chap xvii ADVENT POINT 237 



only ripples upon it being caused by diving birds. Bleared 

 smudges of light showed the whereabouts of the sun. Hills 

 were of purple and pallid white. A great solemnity brooded 

 over the land. Bars of low grey mist trailed across the 

 slopes, constantly changing in place and form, whilst patches 

 of very thin fog gathered on some of the crags like flecks 

 of eider-down. Notwithstanding the clouds, we could see 

 up Advent Vale to Bunting Bluff, Fox Peak, and the slopes 

 and side valleys where we toiled a month before. It was 

 pleasant thus to encounter them again, now that we knew 

 what was round each corner, and could feel that the mys- 

 teries and problems they so recently presented had been 

 for the most part successfully solved. 



Just as the preliminary call to dinner was being shouted 

 (2.30 A.m., July 30) a boat was seen approaching. It proved 

 to be ours with Trevor-Battye, Ted, and Pedersen returning 

 from Dickson Bay. Great were the rejoicings over the 

 festive board, where all five members of our party were 

 reunited once more. What tales there were to exchange ! 

 Each had seen finer glaciers, grander mountains, nobler and 

 more interesting scenery generally than the other. It was 

 Dickson Sound against Agardh Bay. 



Long the talk lasted, and many were the mutual explana- 

 tions. Trevor-Battye had not come to Sassen Bay for us, 

 because he believed he had arranged with the men working 

 at the winterers' wreck to come and fetch us on a given 

 date. They made no attempt to do so, and declared they 

 never undertook to come. There was evidently a misunder- 

 standing, not worth the expenditure of time to unravel. 

 Lost time could not be regained. By hook or by crook 

 our party was reunited. That was the main thing. 



