i9] FINE DISPLAY OF AURORA 175 



of a broad wedge of white neve over blue ice. The faults in 

 the dust strata in these surfaces are very mysterious and should 

 be instructive in the explanation of certain ice problems. 



It looks as though the sea had frozen over for good. If 

 no further blizzard clears the Strait it can be said for this 

 season that: 



The Bays froze over on March 25. 

 The Strait " " " April 22. 

 11 " dissipated April 29. 



" froze over on April 30. 

 Later. The Hut Point record of freezing is : 

 Night 24th-25th. Ice forming mid-day 25th, opened with leads. 

 26th. Ice all out, sound apparently open. 

 27th. Strait apparently freezing. 

 Early 28th. Ice over whole Strait. 

 29th. All ice gone. 

 30th. Freezing over. 

 May 4th. Broad lead opened along land to Castle Rock, 

 300 to 400 yds. wide. 

 Party intended to start on 1 ith, if weather fine. 



Very fine display of aurora to-night, one of the brightest I 

 have ever seen over Erebus; it is conceded that a red tinge 

 is seen after the movement of light. 



Saturday, April 29. Went to Inaccessible Island with Wil- 

 son. The agglomerates, kenytes, and lavas are much the same 

 as those at Cape Evans. The Island is 540 ft. high, and it is 

 a steep climb to reach the summit over very loose sand and 

 boulders. From the summit one has an excellent view of our 

 surroundings and the ice in the Strait, which seemed to extend 

 far beyond Cape Royds, but had some ominous cracks beyond 

 the Island. 



We climbed round the ice foot after descending the hill 

 and found it much broken up on the south side; the sea spray 

 had washed far up on it. 



It is curious to find that all the heavy seas come from the 

 south and that it is from this direction that protection is most 

 needed. 



There is some curious weathering on the ice blocks on the 

 N. side; also the snow drifts show interesting dirt bands. The 



