1902] AN INTERESTING SPOT 131 



' This morning the low edge continued for several hours, 

 and during the day we passed along a very smooth, straight 

 cliff of uniform height, and again to our annoyance, found the 

 current making to the west so strong that our progress was 

 practically stopped until we could raise more steam. Sound- 

 ings for day all about 360 fathoms. Noon, long. 162.6 W. ; 

 lat. 78.18 S. Passed a curious subsidence in the uniform ice- 

 wall, where for some 300 yards there was a depression filled 

 with hummocky ice.' 



We had succeeded thus far in making a fairly complete 

 investigation of the northern face of the barrier in spite of not 

 a little thick and unpleasant weather, and, as will be gathered, 

 we had found not only that it differed considerably from the 

 rather uniform ice-wall which Ross had led us to expect, but 

 that there were many puzzling features which seemed to in- 

 crease rather than diminish as we approached its eastern 

 extremity. It was not until later, when our positions were 

 plotted, that we fully realised the significance of the fact that 

 our course throughout had been to the southward of Ross's 

 barrier, and that we had sailed continuously over ground which 

 in his day had been covered with a solid ice-sheet. 



What we thought of it all I do not propose to set down at 

 present, but I hope that, having added other facts which we 

 were able to glean concerning it, I shall be able to throw some 

 light at least on this very extraordinary ice formation. 



By noon on this day, January 29, we had arrived at a 

 particularly interesting place, as we were to the southward and 

 eastward of the extreme position reached by Sir James Ross 

 in 1842. From that extreme position he reported a strong 

 appearance of land to the south-east, and in most minds there 

 rested the conviction that land had actually been seen at that 

 time. It was therefore with great curiosity that all eyes were 

 directed over the icy cliffs to the south-east. The afternoon 

 was bright and clear, and if Ross had seen land it must 

 evidently be well within our view. 



But alike from below and from aloft we could see nothing, 

 and were obliged to conclude that the report was based on 



