1912] GLACIER MOVEMENTS 183 
Gran had my Goerz glasses, and lying full length on the snow he 
observed Debenham. The latter was stationed at the theodolite 
some two miles off at Cape Geology, and signalled to Gran with 
a flag as to which way I was to move. Finally I got just in a 
line with my transit of December 14. I measured the distance 
to the stake and it was 82 feet! The glacier moves nearly a yard 
a day. Debenham’s conjecture that the Discovery made no men- 
tion of this imposing tongue because it was not imposing in 1902! 
is very likely correct. It may easily have been several miles 
shorter when Captain Scott first saw the Rendezvous Blut. 
The date of our relief now approached. Captain Scott 
wrote: ‘It will certainly be wise for you to confine your move- 
ments to the region of Granite Harbour during the second week 
in January. . . . You will of course make every effort to be at 
the rendezvous at the proper time, January IS.’ 
There was nothing further to do near Cape Geology. One 
of the most dificult portions of our retreat was the nine miles 
between Cape Geology and the mouth of Granite Harbour. I 
decided—after consulting the others—to leave for Cape Roberts 
on the 14th, for there we should also be in a better position to see 
the ship, while if the bay ice ‘ went out’ there was no feasible 
way out of the cul-de-sac at Cape Geology. 
We packed up all we should require at Terra Nova Bay— 
where we were to spend the last four weeks of summer—and left 
the 600 lbs. of specimens, spare boots, &c., at Cape Geology, 
where they could be picked up by the ship. 
We moved off at 7.30 on the 14th. We had a very heavy 
load for one sledge—goo lbs. I believe—but I hoped we could 
pull it without relaying. ‘The surface was bad, being several 
inches deep in new-fallen snow. We took an hour to do the first 
mile and then had to cross one of the many wide shear cracks. 
These were twenty feet wide and were literally torn in the six- 
foot bay ice by the irresistible pressure of the Mackay Tongue. 
The edges were ragged—and composed of interlocking promon- 
tories. By means of these and an island jammed between we got 
our load across safely. The east was very gloomy and it started 
to snow. In previous years this bay had been clear of ice in 
January—so that I did not want to be caught in a blizzard 
on it in the middle of that month. The surface improved 
slightly, but we next struck a 30-foot shear crack filled with 
mushy snow. 
