1911] EXPEDITION PREPARING vi 
to see the ice conditions in the Ross Sea after the gale. Large 
stretches of open water lay to the S.E. and east, while small 
pools and lanes were very numerous on the northern horizon, 
and a heavy bank of fog or mist seemed to indicate a lot of open 
water there. To the S.W. across Robertson Bay the open water 
appeared to reach right up to the cliffs of the mainland, but the 
day was not very clear, and it was hard to make out distinctly 
if there was a strip of fast ice along the coast. 
August 21.—A lovely clear day. We went up Cape Adare 
again to see the ice conditions to the westward. Owing to the 
young ice over the open water it was hard to make out if there 
was an ice foot along the cliffs of the mainland: If the ice re- 
mains in I shall go into Robertson Bay early in September to 
see if the coast journey is feasible, for our only other alternative 
is to find glaciers leading on to the plateau. 
To get a better idea of the gradient of these I climbed about 
2500 feet up the slopes of Cape Adare, and the result was not 
very encouraging. I doubt if the glaciers in Robertson Bay lead 
directly to the plateau, as the Admiralty Range rises in a series 
of unbroken ridges of bare rock from the sea to apparently far 
inland. 
Altogether the outlook made me wish more than ever that 
the ship had had sufficient coal to take us back to Wood Bay. 
The spell of fine weather lasted till the 30th, allowing thin 
‘ice to form over the open water, except in some pools near Cape 
Adare which the current seemed to keep open. The night of 
the 30th a blizzard began, with heavy drift, some of the squalls 
being very heavy indeed, but it moderated towards the morning. 
The new ice had not gone out, but a large sheet of open water 
was visible to the north, while along the northern horizon an 
open water sky was visible. A decided swell along the beach 
makes me certain open water is not far distant. 
September 7.—September came in with blizzards which pre- 
vented our getting away as early as we wished. Yesterday and 
to-day, however, we have been getting sledges and outfit over the 
bad pressure ice which lies to the southward of the beach. 
We are taking a 12-ft. and a 10-ft. sledge, the latter being 
On iron runners, as no wooden runners would stand the sharp 
edges of the pressure ice for long. We also find the iron run- 
ners, in spite of the 40 lbs. extra weight, run much better over 
