146 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [March 



Tuesday afternoon a cold S.E. wind commenced and blew all 

 night. 



Yesterday morning it was calm and I went up Crater Hill. 

 The sea of stratus cloud hung curtain-like over the Strait blue 

 sky east and south of it and the Western Mountains bathed in 

 sunshine, sharp, clear, distinct, a glorious glimpse of grandeur 

 on which the curtain gradually descended. In the morning it 

 looked as though great pieces of Barrier were drifting out. 

 From the hill one found these to be but small fragments which 

 the late gale had dislodged, leaving in places a blue wall very 

 easily distinguished from the general white of the older frac- 

 tures. The old floe and a good extent of new ice had remained 

 fast in Pram Point Bay. Great numbers of seals up as usual. 

 The temperature was up to -f- 20 at noon. In the afternoon 

 a very chill wind from the east, temperature rapidly dropping 

 till zero in the evening. The Strait obstinately refuses to freeze. 



We are scoring another success in the manufacture of blub- 

 ber lamps, which relieves anxiety as to lighting as the hours of 

 darkness increase. 



The young ice in Pram Point Bay is already being pressed up. 



Friday, March 24, A.M. Skuas still about, a few very shy 

 very dark in colour after moulting. 



Went along Arrival Heights yesterday with very keen over- 

 ridge wind it was difficult to get shelter. In the evening it fell 

 calm and has remained all night with temperature up to + 18 . 

 This morning it is snowing with fairly large flakes. 



Yesterday for the first time saw the ice foot on the south 

 side of the bay, a wall some 5 or 6 ft. above water and 12 or 

 14 ft. below; the sea bottom quite clear with the white wall 

 resting on it. This must be typical of the ice foot all along the 

 coast, and the wasting of caves at sea level alone gives the idea 

 of an overhanging mass. Very curious and interesting erosion 

 of surface of the ice foot by waves during recent gale. 



The depot party returned yesterday morning. They had 

 thick weather on the outward march and missed the track, finally 

 doing 30 miles between Safety Camp and Corner Camp. They 

 had a hard blow up to force 8 on the night of our gale. Started 

 N.W. and strongest S.S.E. 



The sea wants to freeze a thin coating of ice formed 

 directly the wind dropped; but the high temperature does not 



