ANTARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION—RONNE 381 
opinion that this plateau gradually rises until it connects with the 
South Polar Plateau or terminates in a range which might be a con- 
tinuation of the Queen Maud Range, to the south of the Ross Shelf Ice. 
This was the first of two major discoveries that together seem to 
eliminate the possibility of any connection between the Ross Sea and 
the Weddell Sea. 
RETURN FLIGHT 
As we turned to head back to Mount Austin, Latady dropped the 
American flag in the name of the United States. Our flight back paral- 
leled the outward course 20 miles to the west, and an overlapping set 
of continuous photographs was taken. 
When we were within 30 miles of Mount Austin, we turned southeast 
to follow the ice barrier. An altitude of more than 10,000 feet was 
maintained throughout the flight (pl. 6, fig. 1). About 50 miles 
from Cape Adams, 5 miles inland from the edge of the shelf ice, we 
passed over a highly crevassed area, 100 feet in width, which extended 
parallel to the edge for a distance of 30 miles. The southern side we 
later found to be 200 feet higher than the outer side. Similar dis- 
turbances were sighted farther inland. When we had reached 
approximately 77° S., 50° W., Lassiter informed me that the gasoline 
supply was getting low and that he felt we should return to our 
stand-by base (pl. 6, fig. 2). As we turned back, I noticed that the 
shelf ice seemed to continue on in the same southeasterly direction. 
There was much open water near the edge, and loose pack ice farther 
out. Itseemed to me that a vessel could easily penetrate as far as the 
shelf ice itself if conditions were no worse to the north. We sighted 
Mount Austin without difficulty and landed alongside Adams and 
Schlossbach 6% hours after taking off. Sun and moon sights were 
taken to fix our position. 
I realized then that another flight would be necessary to determine 
the extension of the shelf ice to the east and its connection with Coats 
Land, as explored by the German Filchner expedition in 1912. To 
accomplish this, more gasoline would be needed for refueling the 
Beechcraft. So far, the weather had provided us with few suitable 
flying days such as the one we were just finishing. I therefore decided 
that, instead of waiting in the field while the Norseman brought 
several loads of gasoline to us, it would be more efficient for both 
planes to return to Cape Keeler, refuel, and make a second trip to 
the south. Half an hour after we had landed at Mount Austin we 
were again in the air, headed north. The Beechcraft climbed to 
11,000 feet, in order that Latady might photograph the coast line 
with the trimetrogon cameras, since he had not done so on the out- 
ward trip in order to save gasoline. Although it was 10 p. m. when 
we took off, the 24 hours of polar daylight made it possible for him to 
get good results. 
