I902] MOUNT TERROR 123 



of crevassed neve descending to the sea, with a precipitous ice- 

 foot, except on the northern and N.E. slopes of Terror, where 

 the snow only occupies the deeper valleys, and where there 

 are such extensive areas of bare land that it looks quite 

 possible to ascend Mount Terror without encountering 

 snow slopes. In this region the land has therefore a 

 very dark appearance from the water's edge to the summit of 

 Terror. 



It was this northerly view of Erebus and Terror that Ross 

 saw in his early voyages, and it is interesting to note that the 

 sketches made at that time show no extent of bare land ; more- 

 over. Sir Joseph Hooker, the great survivor of that expedition, 

 has told me he is almost certain that the slopes of Terror were 

 covered with snow when he saw them. Can it be possible 

 that the sheet of ice which exists elsewhere can have dis- 

 appeared from this region within the comparatively short space 

 of sixty years ? 



At 8 P.M. we arrived off the bare land to the westward of 

 Cape Crozier, where the dark volcanic hillside reached the sea 

 in gentle slopes ; thousands of small Adelie penguins were 

 passing to and fro on the shelving beach, hurrying up steep 

 winding paths to their nests, or springing into the curling 

 breakers to seek their food. 



We thought at first it might prove impossible to land, owing 

 to the northerly swell which broke high on the rocky promon- 

 tories, but immediately off the beach of the rookery lay a 

 number of grounded bergs which promised to form some 

 protection from the waves. One of our staunch whaleboats 

 was soon lowered into the water, and, somewhat crowded with 

 sixteen persons and a number of magnetic instruments, we 

 pulled for the land. On nearing the shore we found that in 

 spite of the icebergs the surf was considerable, and as we did 

 not at all wish to be upset into this icy sea, we approached the 

 beach with great caution. With our bows pointing to the shore 

 we waited for a heavy wave, when a sharp order was followed 

 by a strain on the oars, and we were carried to the beach on 

 its crest ; regardless of wet feet, all hands had then to leap out, 



