CAUGHT IN THE ICE 21 



This work was completed by February 12, and the 

 Belgica left Gerlache Strait southward along the coast 

 of Graham Land, at a date when all previous expedi- 

 tions had been in a hurry to turn their faces homeward. 



On the 15th the Antarctic Circle was crossed on a 

 south-westerly course. Next day they sighted Alexander 

 Land, but could not approach nearer to it than twenty 

 miles on account of impenetrable pack-ice. 



On February 28 they had reached lat. 70 20' S. and 

 long. 85 W. Then a breeze from the north sprang up 

 and opened large channels in the ice, leading southward. 

 They turned to the south, and plunged at haphazard 

 into the Antarctic floes. 



On March 3 they reached lat. 70 30' S., where all 

 further progress was hopeless. An attempt to get out 

 again was in vain they were caught in the trap. They 

 then had to make the best of it. 



Many have been disposed to blame Gerlache for 

 having gone into the ice, badly equipped as he was, 

 at a time of year when he ought rather to have been 

 making his way out, and they may be right. But let 

 us look at the question from the other side as well. 



After years of effort he had at last succeeded in get- 

 ting the expedition away. Gerlache knew for a certainty 

 that unless he returned with results that would please 

 the public, he might just as well never return at all. 

 Then the thickly packed ice opened, and long channels 

 appeared, leading as far southward as the eye could 



