74 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [OCTOBER 



Things looked serious, for the season was becoming advanced 

 and the summer thaw approaching, while we had to advance 

 along a straight coast line with steep cliffs as far as we could 

 see. After talking over the situation with Priestley we decided 

 that unless we could find thicker ice near the land we should 

 have to turn, as this ice might break up any time. 



It was a bitter disappointment, for I had expected at least 

 to be able to get beyond Cape North this way. It came on to 

 blow with drift in the night, but fortunately the wind did not 

 last, and to our delight on turning out we found the sun breaking 

 through. 



After breakfast, taking ski and a spade, I went in towards 

 the land, trying a lot of places and always finding thin sodden ice; 

 in places the under layers of snow were so wet and soft it seemed 

 as though the ice was depressed below the surface of the sea. 



After taking a round of angles we returned, making Siren 

 Bay the same night. On our way back we sounded the ice 

 several times, finding thin ice until we reached the tide crack 

 at the mouth of the bay. 



October 9 and 10. We went north along the coast on ski, 

 collecting and examining the face of the glacier, but we found 

 no place where it was possible to climb up. The snow along 

 the coast was very soft and deep, making progress difficult even 

 on ski. We saw a good number of snow and Antarctic petrels 

 circling about the cliffs as if they nested here. 



October n. The temperature when we turned out was 



-22-8 F. 



Our only chance of doing anything now was to try and 

 get up on one of the glaciers, and although we had seen no 

 accessible place on our outward march, we decided to follow 

 round each bay and examine the coast closely. To-day we re- 

 turned to Birthday Point. 



October 12. A fine morning; I got a round of angles while 

 Priestley went round the bay on ski. We saw a seal near the 

 camp which had just given birth. 



Our noses are frostbitten and sunburnt and are a curious 

 sight. They have swollen very much; Abbott's is the worst, 

 being one great blister. I had an attack of snow blindness in 

 the afternoon. 



October 13. Temperature - i F., weather thick, with 



