142 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Feb. 



and the deep-cut valleys presented a uniform white surface, 

 save where, here and there, it was broken by crevasses or ice 

 cascades. 



Behind the broader valley which separated the hill groups 

 the outline of farther ranges was strongly indicated, and con- 

 vinced us that the high land extended far back beyond the 

 coastal hills, and that our new-found land was not a group of 

 islets, but a country of considerable altitude and extent. But 

 although we gazed for hours through our glasses and en- 

 deavoured to drink in every detail of this distant view, we could 

 not but long to traverse the snowy plain and throw yet more 

 light on our discovery. Had we then known our sledge equip- 

 ment and dogs as we afterwards came to know them, had we 

 been as prepared for such adventures as we afterwards were, I 

 should certainly have made a dash towards the distant hills. 

 As we were then situated, the plan, though it occurred to us, 

 seemed to involve unjustifiable risk and delay. Such are the 

 disadvantages of inexperience. 



Throughout the night the bridge was well occupied until 

 the low skimming sun, gradually facing us, obscured all detail 

 in its glaring path, and the officer of the watch was left to face 

 the chill morning hours alone. By the morning our course 

 had turned again from west to south, and in bright weather we 

 skirted a lofty ice-cliff which before we had only seen dimly 

 through the fog. Throughout the day this ice-cliff rose and 

 fell ; when it was low, we could see high rising snow-slopes in 

 the background, and whilst calculating that they rose to a height 

 of 950 feet, had again to deplore the want of definition which 

 rendered exact observations impossible. 



Many grounded and tilted bergs lay in the offing, and here 

 and there was one which, though detached from the cUff, had 

 tilted and remained at anchor close to it. The conditions 

 were quite different from those which obtained along the 

 barrier edge, and we could not doubt that the ice which we saw 

 was firmly planted on the ground and broke away as it became 

 water-borne. In the afternoon for a brief space the ice-cliff 

 rose to a height of 280 feet, and we passed close to this sheer 



