I902] CAPE WASHINGTON 113 



be imagined that we looked forward eagerly to exploring this 

 unknown land. 



As we passed within half a mile of the sheer headland of 

 Washington we were surprised to get shallow soundings. Our 

 lead gave us eighteen fathoms, then fifteen, then eight, and in 

 this shallow water our compass was again largely disturbed. 



It should be understood that we were now south of the 

 magnetic pole, and as the south-seeking end of the compass 

 needle continued to point towards that spot, our ship's head, 

 although directed to the true south, appeared by the compass 

 to be travelling in a northerly direction. To find out the 

 actual amount of this error in different places was, of course, 

 one of our most important missions, but throughout our 

 voyages in these seas, where the error was so great and so 

 constantly changing, the compass proved a most confusing 

 instrument, and in thick weather much calculation was 

 necessary to determine the true direction in which any new 

 course would take one. 



On rounding Cape Washington we were delighted to find 

 that the coast was comparatively free of pack. We could now 

 see that the western slopes of Melbourne merged into a range 

 of comparatively low hills, which continued to the south till 

 they rose to the steep sides of a long, high table mountain 

 beyond which a snow-covered ridge carried the outline to 

 farther mountains of a less perfect but distinctly tabular form. 

 We were destined to find this tabular form of mountain to be 

 a feature of Victoria Land for many hundreds of miles to the 

 south, and largely a key to the geological formation of the 

 whole country ; but at this time the majority of us failed to 

 appreciate the importance of this new development, though we 

 were aware of the novelty of outline. 



The coastline from Cape Washington sweeps back in a 

 deep bay, and then runs directly to the south, in places fringed 

 by a steep ice-foot, while in others bare, rocky slopes descend 

 to the water's edge. Curiously enough, there was but little 

 snow on the higher mountains, but the foot-hills in front were 

 almost covered with a thick glacial crust. 



VOL. I. I 



