no THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902- 



numerous remains of marine organisms, shells, polyzoa, worm- 

 casts, and sponge spicules. There could be no doubt that in 

 some manner the movement of the ice had lifted this material 

 from below the water-level to its present elevation of perhaps 

 fifteen or twenty feet above ; but precisely how this had been 

 accomplished it was impossible to say. 



From any of the small peaks which fringed the Black 

 Island the travellers could get a good view of the surface of 

 the strait which separated them from the Brown Island, and 

 this was a very impressive sight. From the base of Mount 

 Discovery in the south, long ridges of morainic material spread 

 out and entirely filled the strait, where they were disposed in 

 wonderfully regular parallel lines which at first ran towards the 

 north-east, but later swept round with perfectly uniform curves 

 towards the north, in which direction they continued for some 

 fifteen miles to the sea. Here, then, was the origin of that 

 rough, water-worn tongue on which we had landed on our way 

 to winter quarters. 



The finer material of these long lines of rock debris was 

 naturally blown by the wind in all directions, and, settHng 

 liberally between the lines, it had caught the rays of the sun, 

 melted deep and irregular channels, and left standing a wild 

 confusion of fantastic columns and pinnacles of ice. Seen from 

 the distance the whole, as Koettlitz says, ' appeared like a tumul- 

 tuous frozen sea with high crested waves curling towards us.' 



To cross this confusion was no easy matter : long distances 

 had to be done by portage, and in the thaw season the 

 travellers had sometimes to take off shoes and stockings to 

 cross rapid streams of water two and three feet in depth. 



Whilst Black Island was formed of a very hard black 

 volcanic rock, Brown Island was principally composed of lava 

 and volcanic ash. The rock was much weathered, and had a 

 deep, reddish-brown appearance, while scattered over this 

 island to a height of 500 or 600 feet were found erratic blocks 

 of granite. 



There seemed every reason to suppose that Brown Island 

 is joined to Mount Discovery, and at least our travellers were 



