80 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION UANUARY 



the snow being inclined to avalanche, and continue our way 

 along the foot of the slope for about an hour, when we were 

 able to get on another rocky spur and climb. 



Some of the granite boulders were hollowed out in a won- 

 derful way by the action of sand-carrying wind. We crawled 

 right inside some, and found room for five or six men. 



The view from where we were was very fine in every direc- 

 tion but N.W., where a higher ridge bounded our horizon. 

 Looking down on the Mt. Melbourne neck we had first pro- 

 posed crossing, I saw, to my surprise, that the flat ice on top of 

 the neck was heavily crevassed. 



We got back to camp about 6.30, and found the others 

 had not yet arrived. They turned up a little before 9, all very 

 tired. Priestley reported very heavy going, soft snow up to 

 their thighs, which completely hid the crevasses, and they 

 dropped down a good many. 



They reached a height of 3680 feet above the camp, but 

 could not see whether the glacier would form a good route 

 over into Wood Bay. 



As far as they went it would be possible to get sledges, but 

 progress would be very slow indeed, so considering our limited 

 time we decided to work along more to the westward in the 

 hope of finding a larger and easier glacier. Even if unsuccessful 

 we should be breaking new ground, and Priestley could put in 

 some good collecting from the different moraines, while I sur- 

 veyed. 



January 21. A fine morning, but wind in the mountains. 

 After getting a round of angles, we started, my party crossing 

 the Boomerang Glacier and working down the west side of the 

 Melbourne Glacier, while I sent Levick's party back the way we 

 came, down the east side of the Melbourne Glacier, with orders 

 to collect from the different exposures, and join us at the S.W. 

 entrance of the main glacier. 



The surface was better, and we camped that evening on the 

 south moraine of the Boomerang and well down the Melbourne 

 Glacier. 



We had been unable to wear our glasses yesterday climb- 

 ing, and were now paying the penalty, for we were all snow- 

 blind, so we dressed each other's eyes with Hemisine, and turned 

 in very sorry for ourselves. 



