3o6 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' 



bergs seems to show that there is no deeper stream in this 

 direction. To the westward of the Balleny Islands we did not 

 notice any marked current, and the bergs were much scattered. 

 On the whole, there seems little doubt that the water is circu- 

 lating from east to west about the Antarctic lands, and therefore 

 I think that, apart from other considerations, exploring efforts 

 in the Far South should be directed to the west. I may remark 

 that had the ' Discovery ' been released from the ice after her first 

 season it was my intention to ask permission to go south on 

 the meridian of Cook's farthest position, and from there to 

 work to the west, in hopes of making King Edward's Land. 



I have touched so far on those results of our experience 

 which may serve to aid the explorer to reach the Far South ; I 

 pass now to matters more immediately connected with our 

 work. The main geographical interest of our expedition lies 

 in the practical observation of a coastline from Mount 

 Melbourne in latitude 74^° to Mount Longstaff in latitude 

 83°, and of the conditions which lie to the east and west of 

 this line. Our previous knowledge extended only to that part 

 which lies between Mount Melbourne and McMurdo Sound ; 

 and of this we had but the vaguest description. This great 

 region, which constituted the principal field of our labours, 

 afforded interests of a most varied description, as I trust the 

 reader of this book will have gathered. 



It remains to give some connected account of these 

 interests, and as the most extensive problems, here as else- 

 where in polar regions, depended on conditions of glaciation, 

 it is well first to consider this governing factor. 



The Inland Ice. — The extent and uniformity of this great 

 sheet must necessarily be matters of some doubt \ it is there- 

 fore desirable to marshal all the evidence concerning them. 



The outline of the coast which limits the ice-cap and the 

 position and heights of the mountain ranges are shown on the 

 chart. It will be seen that these coastal ranges are com- 

 paratively low between Mount Melbourne and the Ferrar 

 Glacier, whence one might be led to suppose that the ice-cap 

 was also lower at this part. But low as the mountains are, in 



