ISO SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [April 



Sunday, April 2, A.M. — Went round Cape Armitage to Pram 

 Point on sea ice for first time yesterday afternoon. Ice solid 

 everywhere, except off the Cape, where there are numerous 

 open pools. Can only imagine layers of comparatively warm 

 water brought to the surface by shallows. The ice between the 

 pools is fairly shallow. One Emperor killed off the Cape. Sev- 

 eral skuas seen — three seals up in our Bay — several off Pram 

 Point in the shelter of Horse Shoe Bay. A great many fish on 

 sea ice — mostly small, but a second species 5 or 6 inches long: 

 imagine they are chased by seals and caught in brashy ice where 

 they are unable to escape. Came back over hill : glorious sunset, 

 brilliant crimson clouds in west. 



Returned to find wind dropping, the first time for three days. 

 It turned to north in the evening. Splendid aurora in the night; 

 a bright band of light from S.S.W. to E.N.E. passing within 

 10° of the zenith with two waving spirals at the summit. This 

 morning sea to north covered with ice. Min. temp, for night 

 — 5°, but I think most of the ice was brought in by the wind. 

 Things look more hopeful. Ice now continuous to Cape Evans, 

 but very thin as far as Glacier Tongue ; three or four days of 

 calm or light winds should make everything firm. 



Wednesday, April 5, A.M. — The east wind has continued with 

 a short break on Sunday for five days, increasing in violence and 

 gradually becoming colder and more charged with snow until 

 yesterday, when we had a thick overcast day with falling and 

 driving snow and temperature down to — 1 1°. 



Went beyond Castle Rock on Sunday and Monday morn- 

 ings with Griffith Taylor. 



Think the wind fairly local and that the Strait has frozen 

 over to the north, as streams of drift snow and ice crystals 

 (off the cliffs) were building up the ice sheet towards the wind. 

 Monday we could see the approaching white sheet — yesterday 

 it was visibly closer to land, though the wind had not decreased. 

 Walking was little pleasure on either day: yesterday climbed 

 about hills to see all possible. No one else left the hut. In 

 the evening the wind fell and freezing continued during night 

 (min. — 17°). This morning there is ice everywhere. I can- 

 not help thinking it has come to stay. In Arrival Bay it is 6 

 to 7 inches thick, but the new pools beyond have only i inch 

 of the regular elastic sludgy new ice. The sky cleared last night, 



