallowing of mud and gravel with the
food, as it is a habit common to many of the seals, and the most
probable object to be gained by so doing is the trituration of the
shells and bones of the fish and crustaceans which form their staple
diet.

The Crab-eater, or White seal, is to be found in little groups
of from three to four or six, lying out in the sun on the floes of the
Ross Sea pack ; and in this tendency to collect in companies it
differs markedly from the next one to be mentioned, the Ross seal,
which has, without exception, always been found alone.

The Ross seal is the smallest of all, and is not often found of
a greater length than seven or eight feet. It is a blackish or

II.] ANTARCTIC FAUNA 359

brownish grey above, and lighter below, with the chin and throat
in some quite pale, in others black, and a number of paler streaks
pass obliquely backwards along the sides of the neck to the hinder
third of the body.

This seal has the most astonishing power of withdrawing its head
within the blubber-laden skin of the neck till its face is almost lost.
Its vocal powers have been well described by M. Racovitzi, of the
' Belgica.' As the Weddell seal, so far as our own observations
go, has vocal accomplishments of even a higher order than the
Ross, I will reserve my description of them till we come to deal
with the species later on.

Until the return of the recent Argentine Expedition no young
Ross seal had ever been discovered. The precise age of the one
brought home by that expedition has not yet transpired. It is
likely, however, that the skull may throw fresh light upon an
interesting question in this connection — namely, the relationship
which apparently exists, and has been before this suggested by
Captain Barrett Hamilton, between the Ommatophoca and the
more Northern forms Cystophora and Macrorhinus.

The teeth of Ross's seal are still a puzzling problem. It is
obvious that the post canines are in process of disappearing, for in
those cases in which they have not already gone they are as
often as not quite loose and ready to drop out. The canines and
incisors alone have been properly developed into needle-pointed,
recurved hooks for dealing with such slippery prey as jelly-fish and
squids, which apparently form their food.

There is now only one more form of seal to be described, and
to ourselves it was the most important of all, for it provided us
with a fresh meat diet in abundance during the greater part of our
sojourn in the ice. The Weddell seal is the most sluggish of all,
and is to be found only along the coastline. It herds together in
a manner which must be considered thoroughly gregarious. In
the breeding season, which occupies October and November,
there are colonies at the head of bights and bays in the fast and
unbroken ice, which number in some cases many hundreds of seals,
scattered often over a very vast area, along a crack which runs
perhaps for miles across the strait or bay.

The Weddell seal avoids the pack-ice of the open sea, and so
avoids the attentions of the Killer whale, and can procure its food,
which consists of fish, without either fear or molestation.

The wisdom of this course is obvious, and accounts for the

36o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Ap?x.

absence in. this seal of the scars and rents which disfigure so many
of the Crab-eaters.

In McMurdo Sound we had an abundance of Weddell seals
around us throughout the summer months, and as they spent
most of their time in sleeping on the ice outside their blow-holes,
there was no difficulty whatever in supplying the ship's company
with meat.

But in the winter months there was often a scarcity, as the
seals preferred to remain in the water below the ice, breathing
and sleeping at their blow-holes, and along the coastal tide-cracks,
instead of coming up to lie in the bitter wind and lower tempera-
tures that were constant during the darkness of the winter.
At this time it was found feasible by certain of the crew to harpoon
them as they came up to breathe, and land them on the ice with a
line ; and the contents of the stomach on these occasions proved
especially interesting, as they included whole fish just swallowed
of a kind which we were unable in any other way to obtain.

The Weddell seal is perhaps the most handsome of all that I
have mentioned. Measuring upwards of nine to ten feet, and
having a girth of from six to seven, this enormous beast has a coat
richly marked with black and grey and silvery white ; the upper
parts are the darkest, but below these shades are blended in a
most striking manner.

In character the seal is wholly devoid of fear until actually
and intentionally annoyed or frightened. Lying on the ice by its
open breathing hole, as often on its back as on its belly, it will
merely wake to glance at the strange intruder and then often go to
sleep again. At times it exhibits a certain amount of nervousness
and rolls over the better to gaze at the disturber of its peace,
blinking and blowing through its nostrils the while in an unwonted
endeavour to realise the unusual condition of things before it.
Sometimes it is induced to lope away, with suspicious glances
over its back from time to time, to see whether anyone is following.
If this actually happens, it may get really scared, and losing all its
dignity at once, may hurriedly flop itself along with a breathless,
quivering, blubber-burdened haste, which shows how seldom the
necessity for speed arises except in its aquatic life.

The young of the Weddell seal, the only species whose breed-
ing habits we were able to observe, were born during the last week
of October and the beginning of November. They lay on the ice
at the mouth of the blow-holes, which the parents kept open for

II.] ANTARCTIC FAUNA 361

the purpose of procuring food. The old seals showed very little
fear, and would generally allow us to handle their young without
much tendency to interfere.

The young were born in a thick and woolly coat of dull ochre
grey and black, showing something of the markings which would
appear later on in the adult. This woolly coat began to drop off
at the end of fourteen days, and by the end of a month the moult
was finished. The young seal, attired now in a very handsome
coat of glossy black and silver hair, could for the first time enter
the water and take a share in finding its own food. Still, for a
variable time, these young were suckled on the ice, but sooner or
later they would be separated from their parents, and from that
time onward would lead an independent life. The Weddell seal
takes at least two years to arrive at full maturity, and the size of
the animal appears to increase considerably for many years, if one
may judge by the immensity of some of the oldest breeding bulls
and cows, compared with what were evidently younger ones.

The teeth of the Weddell are less strikingly adapted to a
special food than are those of the Crab-eater or the Ross ; but
the incisors are again recurved and hook-like, to assist the
canines in procuring fish. The bigger teeth in an old seal are
often broken and worn down almost to the gums by the habit
of using them to enlarge the blow-holes in the ice. On several
occasions this habit was actually watched in progress, and the
action was somewhat like that of a centre-bit, the central fixed
point being the sharp teeth of the lower jaw, while the upper jaw
was revolved upon it.

The bulls have desperate fights with one another for the
possession of the females, and their coats are cut to pieces by
December. From head to tail they are at this time covered with
ugly sores, and are to be found in secluded corners amongst the
hummocks of ice-pressure ridges, often apparently feeling far from
well, and unwilling to fight again.

Old seals at the point of death retire to the most secluded
spots. It was therefore not altogether unaccountable to find the
remains of dead seals many miles from the actual coast, and high
up on the biggest glaciers. Almost all the sledging expeditions
which made their way to the west up the glaciers of the Royal
Society range of mountains found these dead seals ; and they
included not Weddells only, but Crab-eaters, of which we saw
only very few in McMurdo Sound during the whole two years that

362 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY [Appx.

we were quartered there. Not one, but several, were found by
Armitage at a height of 2,000 feet, and between twenty and thirty
miles from the actual coast.

I have already mentioned the Weddell seal as a rival of the
Ross in its powers of producing vocal music. It was a constant
source of amusement to us to stir up an old bull Weddell and
make him sing ; he would begin sometimes with a long and
musical moan at a high pitch, which gradually got lower and
sounded much like the ice-moans that are common on an exten-
sive sheet of ice. This was followed by a series of grunts and
gurgles, and a string of plaintive piping notes, which ended up
exactly on the call-note of a bullfinch. Then came a long, shrill
whistle, and a snort to finish, as though he had for too long held
his breath.

All this was leisurely, and interrupted with the sleepy blinking
that characterised his half-awakened consciousness of something
strange and unusual in the look of the observer standing near him ;
one could not but wonder how long the impression of such a
novelty would last upon the memory of a seal, for while one
watched and wondered he would fall asleep again, and be just as
puzzled if he was awakened two minutes later.

We were well situated to observe the Weddells, as they were
with us throughout the year, but of the others we saw much less
for the reasons given above. There is no probability that any
new form remains to be discovered, and the breeding habits of
the others will become known only to such as have the luck of
wintering in the pack-ice as did the 'Belgica.' And it is my
belief that the pack-ice around Cape North and the Balleny
Islands is one of the strongholds of the Ross.

There is no doubt that so far as birds were concerned our
position in 780 S. latitude was too far south.

Although in the pack-ice and during our cruise along the
coast of South Victoria Land we saw twelve different species of
bird, this number, except for an occasional straggler, was reduced
to three in our winter quarters. At the mouth of McMurdo Sound
we saw occasionally a few Giant petrels, Snow petrels, and
Wilson's Stormy petrels, but where the ship was wintered, ten or
twenty miles farther to the south, they were very rarely seen. In
the pack-ice and in the Ross Sea we saw the Southern Fulmar
petrel {Priocella glacialoides) and the Antarctic petrel {Thalass<zca
antarctica), but not in McMurdo Sound.

II.] ANTARCTIC FAUNA 363

On the outskirts of the pack we saw besides a few small whisps
of Tern, a Sooty albatross or two, a Black-browed albatross or
two, and a few of the blue-grey Whale-birds ; but all these left
us as we entered the denser pack, and were not seen again till our
return more than two years later.

From the first day till the last on which we encountered ice, we
saw no other birds but those that I have mentioned ; and except
for a few hours on shore at Cape Adare, where we found the little
Wilson's Stormy petrel nesting, we had no opportunity of investi-
gating the nesting habits of any of them, except of the three that
were with us in McMurdo Sound.

Nevertheless, what could be written of the three birds that we
had there would alone suffice to fill a volume, and we consider
ourselves exceedingly fortunate in that the Emperor penguin was
one of them ; for no one had previously seen its breeding grounds,
nor had anyone been enabled to throw any material light upon its
habits since the time that the bird was first discovered.

The second of our trio was the other most typical Antarctic
penguin, the Adelie Land penguin (Pygoscelis addlice), which bred
at Cape Crozier, within our reach, and had there one of the largest
rookeries of the species that is known. We had also on Cape
Royds, at the mouth of McMurdo Sound, another small rookery, or
breeding colony, and we were thus well placed for making further
observations on this bird. And of the third, the McCormick's
skua {Megalestris maccormicki) we saw no end, and were able to
investigate a very large number of its nesting sites.

Now, of all the birds that I have mentioned, the Emperor
penguin's history is by far the most interesting and important. I
will therefore deal first with the others, and write somewhat more
fully of the Emperor below.

The nesting places of a large number of the petrels, even in
temperate climes, are still unknown, and in our hasty visit to South
Trinidad we were able to procure the eggs and young of two
petrels, neither of which had been obtained before. It is there-
fore not surprising to find that the eggs and young of the Antarctic
petrel ( Thalassceca antarctica) are still unknown ; nor have any of
the recent expeditions succeeded in finding them. Yet the bird is
plentiful not only in the pack-ice but throughout Ross Sea, and
particularly in very large numbers first about the Possession
Islands, and then in a very local area about King Edward's Land,
at the extreme eastern end of Ross's Great: Ice Barrier, where

364 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Apwl

a search for the nesting grounds might quite possibly be well
repaid.

It is, further, a fact not widely understood that this bird leaves
the Antarctic Seas during the winter months, and is then to be
found in large numbers in the South Pacific Ocean, away from ice
and out of sight of icebergs.

The blue-grey Southern Fulmar petrel (Priocella glacialoides),
a bird of wider range, is to be seen during the winter months in
large numbers about the Magellan Straits. In the summer it is
constantly met with in the pack, but, so far as is known, does not
breed within the Circle. We saw it more abundantly around the
Balleny Isles than elsewhere, and its absence was particularly
noticeable south of Cape Adare — so much so that along the coast
of South Victoria Land and in McMurdo Sound it was never
seen.

The Wilson's Stormy petrel (Oceanites oceanicus) is to be found
in Ross Sea throughout the summer months, but very rarely came
so far south as McMurdo Sound. We discovered its burrow on
Cape Adare, and after excavating it sufficiently to admit an arm,
we found a nest of penguins' feathers on hard blue ice, with two
adult birds, a male and a female, a fresh egg, an addled egg, and a
flattened dead bird under all.

This little petrel is a great wanderer in the Northern Hemi-
sphere as well as in the South, and we ourselves twice saw it
apparently exploring the Great Ice Barrier in latitude 780 some
twenty miles from the nearest open water, where alone it could
find its food, which consists of minute crustaceans.

The Snow petrel (Pagodroma nlvea) is perhaps the most beauti-
ful of all the Southern petrels. In size about as big as a turtle
dove, it is pure white all over, with black eyes and bill and feet.
It hovers about the ship often in considerable flocks, and was our
most constant companion so long as we had ice in sight during the
summer months of cruising. It was a rare visitor to our winter
quarters, and, so far as we could discover, did not breed in
McMurdo Sound. Its eggs were taken by McCormick on the
Cockburn Islands, and since then by members of the ' Southern
Cross' expedition on Cape Adare. It drops down most daintily
to pick up little shrimp-like crustaceans from the ice-floes as they
are stranded by the breaking surf.

There is a question of much interest in the reason for the
individual variation in the size of this bird, which varies between

II.] ANTARCTIC FAUNA 365

wide limits, apparently without anything corresponding to it in its
geographical distribution.

The largest of all the petrels is the Giant (Ossifraga gigantea),
which is also one of the most variable of species. It is very
commonly white in the Antarctic, although the normal colouration in
more temperate regions is a dark greyish brown or black. The
reason for this is still unknown, but it seems probable that, apart
from all question of avoiding enemies or procuring food, there is
an inherent tendency in polar species to take on the Arctic dress.
One wonders in the same connection what point there can be in
the pure white dress of the Snowy petrel.

The Giant petrel is a great scavenger, and lives principally on
carrion refuse even in the South, finding an abundance about the
penguin rookeries. It is a very large and ungainly bird, with a
composite yellow bill, which looks as though it had many ways of
opening. It is often to be seen squatted on the ice-floes, gorged
by a full meal of blubber from a dead seal. On finding itself pur-
sued it will deliberately disgorge before it attempts to fly, knowing
from experience that even a lengthy run will not enable it to rise and
fly away except on an empty stomach. It has never as yet been
known to breed on South Victoria Land, and in our winter quarters
it was only a rare summer visitor.

Before dealing with the penguins, it remains for me to say
something about the one gull which was our constant companion
throughout the summer in McMurdo Sound. McCormick's skua
{Megalestris maccormicki) is a large brown gull with a white patch
on each wing. Often as the bird advances in age the moult
appears to be deferred, and the feathers become bleached and
weathered to a very marked degree — so much so that the head and
breast become almost white instead of brown. McCormick's skua
is closely allied to the sub-Antarctic species, but is nevertheless
distinct. It is smaller than Megalestris antarcticus, and has a well-
marked golden collar, which is very distinctive in adults but is
absent in the young. The bird breeds all along the coasts of South
Victoria Land and on all the islands, in company with the Ad&ie
penguins, on whose eggs and chicks it preys. On the gravelly
ground it lays two eggs, which are brown or greenish, with spots
and blotches of a darker brown and purple grey. The chicks are
grey, with pale blue bills and feet and legs, and it is a very note-
worthy fact that although two chicks are always hatched, not more
than one is ever reared. This is due no doubt to the fact that its

366 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Appx.

neighbours do not discriminate between the eggs and chickens of
their own and other species of bird, and find a young skua gull as
good to eat as a young Addlie penguin.

The excessive mortality amongst the penguin chickens is due
without a doubt to the skua gulls, which were again and again
seen to attack and destroy them ; their eggshells, too, lay about in
hundreds, yet the penguins allow the skuas to nest and remain
unmolested in their very midst.

The skuas were much annoyed if one appeared within sight of
their nests ; and while the sitting bird loudly and vehemently pro-
tested against such an unwarrantable intrusion, her mate would
make frequent dashes at the intruder's head — never, however,
touching him with the claws or bill, but frequently striking with
the wings. The chickens were able to run as soon as hatched, and
pecked their food for themselves from bits that were disgorged and
left in front of them by their parents.

The birds were by no means shy, though easily frightened.
They would at times fly up and take a piece of blubber from the
hand, and often would attempt to remove a coat or belt or knife
sheath which had been carelessly thrown down while the owner
might be occupied in dealing with a seal.

The skuas in our winter quarters lived on anything they could
find ; but under ordinary conditions, and when penguins' eggs and
chickens are not in season, they catch fish for themselves at sea or
chase the petrels that have fed themselves till they disgorge. The
skuas used to arrive in McMurdo Sound from the north at the
beginning of November. In a month the first eggs were laid, and
these were hatched at the beginning of January. About the end of
March the exodus was in full swing, and we saw no more of them
till the following year.

The Addlie penguins, as I have said, are wont to collect in
enormous numbers at certain spots on the Antarctic coasts to
breed. Arriving at Cape Crozier during the latter half of October,
they spent about a fortnight in collecting pebbles for their nests.
They then laid two round*white eggs, which were incubated in
turns by the male and female for upwards of thirty-two days, when
two little sooty-black chickens would appear, the one as a rule
rapidly growing to double the size of the other.

The process of feeding during the early stage is managed
alternately by each of the parents, who take it in turns to protect
the nestlings and go to the sea for shrimps. But the time comes

II.] ANTARCTIC FAUNA 367

when the chickens are not to be satisfied by the efforts of one bird,
and their hunger becomes so urgent that both parents have to go
and hunt.

The chickens are now large and independent, and so a new
general method develops for the good of all. The young black
woolly chickens collect in groups of from twenty to thirty each,
and these groups are herded and protected from the skuas by three
or four adults who station themselves on the outskirts of the
group.

The adults from time to time return with a load of shrimps, and
immediately set to work to find their infants. Amongst the first
group of infants they pass, however, are three or four too hungry
to be patient — so hungry, in fact, that they mistake this bird for
their parent, and give him chase. Up and down, and dodging
here and there, they run every bit as fast as he, and, heeding not
his growls as he stops now and then to swear and punish them,
they eventually tire him out and literally force him to feed them
because of their importunity. Edging close up to him, the most
pressing of the infants squeaks out his dreadful hunger, till at last
the old bird can stand it no longer, and allows the little infant's
head to disappear inside his own and find its food there.

In this race for life that is thus constantly going on, the weakest
rapidly go to the wall. A chick that cannot run down the old bird
and its rivals in the race goes supperless. Needless to point out,
the next race is still less likely to be successful, and the chicken is
soon marked down by a roving skua, who quickly brings an end
to its unsuccessful life.

Nothing is more amusing in some ways than to watch the busy
life of thousands of these quaint little individuals, and few things
more pathetic than the sad side of it all.

Towards the end of January the chickens have shed their down,
and now appear in a glossy coat of blue-grey feathers with white
breasts and throat. This stage, which lasts a year, is never seen
in the breeding rookeries, but is found quite commonly'in the
pack-ice in January ; and before the fact was recognised that it
was only an immature stage of the Ad&ie penguin, it was burdened
with a specific title which has since, of course, been dropped.

By the end of February the old birds have left the rookeries,
and only the young remain. These soon learn to take the water,
and before long follow their parents in migration to the north,
where they spend the winter with them in the looser pack.

368 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5 [Arrx.

There is no end to the drollery of the penguin, and it would
require a cinematograph to do justice to its peculiarities and its
grotesque attitudes. When annoyed in any way the cock bird
ranges up in front of his wife, his eyes flashing anger, his feathers
erect in a ruffle round his head, and his language unfit for publica-
tion. He stands there for a minute or two breathing out threatenings
and slaughter till his rage overpowers him, and putting his head
down he makes a dash at one's legs and hails blows upon them
with his flippers like bullets from a machine-gun.

His ecstatic attitude, too, in making love is beyond all praise ;
though not a sound escapes him, one can imagine the most
seductive music as he slowly waves his flippers to and fro and
gazes upwards in a perfect rhapsody. The next moment he will
be chasing his nearest neighbour with the most unwarrantable
desire to do him damage for having removed one of the dirty
little pebbles in the nest he was supposed to be protecting.

One would like to follow the bird in his aquatic life— if such
a thing were possible. It is tantalising to see him darting about
in the water like a fish, shooting zig-zag under the ice-floes to
leap up on to the ice a hundred yards away with a Jack-in-the
box appearance merely to wag his tail and ' squawk ' to a distant
neighbour.

In again he plunges, and, keeping his direction perfectly,
comes up exactly where he wished. One wonders how he does
so, but half his life is spent in an element into which we cannot
follow. We see them, too, in the open sea, shooting out of the
water like a school of little dolphins, swimming with strong
sharp strokes of their fin-like wings as fast as fish and using
their feet and tails for steering ; each one follows his leader, and
pops up on the ice-floe like a rabbit. Smart, comical, confiding
little beasts, the most excellent company imaginable in such a
desolate region as the Antarctic, they are like anything in the
world but birds.

It is strange to think that at one time they probably used
their wings for flight. They are some of the most primitive of
birds, but at one time their wings were fully feathered. Even
now as one sees them drop to sleep with the bill tucked in
behind the wing, exactly as one sees it in a barn-door fowl, one
feels convinced that here is a relic of the past, for the wing which
is now a comfortless fin was once a bunch of feathers into which
with some comfort the bird could snuggle down.

II.] ANTARCTIC FAUNA 369

And lastly, the Emperor penguin (Afttenodytes forsteri), in
all probability the most primitive of all the penguins, by far the
largest not only in inches but in weight and width, has also this
trait of bygone times. He, too, sleeps upright with the tip of
his long curved bill tucked in behind his flipper. Exactly as in
a dog which turns round and round before settling down to sleep
upon a bare board floor, the habit has outlived the conditions that
called it into being, so, too, this habit of the penguin has out-
lived the comfortable feathering of its wings.

It will be seen on looking at the map of the Antarctic Region
that the Great Ice Barrier, which runs four hundred miles east
and west as a continuous cliff of ice, comes to an abrupt termin-
ation where it impinges on Ross Island at Cape Crozier.
Between the rocky cliffs which rise perpendicularly five hundred
feet out of the sea, and the ice-cliffs which are here broken and
irregular in height, varying from twenty to fifty or sixty feet, lies
a bay with about a mile of frontage, sheltered from the southerly
winds and open to the north for every ray of sunshine in the
spring. A more perfect spot than this for shelter could hardlv
be discovered, and so circumscribed is it in the corner between
land and barrier ice-cliff, that the sea-ice which is formed here in
March or April remains intact throughout the winter months,
a fixture till the general break-up occurs in the following
summer.

In Ross Sea the ice that forms at the commencement of
winter, in March, April or even May, is unstable, and is liable
to be broken up by every blizzard from the South, and the ice
then drifts to the north to swell the belt of pack in 670 or 68° S.
latitude.

But in this small bight the ice is formed to stay ; and here
the Emperor penguins congregate during the early winter months
in anticipation of their approaching duties of incubation.

No doubt in other sheltered bays the ice remains intact as
well as here, and where King Edward's Land abuts on the
eastern extremity of the Great Ice Barrier, we entered a bay
with the ' Discovery ' and found ourselves not far from what
appeared to be an enormous rookery of Emperor penguins. There
were Emperors all round us— in the water and out of the water,
shooting up on to the ice-floes, -and standing in knots on the edges
of the fast ice. Moreover, through the telescope in the crow's-
nest could be seen, about five miles distant, groups of hundreds of
VOL. 11. B B

37o THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Appx.

the birds all huddled together in enormous colonies. It was im-
perative, as we could see, that we should run no risk of being
frozen in prematurely in a place so utterly unsuitable for winter-
ing as this, so we were forced to leave without investigating
further ; but although at the time we thought the birds were
collected there for nesting, we now are almost certain, in the light
of what we discovered later on, that they were simply moulting
birds, waiting patiently for their feathers to drop off, where for
three weeks they could sit safely without being forced to take to
the water.

Not many birds undertake to lay their eggs in the darkness of
a polar winter, nor do many birds appear to think that sea-ice is
the most attractive ground to I sit ' on. And when, in addition to
this, we find the Emperor penguin hatching out its chicks in the
coldest month of the whole Antarctic year, when the mean tempera-
ture for the month is eighteen degrees below zero, Farenheit, and
the minimum may fall to minus sixty-eight, I think we may rightly
consider the bird to be eccentric.

The Emperor penguin stands nearly four feet high, and weighs
upwards of eighty to ninety pounds. He is an exceedingly hand-
some bird, with a rich black head, a bluish-grey back and wings, a
lemon yellow breast with a satin-like gloss on the feathers, and a
brilliant patch of orange on the neck and lower bill. His move-
ments are slow and stately, and the dignity of his appearance is
much increased by the upright carriage of his head and bill.
When a group of these birds is met with in the middle of the
desert ice, where all around is grey and cold and white and silent,
the richness of their colouring strikes one very forcibly. Their
voice is loud and trumpet-like, and rings out in the pack-ice with
a note of defiance that makes one feel that man is the real
intruder. They have no fear, but an abundance of inquisitiveness,
and a party such as I have mentioned will walk up to one with
dignity, and stand in a ring all round, with an occasional remark
from one to the other, discussing, no doubt, the nature of this new
and upright neighbour. That the new beast is a friendly one they
appear to have no doubt, and one can only regret that from time
to time necessity compelled us to disillusion them.

In October of 1902 Royds made a sledge journey to Cape
Crozier to establish a record there for the relief ship, and it was
during this visit that Skelton, who was with him, discovered the
Emperor penguins' rookery. The number of birds using it he put

II.] ANTARCTIC FAUNA 371

down at about four hundred, and the number of living chicks at
thirty, with about eighty dead ones. Everywhere they searched for
eggs, but without success, and nothing but some scraps of eggshell,
evidently swallowed by the birds, was found.

When this party returned to the ship with several chicks and
the news that there was a rookery at Cape Crozier, I was myself on
the point of starting in another direction, so Royds kindly offered to
make another journey, and get further particulars and examples of
the chicks. He was in this more lucky than one could have hoped,
for he brought back, amongst other things, the first authentic egg,
which Blissett, a lance-corporal in the R.M.L.I., had found lying
frozen in the snow. He also found that, arriving on November 8,
the young penguins had all left the rookery — a most unexpected
discovery, as it was impossible that they could have shed their
down, and so it was impossible that they could have taken to the
water to support themselves on the fish and shrimps and cuttlefish
that form their food. The only conclusion, therefore, was that they
had drifted up on the ice-floes to the north.

This for the time being brought an end to our observations ;
but the following spring two journeys more were made to Cape
Crozier, for the purpose of filling in the gaps in our knowledge of
the bird's life-history.

The first was undertaken on September 7, about a fortnight
after the sun's return. The days were short and the nights were
long, and the cold and discomfort were intense. We reached the
rookery in a week and reconnoitred for the morrow, when we made
our way over the gigantic pressure ridges, and at last got into the
bay where the Emperors were collected. Here, to our surprise,
we saw first a number of deserted eggs lying on the ice — some
cracked, some crushed, some perfect, some half-incubated, some
half-addled, but all frozen as hard as rock.

Just where the birds had been quietly sitting on their eggs we
could see that there had been a sudden fall of ice from the face of
the Barrier Cliff. Without breaking through, this fall had crumpled
and split the sea-ice in all directions, and had so scared the sitting
birds that those which had escaped sudden death by burial in the
mass had fled precipitately, and left their eggs behind them. In
some cases we could see that the birds had returned when it was
too late, and had then resumed the incubation of their eggs, though
the frost had killed them.

Proceeding next to where the birds were congregated, we found

372 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY5 [Appx.

that even so early in the spring as it then was every egg was
hatched, and only chickens were to be found under the old birds.
There could not have been fewer than a thousand birds and about
one hundred and fifty chicks.

The method employed by the Emperor penguin for carrying
the egg and chick upon his feet is shared also by the King penguin
of the sub-Antarctic area, as we saw in our visit to their rookeries
in the Macquarie Islands. The King penguin we saw as he sat in
mud and puddles, with his single egg upon his feet, and now we
saw the Emperor penguin doing precisely the same thing with his
single chicken to keep it off the ice ; and we are agreed that the
term ' pouch,' which has been used in this connection, is one which
not only does not describe the matter, but is anatomically wrong
and misleading. The single egg, or the chick, sits resting on the
dorsum of the foot, wedged in between the legs and the lower
abdomen ; and over it falls a fold of heavily feathered skin, which
is very loose, and can completely cover up and hide the egg or
chick from view. When the chick is hungry or inquisitive it pokes
out from under the maternal (or paternal) lappet a piebald downy
head of black and white, emitting its shrill and persistent pipe
until the mother (or the father) fills it up.

The feeding is managed as with cormorants and many other
birds, the little one finding regurgitated food when it thrusts its
head inside the parent's mouth.

I think the chickens hate their parents, and when one watches
the proceedings in a rookery it strikes one as not surprising. In
the first place there is about one chick to ten or twelve adults, and
each adult has an overpowering desire to ' sit ' on something.
Both males and females want to nurse, and the result is that when
a chicken finds himself alone there is a rush on the part of a dozen
unemployed to seize him. Naturally he runs away, and dodges
here and there till a six-stone Emperor falls on him, and then
begins a regular football ' scrimmage,' in which each tries to hustle
the other off, and the end is too often disastrous to the chick.
Sometimes he falls into a crack in the ice and stays there to be
frozen while the parents squabble at the top ; sometimes, rather
than be nursed I have seen him crawl in under an ice-ledge and
remain there, where the old ones could not reach him. I think it is
not an exaggeration to say that of the J 7 per cent, that die no less
than half are killed by kindness.

This excessive desire to 'sit' on something leads otten to the

II.] ANTARCTIC FAUNA 373

most pathetic sights. One may see quite frequently an old bird
go up to one of the numerous dead chickens lying about upon the
ice, and try to coax it to sit upon its feet, helping the lifeless little
thing with its beak, in evident distress at the total lack of response
to its attention. One may see quite frequently the head and neck
of a chicken trailing limp and lifeless from under the feather lappet
of a broody bird ; and most, if not all, the chicks that are lying
dead upon the ice bear marks of having first been torn in life
during the quarrels of the adults for their possession, and then of
having been nursed persistently after death.

Some of the chickens, of course, survive and leave the rookery,
and, thanks to a spell of real Antarctic weather, which for eight
days out of eleven confined us to our sleeping-bags, we were
enabled to guess how this is managed.

During an interminable blizzard we laid out guiding-posts with
our ski, ski-poles, ice-axes, and a length of Alpine rope, which
made it possible for us every alternate day to visit the edge of the
cliffs that overlooked the rookery ; and here we saw how these
birds have come to make use of inanimate nature to serve their
ends. They wanted to migrate. They saw that the sea-ice was
breaking up and drifting to the north, and they knew that their
chicks were as yet in down, and not fit to enter water. So day by
day as we watched them we saw parties of a hundred birds or
more making their way in single file out from the sheltered bay to
the edge of the open water. And here they stood and waited
deliberately till the floe broke off and carried them northward to
the pack.

The pack-ice, I have now no doubt, is the great Antarctic
nursery for the young of the Southern seals and penguins. Here
they live in comparative safety. One finds here young Emperor
penguins and the young of the Adelie penguins, and one finds them
apparently nowhere else when once they have left their breeding-
grounds.

Food is abundant and they are safe from the surf and swell ot
the heaviest storms ; shelter they can find easily under a berg or
hummock, and here the young Emperor proceeds to moult his
down.

His first feather plumage appears in January, when he is five
months old ; the silver-grey down is changed for a blue-grey coat
with a white front ; there is as yet no colour to relieve it. But
a year later a second moult occurs, and then the orange patch

374 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Appx. II.

appears on the neck, and the head and throat turn black. In the
third year the full rich plumage of the adult is reached, and this,
by a yearly moult in January, he retains until the end.

Of the enemies that the Emperor must avoid I have already
said enough. Being strictly an inhabitant of sea and ice, he has
no enemies on land, but in the water he has to avoid the Sea
Leopard and the Killer whale. His food consists of fish and
cuttlefish, and his stomach invariably contains pebbles, which
assist him to grind up the bones.

It was with much disappointment that we found ourselves
unable to rear the chicks. The heroic self-sacrifice of Cross, who
gave up his sleeping-jacket at night, when the temperature was
1 sixty below ' and more, to keep his charges warm, deserved a
better issue ; but it was soon seen to be a forlorn hope, and eventu-
ally they died from the result of unnatural feeding. Had we even
succeeded in bringing them to the age when they put on their
feathers, I fear that the journey home through the tropics would
have proved too much for them, as we had no means of making a
cool place for them on the ship.

In conclusion I may be allowed perhaps to say what a good
right-hand I was given in Cross, who not only learned to make
good skins for our bird collection, but who, in the matter of
making Emperors' skins, improved upon his teacher. Always
willing and thoroughly capable, it was to a large extent thanks to
him that I was enabled at times to save much of what would
otherwise have been lost, when, as on our visit to the Macquarie
Islands, we had far more in hand than one man could possibly
have managed.

Of Skelton's help I should also like to say much, for not only
was he a keen collector, who gave his time and all he caught un-
grudgingly for the general collections, but his notes and observa-
tions were at all times excellent, and his photographs of the
Emperor penguin rookery unique.

But while it is fair to make a special point of acknowledging
the help I had from Skelton and from Cross, it is also right to say
that from everyone, without exception, I received abundant help at
all times.

INDEX

Acetylene gas, i. 260 ; ii. 135
Adelie Land, i. 13, 14, 57, 76 ;

ii. 291, 318, 324, 363
Admiralty, i. 21, 27; ii. 116, 240,

241
— Range, i. 98, 101 ; ii, 329-332
' Adventure,' i. 6, 32
Albatross, i. 76, 77, 90; ii. 285,

287, 362
Aldershot, i. 146
Aldrich, Admiral Pelham, i. 64 ;

ii. 241
i Alert,' i. 33, 302
Alexander I. Land, i. 8, 12, 18
Alexandra, Queen, i. 66
Allan, David (P.O. I, R.N.),

i. 56 ; ii. 100, 162
• Ancient Mariner,' i. 77
Andrews, Mr., i. 72
'Antarctic,' i. 18

' Antarctic Manual,' i. 29, 64, 226
Archangel, i. 345, 346
Argentine Expedition, ii. 359
Argyll, late Duke of, i. 21
Armitage, Lieut. A. B., i. 28, 48,

49, 72, 101, 102, 126, 144, 148,

165, 175, 181, 182, 227, 284,

296, 303, 305, 374-379, 395-

399; ii. 2, 98-104, 152, 154,

164-168, 225, 229, 277, 291,

321, 336, 339, 362
Armitage Cape (see under * Cape

Armitage ')
Arnold, Matthew, quoted, ii. 151,

227
Arrival Bay, i. 163, 237, 290 ;

ii. 134, 251, 255, 342
Arrival Heights, i. 163, 294 ;

ii. 129, 145, 255, 256

Auckland Islands, i. 79 ; ii. 273,

294
Aurora Australis, i. 255, 269, 270
Austin Search Expedition, i. 301
Australia (New Holland), i. 4, 160,

407
Azores, ii. 298

Baffin Bay, i. 37
Baffin, William, i. 37
Balaclava helmets, i. 337
Balfour, Rt. Hon. A. J., i. 22
Balleny, Capt. John, i. 9-11 ;
ii. 288-289, 318, 323

— Islands, i. 10 ; ii. 287 seq., 303-
306, 315, 325, 354, 362, 364

Balloon ascents, i. 146 seq.

— Inlet, i. 310, 313
Bankes Peninsula, ii. 296

Barne, Lieut. Michael, i. 50, 72,
101, 124, 125, 164, 169-184,
191, 192, 232, 268, 282, 289,
296, 322, 325, 375, 381-387,
400; ii. 2, 7, 8, 16, 85, 86, 124,
135, 143, 149, 151, 156, 160,
161, 221, 222, 231, 254, 312,

332-3
' Barne Cape (see under ' Cape

Barne ')
I — Glacier, ii. 309
I — Inlet, ii. 162, 308, 311
I Barry, Sir Graham, i. 20
{ Beacon Height West, ii. 336 seq.
I — Sandstone formation, ii. 178

seq., 324, 336^.
j Beatty, Prof., i. 72
i Beaufort Island, i. 122; ii. 118,

325

376 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY

• Beaufoy,' cutter, i. 9
Beaumont, Sir Lewis, i. 80
Beauvais, Messrs., i. 324
Beeton, Mrs., 'Cookery Book,'

ii. 227
Belcher Search Expedition, i. 301

* Belgica,' i. 18, 172; ii. 359, 362
Bellingshausen, Capt., i. 7, 8, II,

12
Beresford, Admiral Lord Charles,

i. 21
Berlin, i. 25, 35
Bernacchi, Louis C. (physicist),

i. 52, 81, 101, 102, 124, 144, 165,

172, 207-209, 224, 231, 238,

240, 258, 274, 347; ii. 13, 92,

109, 139, 149, 159, 222, 223,

248, 321, 345
Bernacchi Cape (see under * Cape

BemacchP)
Bird & Sons, i. 31
'Birdie,' dog, i. 287; ii. 10, 12,

63, 67-71
Birds, i. 10, 76, 77, 87, 90, 101,

209 ; ii. 352 sea.

— skinning of, i. 229, 258 ; ii. 374

— trapping of, i. 77
Birmingham, i. 49
Biscay, Bay of, i. 67
Biscoe, Capt., i. 9, 17

' Bismarck,' dog, ii. 10, 12, 25, 63
Black Island, i. 292, 376, 382,

386 j ii. 109-111, 146, 328, 348
' Blackie,' dog, ii. 140
' Blanco,' dog, i. 284, 285 ; ii. 10,

13, HO
Blandy, Messrs., i. 68
Blanford, Dr. W. T., i. 64
Blissett, Private A. H., ii. 87, 95,

I51i 157, 371
' Blizzard,' The (journal), i. 268
' Bloodhound,' whaler, i. 33
Blubber as fuel, ii. 224
Blue Glacier, ii. 333, 346, 347
'Bluff,' The, i. 376, 386, 392;

ii. 2, 8, 16, 17, 84, 85, 109, in,

146, 162, 221, 222, 319 (see also

under ' Minna Bluff'')
Bonner, Charles, i. 84, 85
Boothia Felix, i. 299
Boots, i. 243 seq., 358 seq.

Borchgrevink, Mr., i. 18, 99, 109

ii. 324
Borrodaile Island, ii. 289
' Boss,' dog, i. 191 ; ii. 10, 26,

66
Bouvet, Capt., i. 4

— Island, i. 5
Bovril Co., i. 324
Bowen, Hon. C. C, i. 80
Boyes, Admiral, ii. 241
Brazil, i. 2

' Britannia,' H.M.S., i. 50
British Association, i. 1 1

— — Antarctic Committee, i. 20
British Museum, i. 31, 73 ; ii. 142,

247, 321, 324
Brown Island, ii. 109-111, 225,

328, 349
' Brownie,' dog, i. 285, 383 ;

ii. 10, 13, 26, 41, 55
Brown's Peak, ii. 289
Buchan, Dr. A., i. 64
Buchanan, J. Y., i. 64
Buckle Island, ii. 289, 323
Buckridge, Mr., i. 164
Burberry, Messrs., i. 245, 336
Burlington House, i. 28, 29
Butter Point, ii. 164, 217, 218

Cadbury, Messrs., i. 31

Caius College, i. 51

California, ii. 356

Callao, i. 3

Camel's Hump, ii. 335

Campbell Island, ii. 354

Cape A depot, ii. 7S, 79, 82

Cape Adare, i. 18, 98, 100-103 »
ii. 13, 116, 117, 280, 282, 303,
304, 308, 314, 324-331, 334,
341, 347, 363, 364

Cape Anne, ii. 325

— Armitage, i. 162, 16S, 196, 206,
209, 227, 229 ; ii. 134, 250, 313,
319, 320, 328, 343

Cape Armitage Peninsula, ii. 314

— Barne, ii. 327

— Bernacchi, ii. 333

— Bird, i. 122, 151, 213 ; ii. 217,

275, 319

— Cotter, ii. 279

INDEX

377

Cape Crozier, i. 122-128, 156, 157,

169, 175, 376, 399 5 "• 3, 94,
117, 118, 150, 151, 157, 223,
301-304, 327, 334, 347, 363,
366, 369-371
Cape Crozier Cliffs, ii. 4, 327

— Gauss, i. 112 ; ii. 345

— Hallet, ii. 279

— Horn, i. 4, 7 ; ii. 298

— Hudson, ii. 291, 292

— Jones, i. 108, 109 ; ii. 329, 341

— North, i. 16 ; ii. 263, 273, 283,
284, 292, 304, 318, 331 , 362

— of Good Hope, i. 71-73, 187 ; ii.
116

— Royds, ii. 118, 217, 236, 244-
247, 313, 327, 347-348, 356,
363

— Sibbald, i. ill

— Town, i. 72

— Wadworth, i. 108 ; ii. 325

— Washington, i. 112, 113, 121 ;
ii. 42, 275, 276, 304, 331, 346

— Wheatstone, ii. 279

Castle Rock, i. 163, 174-186,240,

290, 294, 401 ; ii. 91, 131, 171,

325, 328, 350
Cathedral Rocks, ii. 98, 106, 107 ,

153, 164, 165, 217, 333, 335,

341, 349, 350
1 Century Dictionary,' i. 224
•Challenger,' H.M.S., i. 19, 20,

57, 88 ; ii. 324, 336
Chalmers, Mr., i. 26
Chatham Island, ii. 354
Cheltenham College, i. 51
Chesapeake Bay, i, 12
Chitral, ii. 115
Christchurch, N.Z., i. 59, 84 ;

ii. 140

— Bishop of, i. 83

— Magnetic Observatory, i. 80

— Museum, i. 80
Christiania, i. 304, 311
Christiansen, Capt., i. 18
Christmas Mountain, ii. 52
Clarke, Charles, ship's cook, i. 248 ;

ii. 133, 222, 234
Clarkson, Mr., i. 278
Clement VIII., Pope, i. 3
Cockburn Islands, ii. 364

Cocks, E. L. Somers, i. 26
Colbeck, Capt. William, ii. 116-

128, 239-265, 273, 295, 325
Colman, Ltd., i. 31
Colomb, Admiral, i. 21
Cone Hill, ii. 131
'Conway,' H.M.S., i. 50
Cook, Capt. James, i. 5-12, 17, 19,

32-37, 88 ; ii. 306
Copenhagen, i. 324
Corsica, ii. 348
Cote Clarie, i. 13, 14
Coulman Island, i. 106, 107, in,

115, 122; ii. 116-118, 278, 279,

288, 325, 336, 341, 345
Cowes Harbour, i. 66
Cramp, i. 191, 192, 351 ; ii. 5,

seq.
Crampons, i. 332 ; ii. 102, 160,

174-175, 188, 201, 209, 214
Crater Heights, i. 163
— Hill, i. 163, 176, 186, 229, 289-

293 ; ii. 328
Creak, Capt. E. W., i. 34, 63
Crean, Thomas (A.B. R.N.), ii.

156, 255
'Crescent,' H.M.S., i. 50
Crevasses, i. 167, 389 seq. ; ii. 36,

103, 104, 186, 206, 209, 348
Cross, Jacob (P.O. 1, R.N.) i. 56,
no, 229, 379,398,401 ; ii. 151,

157, 222, 224, 374
Croucher, George B. (A.B. R.N.),

ii. 162
Crozets, i. 5
'Cruise of the "Beagle," The,'

ii. 184
' Cruise of the " Falcon," The,' i. 70
Currents, ii. 305-6

Dailey, F. E., carpenter, i. 54,
164, 168-172; ii. 151, 163

Dailey Islands, ii. 329

Danger Slope, i. 187, 188

Danish Lapland Expedition, ii. 145

Darwin, Charles, ' Origin of
Species,' i. 221

'Cruise of the "Beagle"'

ii. 184

— Major L., i. 63

378 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY

1 David,' dog, i. 243

Davidson, Mr. (of the ' Morning '),
ii. 123, 128

' Deeds that Won the Empire,'
i. 220

Dell, James (A.B. R.N.), ii. 219

Dellbridge, James H., second en-
gineer, i. 55, 77, 172, 181 ; ii.
98, 128, 162, 229, 278

Dellbridge Islets, ii. 119, 229, 329,
348

Depot, (see under ' Cape A ')

Depot 'A,' i. 393 ; ii. 7, 14, 86,
222, 312

— 'B,' ii. 37, 59, 62, 72-74

— Nunatak, ii. 182, 186, 208, 211,
212, 220, 337 sea.

Deptford, i. 6

Descent Pass, ii. 100, 106, 107,

i73> 335
1 Desolation Camp,' ii. 185, 187,

208, 212
Dickens, Charles, i. 220
1 Discovery,' No. 1 (1616) i. 37

— No. 2 (1719)1- 37

— No. 3 (1776) i. 32, 37

— No. 4 (Vancouver's) i. 37

— No. 5 (1875) i. 32, 37, 302
Discovery Gulf, ii. 348

' Dishcover Minstrel Troupe,' i.

360
Dogherty Island, ii. 297
Dogs, i. 83, 161-166, 175, 182,

189-191, 200 .r^. , 230, 237-243,

255, 283-286, 296 ; ii. 9 sea., 140

sea., 219, 285

— on sledge journeys, i. 340 sea.,
375 seq. ; ii. 7 seq.

Dolphins, ii. 353 seq.

Doorly, Mr. (of the ' Morning'), ii.

123, 256
Double halos, ii. 27
Douglas, Sir Archibald, i. 27, 28
Dover College, i, 49
Drake, Sir Francis, i. 3
Drapers' Company, ii. 115
Dredging, i. 19, 89, 135 ; ii. 141,

142
Dry Valleys, ii. 336 seq.
Drygalski, Prof, von, i. 20, 25 ; ii.

342, 344

Dulwich School, i. 53

Dundee, i. 28-41, 48, 245 ; ii. 241,

354
— Shipbuilding Co., i. 23, 36
Durnford, Admiral, i. 28
D'Urville, Dumont, i. 12-15, 57,

76 ; ii. 324

Earth shadows, ii. 145
East India Docks, i. 31, 62, 407
Eastern Narrows, ii. 298
Edward VII., King, i. 22, 66, 223 ;

ii. 96, 115
Egerton, Captain, i. 260

— Admiral G. Le C, i. 64
Eld's Peak, ii. 291

Electric light, i. 172, 235, 259

' Eliza Scott ' schooner, i. 10

1 Encyclopaedia Britannica,' i. 224

' Endeavour,' i. 32

Enderby & Co., whaling merchants,

i. 8-10 ; ii. 323
Enderby, Charles, i. 10

— Land, i. 9, 10

— Quadrant, i. 57
England, Mr., ii. 123
' Enterprise,' i. 33

'Erebus,' H.M.S., i. 15, 17, 33 J
ii 323. 355

— Bay, i. 288

— Glacier, ii. 128

— Mount (see under ' Mount
Erebus ')

Esher, Lord, i. 28

• Eskers,' The, i. 396 ; ii. 2, 98,

172, 218
' Eva ' balloon, i. 147
Evans, Mr. (of the ' Morning '), ii.

123

— Edgar (P.O. 2, R.N.), i. 56,
1 74-181, 379, 399 5 "• 4, 96,
151, 162, 188-219, 228, 234, 254

— Sir John, i, 64

Evans, Lescher & Webb, Messrs.,

L 31

Evenson, Captain, i. 18

Falkland Islands, ii. 298
Farr, Coleridge, i. 80

INDEX

379

Fearnsides, W. G., ii. 351
Feather, Thomas A., boatswain, i.
54, 387, 390 ; ii- 163, 183, 185,
188
Ferrar, Hartley T., geologist, i. 52,
no, 133, 164, 181, 220, 232,
379, 388, 397, 398 ; ii- 98, 106,
109, 163, 168-173, 178, 180,
185, 212, 220, 221, 234, 272,
303, 314-317

— Summary of the Geological
Observations, Appx. I., ii. 323-
351

— Glacier, ii. 98-101, 107, 148,
152 seq., 162 seq., 214 seq., 306
seq., 333 seq.

' Fights for the Flag,' i. 220
Finger Mountain, ii. 178, 179, 212,

337 seq.
Fish, i. 155 ; ii. 137, 160
Fish-traps, i. 281, 282 ; ii. 136,

141
Fisherman's Cove, i. 78
Fishing-holes, i. 218, 233 ; ii. 136
Fishmongers' Company, ii. 115
Fitchett, Rev. W. H., i. 220
1 FitzClarence,' dog, ii. 10, 12
Flower, Sir William, i. 21
Flowers, i. 198, 199, 396
' Flying Fish,' i. 12
' Flying Scud ' sledge, ii. 143
Fog bows, ii. 27
Food allowance, i. 321 seq.

— dreams, ii. 44, 50-51

— supply for winter, ii. 130-131
Ford, Charles R. , ship's steward, i.

^ 55, 164, 219, 227
Fossil remains, ii. 316
Foster, Sir Michael, i. 63
Foyn, Svend, i. 18
<Fram,'i. 34, 35
Franklin Expedition, i. 33

— Island, ii. 1 16-1 18, 324, 326, 347

— Search Expeditions, i. 33, 299
Franz-Josef Land, i. 49, 302, 346
Frezne, Marion du, i. 4, 5
Frost-bites, i. 177, 182-184, 191,

200, 212, 240, 241, 255, 275,
356, 362, 384; ii- 176, 179, 182,
185, 204, 205, 210
Funchal, i. 68

Fur boots, i. 176, 179, 186, 244

ii. 8
Furs, i. 247, 304
' Fury,' i. 33

Gama, Vasco da, i. 3

' Gap,' The, i. 162-165, 170, 195-

200; ii. 328
Gauss, Prof., i. 13
« Gauss,' i. 20, 25, 35, 57
Gauss Cape (see under * Cape Gauss ')
Geikie, Sir Archibald, i. 64
Geographical Congress, Berlin, i.

35
Geological Investigations, ii. 107

seq., 163, 323-351
Gerlache, M. de, i. 18
Gill, Sir David, i. 72
Glaciers, i. 114, 117, 154-156, 344,

349, 377 seq. ; ii. 30, 39, 78, 82,

98^., 152 seq., 207 seq., 30%-

309, 346-347
Goggles, i. 336, 339, 371 ; ii. 23,

40, 55, 87, 176
' Golden Slippers,' song, i. 281
Goldie, Sir George, i. 59, 60
Goldsmiths' Company, ii. 115
Gordon, Lindsay, quoted, i. 340
Goschen, Mr., i. 27
Gourlay Bros., i. 42
Government Arctic Expedition,

1875, i- 33
Graham Land, i. 10, 12, 17, 18;

ii- 317

Grampus (see under * Whale, Kil-
ler')

Granite Harbour, i. 116, 118, 153;

ii- 334, 336, 34i, 35o
'Grannie,' dog, ii. 10, 13, 40
Great Ice Barrier, i. 16, 18, 109,
in, 114, 124-132, 142, 143,
148-150, 156, 158, 171, 224, 307
seq., 386; ii. 40 seq., in seq.,
148 seq., 301 seq., 309-312, 323

movement of, i. 284 ; ii.

222, 310-312, 313
Greely, i. 226, 324
Green, Messrs., ii. 115
Greenland, i. 1, 33, 299, 307 ; ii.
195, 344

380 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

Greenwich, i. 60; ii. 115

'Gus,' dog, i. 191 ; ii. 10, 12, 46,

63, 64
Guy's Hospital, i. 49

Hakluyt, i. 2

Hamilton, Capt. Barrett, ii. 358,

359
— Admiral, Sir Vesey, i. 21, 34,

64
Handsley, Jesse (A.B. R.N.), ii.

151, 162, 188-190, 219, 228,

234
Hanson, naturalist, i. 101, 102
Harbour Heights, ii. 328
Hare, Mr., i. 174, 176, 178, 182,

185
Harmsworth, Sir Alfred, i. 23
Harrison, Mr., i. 63
Hartley, Simon, i. 77
Haydn's 'Dictionary of Dates,' i.

224
Hazell's ' Annual,' i. 224
Heald, William L. (A.B. R.N.), i.

56, 174. 379, 397, 398, 401 ; ii.

225
Health Office, i. 407
■ Hecla,' i. 33

Hely- Hutchinson, Sir Walter, i. 72
' Hertha,' i. 18
• Hints to Travellers,' ii. 177
Hobart Town, i. 12, 15 ; ii. 241
Hodgson, Thomas V., biologist, i.

49, 96, 107, 155, 164, 199, 220,

231, 233, 280, 282, 293, 380,

381 ; ii. 109, 126, 135, 141, 155,

234, 248, 272, 292, 321, 327,

329
Hogsback Cliffs, ii. 327
Hondius, i. 2
Hooker, Sir Joseph, i. 17, 21, 123,

146
Hoskins, Admiral Sir Anthony, i.

21, 27, 34
Hudson Bay, i. 37

Territory, i. 299, 323

Huggins, Sir William, i. 63
Hughes, J. F., i. 63
Hull, i. 33
Humboldt, i. 11

Hut Point, i. 163, 165, 181, 182,
209-215,293; ii. 96, 122-124,
128, 134, 146, 234, 246-271,
342

Huts, erection of, i. 160 seq.

Hutton, Captain, i. 80

— Cliffs, ii. 327

Ice axes, i. 185, 332 ; ii. 99, 101

— barrier {see under * Great Ice
Barrier'')

— 'blink,' i. 90, 152

— cascades, ii. 39, 52, 180

— crystals, i. 242, 273, 369, 380,
381, 391 ; ii. 82, 209

— flowers, i. 198, 199, 396

— Inland, ii. 306-308, 344-346

— saw, ii. 112, 233

— sea, i. 199 ; ii. 341-343 {see also
under ' Pack- Ice')

Iceberg, ' Belleisle,' i. 150

— turning turtle, ii. 291
Icebergs, i. 4, 76, 87, 88, 102, 108,

in, 130-149, 162; ii. 214, 258,

275 *£•» 303-305,. .347
Inaccessible Island, ii. 329
Inland Forts, ii. 337 seq.
Institution of Naval Architects, i. 37
< Intrepid,' i. 33
' Investigator,' i. 33
Isle of Wight, ii. 299

Jackson-Harmsworth Expedi-
tion, i. 49, 302, 305
'Jane,' brig, i. 9
Jansen, Capt., ii. 324
'Jason,' whaler, i. 17
Java, i. 2, 3
'Jim,' dog, ii. 10, II, 25, 63, 69,

71,77
'Joe,' dog, i. 347; ii. 10, 13, 68
Joinville Island, i. 12, 17
Joyce, Ernest E. (A.B. R.N.), ii.

156, 157
'Jupiter,' H.M.S., i. 56

Keltie, Dr. Scott, i. 63
Kemp Land, i. 10

INDEX

38i

Kempe, A. B., i. 26, 59

Kennar, Thomas (P.O. 2, R.N.),

ii. 163, 172, 337
Kerguelen Island, i. 5, 6 ; ii. 356
Kerguelen-Tremarec, De, i. 5
Kerr, Lord Walter, i. 27
Kew Physical Laboratory, i. 31
• Kid,' dog, i. 392 ; ii. 10, 12, 64
King Edward's Land, i. 88, 135,

141 ; ii. 303 seq., 313, 317, 33°>

363> 369

Kinsey, Mr., i. 80; ii. 140

Kipling, Rudyard, quoted, ii. 49,
94, 300

Knight, E. F., i. 70

Knob Head Moraine, ii. 166, 170,
i73> 213

Knob Head Mountain, ii. 166, 336
seq.

Koettlitz, Dr. Reginald, surgeon
and botanist, i. 49, 50, 96, 170,
192, 227, 228, 250, 273, 282,
379. 386, 395, 399, 401 ; ii. 98,
99, 109, no, 219, 225, 228, 249,

327, 333. 335
Koettlitz Glacier, ii. in, 346
Kronstadt, i. 8

' La Zelee,' ship, i. 12

Lady Newnes Bay, i. 109, 114; ii.

308, 315, 329, 345
Lambton, Misses Dawson, i. 23
Larsen, Captain, i. 17, 18
Lashly, William (Ig. stoker R.N.),

i. 244, 379, 399; ii. 151, 162,

178, 185, 188, 191, 194-219,

228, 234
' L' Astrolabe,' ship, i. 12
Le Maire, Capt, i. 4
' Lewis,' dog, ii. io, n, 63, 69-72
Lichen, ii. 217, 352
Lindley, Lord, i. 59
Lister, Lord, i. 63
— Mount (see under i Mount Lister'')
' Lively,' cutter, i. 9
'Lizard,' H.M.S., i. 84
London Docks, i. 65, 305 ; ii. 1 16

Co., i. 31

London Stock Exchange, ii. 115
Longfellow, quoted, i. 32

Longhurst, Cyril, i. 26, 28
Longstaff, Llewellyn, i. 22, 23 ;
ii. 115

— Mount (see under * Mount Long-
i staff')

1 Louis-Philippe Land, i. 12
Lyon, Mr., i. 42
Lyttelton, i. 80-83 ; ii. 116

— Harbour, ii. 296

— Harbour Board, i. 79

— Heads, i. 79, 84 ; ii. 296

MacCormick, Dr. Robert, ii.

323, 33,i , 35s, 363.. 364
MacCormick's Skua, ii. 363 seq.
Macfarlane, Mr., ii. 100, 103- 106
MacKay, Capt. Harry, ii. 239, 241,

244, 251, 264, 265
Macquarie Island, i. 78 ; ii. 247,

356, 372, 374
Madeira, i. 67-69
Magellan, i. 3

— Straits, i. 3 ; ii. 298, 364
Magnetic huts, i. 161, 169, 196,

207, 231, 260

— instruments, i. 1.23, 161, 231 ;
ii. 159

— observations, i. 72, 124, 125,
204, 229, 230; ii. 281

— observatory, i. 43

— Pole, i. 13, 58, 74, 113, 270;
ii. 191, 223, 275

North, i. 299

— Survey, ii. 297, 298
Expedition, ii. 323

1 Mahomet's Coffin,' ii. 40
'Majestic,' H.M.S., i. 24, 50, 51,

56
' Marching through Georgia,' song,

i. 281
Markham, Sir Albert, i. 34, 64

— Sir Clements, i. 20-26, 57-59,
64, 226, 305 ; ii. 115, 116

— Lady, i. 48

— Mount (see under * Mount Mark-
ham ')

Marryat, Captain, i. 220
McClintock, Admiral Sir Leopold,

i. 21, 34, 59, 64, 226, 324, 329,

341 ; quoted, i. 298 seq.

382 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY'

McDougall, i. 226
McMurdo Bay, i. 16, 127

— Sound, i. 119, 126, 150-152;
ii. 98, 118, 122, 270-274, 280,
302, 306, 329, 342, seq.

Melbourne, i. 60, 73

— Observatory, i. 52
Mercers' Company, ii. 115
Merchant Shipping Act, i. 56
Meteorological conditions, ii. 318-

321

— observations, i. 204 seq.

— screen, i. 203, 237 ; ii. 144
Mill, Dr. H. R., i. 1, 63, 68

— John, i. 85
Miller, H. J., i. 80, 82
Milton, John, quoted, ii. 151
Minna Bluff, ii. 311, 330 {see also

under ' Bluff'')

Mirage, i. 115, 164, 402; ii. 22,
24, 40, 57, 60, 130, 313

Mock suns, ii. 27

Moore, Sir Arthur, i. 72

1 Morning ' (' Morgenen '), relief
ship, i. 102, 124, 324 ; ii. 92,
113-131, 138, 140, 238-265,
270-272, 276, 295, 296, 302

Morrison, Professor, i. 72

— J. D. (of the ' Morning '), ii.
123, 325-327, 347

Moss, ii. 217, 352

Mount Adam, i. 101 ; ii. 283

— Bird, ii. 326, 327

— Brewster, ii. 329

— Discovery, i. 120, 153, 292, 392,
393, 402; ii. 83, 109, no, 222,
319, 330

— Erebus, i. 16, in, 115, 119-
123, 151-158, 168, 175, 206,
278, 283, 289-294, 377, 392,
394; ii- 3, 85> 86, 90, 141-146,
207, 235, 236, 275, 302, 313,
318, 323, 326-329, 344, 347

— Herschel, i. 109

— Lister, ii. 167, 178, 186

— Longstaff, ii. 54, 57, 60, 64,
308, 313

— Markham, ii. 56, 64

— Melbourne, i. 112, 113, 115;
ii. 275, 276, 306, 330

— Minto, i. 101 ; ii. 283

Mount Monteagle, i. 109, 112,

115
— ■ Morning, ii. 330

— Murchison, i. 112

— Terra Nova, ii. 326, 327

— Terror, i. 16, 119, 122, 123,
126, 151, 153, 157, 175, 192,
195, 290, 291, 392 ; ii. 3, 86,
90, 91, 224, 312-314, 319, 326,

327, 347
Mowbray Bay, ii. 279
Mulock, S. Lieut. George F. A.,

i. 53; ii. 128, 142, 149, 156,

161, 221, 222, 248, 269, 275,

289, 332

— Inlet, ii. 308
Murray, George, i. 28, 29

— Sir John, i. 20, 21 ; ii. 304

Nansen, Dr. Fridtjof, i. 25, 35,
41, 62, 303-314, 325, 327, 329,
333, 346, 406

— ' Farthest North,' i. 226

— ' First Crossing of Greenland,'
i. 226, 308

Nares, Sir George, i. 19, 34, 64,

226, 324
Naval Discipline Act, i. 56
Needles Channel, i. 66
1 Nell,' dog, i. 285 ; ii. 10, 13, 64,

140
Neumayer, Georg, i. 20
New Harbour, i. 288, 374, 396,

398; ii. 2, 107, 151, 164, 272

Glacier, ii. 98

Heights, ii. 333

New Hebrides, i. 4

New Mountain, ii. 340

New Zealand, i. 4-9, 52, 72, 73,

79-85, 248, 250, 346, 407; ii.

116, 125, 239, 244, 263, 296
New Zealand Co., i. 88

Government, i. 80 ; ii. 115

Newall, Mr., ii. 115
Newbolt, Henry, quoted, i. 65
Newnes, Sir George, Expedition to

Cape Adare, i. 18, 52, 99 ; ii.

116, 324

— Bay (see under ' Lady Neiunes
Bay')

INDEX

3*3

'Nigger,' dog, i. 191, 242, 243,
283, 347, 390; ii- 10, 11,63,69,
7i, 77

1 Nobby,' dog, ii. 140

Nordenskjold, i. 226

North Foreland, i. 9

Northern Islets, ii. 144

Norway, i. 25, 304, 318, 338 ; ii.
"5

Observation Hill, i. 162, 215,

394; ii. 91, 92, 171, 328
Ortelius, quoted, i. 2, 3
Oundle School, i. 52

Pack-ice, i. 34, 75, 89-102, 111-
120, 134-145, ISI-I53 ? "• 275
seq., 301-303

1 Paddy,' dog, i. 242

Parhelion, i. 381

Parr, Admiral Chase, i. 4

Parry, Capt., i. 15, 33, 252, 299,

324

— Mountains, i. 119, 126, 127,
158

Payer, i. 226

< Peacock,' i. 12

Peak Freeman, ii. 289

Peary, Lieut., i. 226, 303, 307

Pemmican, i. 168, 323 ; ii. 29

Penguins, i. 91, 92, 102, 106, 124,

212-213, 396; "• 357 seq. ;

rookeries, i. 78, 125, 192, 193

— Adelie, i. 138 ; ii. 230, 235, 363
seq. ; rookeries, i. 99-100, 123,
124; ii. 95, 236, 277 ; eggs, i.
100 ; ii. 95, 224

— Emperor, i. 109, 138, 199 ; ii.
94, 172, 357 seq. ; hunt, i. 212-
213 ; rookeries, ii. 4 seq., 95, 149,

151, 157, 223, 224, 370-373 ;

eggs, ii. 87, 95, 157

— King, i. 78 ; ii. 372

P. & O. Steamship Co., i. 48, 49,

305
Peter I. Island, i. 8, 12
Peterhead, i. 33
Petrels, i. 76, 90 ; ii. 362 seq. ;

nicknames of, i. 77

Petrels, Antarctic, i. 78, 90, 105 ;
ii. 285, 287, 362 seq.

— Giant, i. 90, 122 ; ii. 362 seq.
— Southern Fulmar, i. 78, 90 ; ii.

285, 287, 290, 362 seq.

— White Snow, i. 78, 90, 91 ; ii.
9, 285, 287, 362 seq.

— Wilson Stormy, i. 71, 76, 101 ;
ii. 362 seq.

Philip III., King of Spain, i. 3
Philosophical Society, i. 72
Pilbeam, Arthur (L.S. R.N.), ii.

162
' Pioneer,' steamer, i. 33
Plumley, Frank (stoker, R.N.),

i. 174 ; ii. 163, 164, 222
Plymouth Biological Laboratory,

i. 50

— Museum, i. 50

Port Chalmers, i. 83, 85

— Ross, ii. 273

— Stanley, ii. 298
Portsmouth, i. 33

Possession Islands, i. 16, 104 ; ii.
116, 118, 279, 324, 325, 328,

347
Poulton, Prof. E. B., i. 64
Pram Point, i. 283, 291
Primus lamp, i. 167, 329, 349-350 ;

ii. 30, 70
Prince Albert Range, ii. 307, 331,

336, 344-346
Prion {see under ' Whale-bird^)
Prior, G. T., ii. 324, 333, 335
Prismatic clouds, ii. 145

— compass, ii. 16

— light, i. 381 ; ii. 27, 58
Proverbs, qtwted, i. 94
Punta Delgada, ii. 298
Puntas Arenas, ii. 298

Quartley, Arthur L. (leading
stoker, R.N.), i. 56, 174-181,
191, 379, 399 5 ii- 156, 219
Queensland, Government of, i. 23
Quiros, Pedro Fernandez de, i. 3

Racovitzi, M., ii. 359
Ranfurly, Lord, i. 80

384 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY

Rastall, R. H., ii. 351

Razor Back, ii. 329

Records, i. 102, III, 124, 191-193,

399; ii. 3, 4, 116-118
' Resolution,' i. 6, 32
Rhodes, A., i. 80
Rich, Capt., i. 80, 85
' Ringarooma,' H.M.S., i. 80, 84,

.85
Ringold's Knoll, ii. 291

Robertson Bay, i. 98 ; ii. 280, 282,

324
Rodd, Rennell, quoted, i. 1, 374
* Roger,' dog, ii. 140
Ross Harbour, ii. 294 seq.

— Island, ii. 108, 109, 118, 225,
326-330, 344, 347, 369

— Sir James Clarke, i. 12-19, 58-
61, 88, 89, 98, 104, 119, 123-
132, 299-301 ; ii. 279 seq., 301
seq.

Ross, Sir John, i. 15, 299

— Quadrant, i. 57, 58 ; ii. 347

— Sea, i. 58, 89, 90, 192, 377 ;
ii. 6, 95, 122, 132, 224, 241,
281, 301-305, 3H, 321, 334,
344, 350 seq.

Row Island, ii. 289

Royal Geographical Society, i. 20,
49, 62, 63; ii. 177, 316; ii. 114 ;
Antarctic Committee, i. 21 ; Con-
tribution to the Expedition, i. 22,
23 ; Joint Committee, i. 23 seq.,
59; Relief Expedition, ii. 113,
240

Royal Society, i. 21, 22, 26, 62,
63 ; ii. 240, 322 ; Contribution to
the Expedition, i. 23 ; Joint
Committee, i. 23 seq. , 59

Royal Society Range, i. 120 ; ii.
83, 186, 324, 330

1 Royal Terror ' Theatre, i. 278-
280 ; ii. 143

Royds Cape (see under ' Cape
Royds ')

— Lieut. Charles W. R., i. 27, 50,
124, 140, 166, 169-175, 191,
192, 203, 205, 230, 250, 272,
274, 277-281, 375, 379, 382,
386, 399 ; ii. 3-5, 87, 94, 95,
in, 135, 140, 149, 151, 157,

222, 223, 232, 256, 312, 318,

327,345, 37o,37i
Royds, Mrs., i. 254
Riicker, Sir Arthur, i. 26, 63
Russell Islands, ii. 288, 318

Sabine, Sir Edward, i. 11

— Mountains, i. 101 ; ii. 56
• Sabrina,' cutter, i. 10

— Land, i. 10

St. George's Hospital, i. 51

« St. Vincent,' H.M.S., i. 56

San Miguel Island, ii. 298

Santa Cruz, river, ii. 356

Saunders, Howard, i. 64

Sawing Camp, ii. 228 seq.

' Scamp,' Aberdeen terrier, i. 78-

79
Schouten, i. 4
Sclater, P. L., i. 64
Scoresby, i. 226
Scott, Gilbert, marine, i. 379 ; ii.

222, 268

— Island, ii. 117, 301, 325

— R. H., i. 64

Scottish Geographical Journal, i. 20
Scurvy, i. 395 seq. ; ii. 43, 46, 58,

75, 79, 150, 240
Sea Elephant, ii. 247, 356 seq.

— Ice, ii. 341-343

— Leopard, i. 91 ; ii. 287, 353 seq.
Seal Bay, i. 240

— holes, i. 144, 240 ; ii. 159

— meat, i. 96-7, 210, 217, 400,
402; ii. 32, 79, 130-131, 138,
159, 164

— skins, i. 92, 245

Seals, i. 91, 117, 122, 144, 148,
168, 169, 209-213, 242, 282,
286, 287, 396 ; ii. 132, 136, 159-
161, 224, 230, 352 seq.

— and gout, ii. 144

— capture of, i. 92, no, 210

— Crab-eater, i. 91, 209; ii. 353
seq.

— Ross, i. 91 ; ii. 358 seq.

— Weddell, i. 210 ; ii. 137, 176,
217, 353 seq. ; as musicians, ii.
232, 362

Seddon, Mr., i. 80

INDEX

385

Shackleton, S. Lieut. Ernest H., i.
S3, 148, 164, 181, 199, 229,
230, 267, 281, 282, 288, 289,
375, 38o-383s 390, 392; ii. 7,
16, 25-48, 55, 62-91, 121, 127,
128, 201, 332

— Glacier, ii. 308

— Inlet, ii. 308, 311
Shakespeare, Wm., quoted, i. 188,

298 ; ii. 1. 49, 120
Shelley, quoted, i. 216, 256 ; ii.

197
Shelvocke, i. 77
Sidney Sussex College, i. 52 ; ii.

35i

Simon's Bay, i. 71

Skelton, Lieut. Reginald W. , chief
engineer, i. 27, 51, 52, 77, 148,
157, 163, 170, 192, 233, 274,
333, 399 5 "• 4, 6, 92, 98-106,
128, 139, 151, 153, 159, 160,
163, 176, 178, 185, 188-191,
212, 217, 220, 221, 265-270,

277, 334, 339, 351, 370, 374

— Inlet, ii. 308

Ski, i. 92, no, 144, 149, 157, 163,
169, 173, 193, 225, 242, 304,
333, 334, 39o; n. 41, 58, 61
65, 81, 90

— boots, i. 176, 244, 338

— racing, ii. 96
Skiing, i. 163, 214
Skinners' Company, ii. 115

Skua gulls, i. 90, 100, 117, 169,
209; ii. 9, 69, 130, 232, 236,
237

eggs, ii. 218

MacCormick's, ii. 363 seq.

Skuary, The, ii. 327

Sledge cooker, i. 327 seq.

— equipment, i. 197, 218, 225,
282, 301, 305^.

— Journey, Southern, i. 375 ; ii.
7-93, 332

Western, ii. 97 seq., 162 seq.

— meter, ii. 19, 20, 66, 69, 232

— parties, i. 148, 164, 167-174,
191 seq., 198 seq., 21 1, 277, 291,
374 seq. ; ii. 150 seq., 220 seq.,
238

— travelling, history of, i. 298 seq.

VOL. II.

Sledges, i. 161,232, 277, 288, 295,
300, 304, 311 seq. ; ii. 72-73, 74,
97, 163, 169

— Greenland, i. 299, 314
— ice, i. 300 ; ii. 144

Sledging experiences, i. 340 seq. ;
ii. 7 seq., 97 seq., 162 seq.

— weights, i. 200, 331 seq., 379 ;
ii. 14, 15, 76, 163

— with sails, ii. 64 seq.t 83 seq.,
, 90, 143, 202

Sleeping-bags, i. 318 seq., 352 seq. ;
ii. 105, 147 seq.
J Smith, Bernard, ii. 351

— Inlet, ii. 283

— John, i. 36

— W. E., i. 23, 36, 37, 41, 48

— & Son, ii. 32, 218

Smythe, William (P.O. 1, R.N.),

i. 56; ii. 156, 231
'Snatcher,' dog, i. 287 ; ii. 10, 12,

33, 34
Snow crystals, i. 236-238, 393 ; ii.
19, 20, 27-31, 67

— blindness, i. 356, 371 ; ii. 40,
54, 67, 81, 213, 254

— shoes (see under ' S/a')

— Valley, ii. 347, 349

1 Snowball,' dog, ii. 140

• Solitary Rocks ' islands, ii. 168,

169, 177, 213
Sounding holes, ii. 143

— machine, i. 232, 281 ; ii. 143
Soundings, i. 19, y6, 89, 98, 122,

128-136, 144, 155 ; ii. 283, 284,
292, 297, 318, 322, 345
South Africa, ii. 115

— Georgia, i. 2, 7

' South Polar Times,' i. 221, 229,
230, 267, 268, 279

— Pole, ii. 191, 317

— Trinidad Island, i. 69-71 ;

". 363

South Victoria Land (see under
' Victoria Land ')

• Southern Cross ' Expedition, i.

18, 100 ; ii. 324-327, 330, 358,

364

Spenser, quoted, i. 152 ; ii. 262
Speyer, Edgar, ii. 115
Spithead, i. 65 ; ii. 299

C C

386 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY

Spitzbergen, ii. 302

* Spud,' dog, ii. 10-12, 32, 43, 63

Start Point, i. 67

Statesman's Year Book, i. 224

Steering, inland, ii. 70, 73, 79-81,

190
Stevens's Yard, i. 36
Stevenson, Sir Henry F., i. 37
Stewart Island, ii. 295
'Stripes,' dog, ii. 10, 12, 41, 46,

55
Stubbington School, i. 50
Sturge Island, ii. 289
Suez Canal, ii. 241
Sultan's Head Cliffs, ii. 327
Sun, eclipse of, ii. 159
' Swanee River,' song, i. 281
Swedish Expedition, ii. 316
Sydney, i. 13

Table Bay, i. 71
Tasman, i. 4

— Glacier, ii. 348
Tasmania, i. 4, 13
Tay, river, i. 36
Teall, Dr., ii. 324
-J.,i. 64

Templer, Colonel, i. 146

Tent Islet, ii. 246, 251, 329

Tents, i. 177, 300, 316-318, 383

Terns, black -headed, ii. 287, 363

Terra Cotta Hills, ii. 340

1 Terra Nova,' ii. 239-287, 295,

296, 304
'Terror,' H.M.S., i. 15, 17, 33;

ii- 323

— Point, ii. 3

Thomson, quoted, i., 12 1, 256
' Ticket of Leave,' comedy, i. 278
Tide-gauge, i. 206-7
Tierra del Fuego, i. 3 ; ii. 296
'Tin-tacks,' dog, ii. 140, 144
Tinned provisions, i. 81, 405 seq.
Tizard, Captain T. H., i. 64
Tobogganing, i. 173 ; ii. 96
' Toby,' dog, ii. 140
Tow-nets, i. 95, 164 ; ii. 141
Trawl-net, i. 107, 122 ; ii. 284

— ' Agassiz,' i. 129
'Triton,' H.M.S., i. 53

Trontheim (Russian agent), i. 346
Tucker Inlet, ii. 279
' Tula,' brig, i. 9
Turtle Rock, i. 376
— Back Island, ii. 327

Union Castle Line, i. 53, 68,
72

Vale of the Winds, ii. 174, 176

Vancouver, i. 37

— Island, i. 37

Varthema, Ludovici di, i. 2, 3

Vespucci, Amerigo, i. 2

'Vic,' dog, ii. 10, 13, 37

Victoria Land, i. 16, 18, 60, 98,
113, 121, 137, 141, 149-158,
229, 310, 368; ii. 107, 108, 163,
195, x97> 2I9> 222> 282, 287,
301 seq., 325, 332 seq. 352 seq. ;
physical geography of, ii. 316-318

Victoria Quadrant, i. 57

Victorian Government, i. 20

Vince (A.B. R.N.), i. 174-187,
191, 347 ; ii. 264

' Vincennes,' i. 13

' Vincka,' dog, i. 284, 285 ; ii. 140

' Violet,' dog, ii. 140

Wales, Prince of, i. 22 ; ii. 115
Walker, A.B., i. 164, 379, 398
War Office, i. 146
Water supply, i. 94, 216, 217 ; ii.

H3, 274
Waymouth, Mr., i. 80
Weddell, James, i. 9-12, 16, 57

— Quadrant, i. 57

— seals (see under ' Seals ')
Weller, William J., A.B., i. no,

174, 192 ; ii. 163, 185, 337
Whale-bird, i. 78 ; ii. 285, 363
Whales, i. 17, 34; ii. 352 seq.

— Killer, i. 91, 154, 396; ii.
353 seq.

— Rorqual, ii. 290, 354 seq.
Wharton, Sir William, i. 63 ; ii.

241
' Whitaker's Almanack,' i. 224

INDEX

387

White Island, i. 167, 168, 291, |
376, 394; ii. 8, 90, 91, 151, I
156,311-313, 319, 328, 348

Whitfield, Thomas (leading stoker, \
R.N.), H. ISI, 157, 224

Whiting, ii. 137

Wild, Frank (A.B. R.N.), f. *74,
179, 180, 379, 399 ; ii. 162

Wilkes, Commodore, i. I2-I5> 57 5
ii. 290-292, 318

— Land, ii. 290, 291, 318

Williamson, Thomas S. (A.B.
R.N.), ii. 151, 163, 164

Wilson, Dr. Edward A., surgeon,
artist, vertebrate zoologist, i. 51,
71, 77, no, in, 124, 139, 164,
185, 207, 212, 226-229, 267,
380, 398, 400; ii. 6,24-91, 121,
128, 141, 144, 149, 151, 157,
223-225, 232-239, 244-247,
272, 275, 313, 314, 321, 327,

332-333 ; on whales, seals, and
birds, 352-374
Wilson petrel (see under * Petrels ')

— Line, ii. 116

— Messrs., ii. 116
Wilton, Mr.,i. 345, 346
Windmill, i. 171, 214, 235, 259
Winter Quarter Bay, i. 163
'Wolf,' dog, ii. 10, 13, 25, 40

— puppy, ii. 140

Wood Bay, i. 16, in, 1 12, 115;

ii. 116, 118, 275, 276, 330, 347
Woodward, Dr. Smith, ii. 316
' Worcester,' training ship, i. 48
Wrangell, Admiral, i. 301

Yarmouth, i. 66
Young Island, ii. 289

Zmutt Glacier, ii. 348

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