NEWS AT BUTTER POINT 119 



Priestley collected from Cape Gneiss and Marble Point. We 

 lunched at the latter cape, and at 3.45 we reached Cape Ber- 

 nacchi, where we collected the remainder of Taylor's depot, 

 three-quarters of a tin of biscuits, one bag of pemmican, and ditto 

 of sugar, raisins, tea, and cocoa. The pemmican and raisins 

 were most acceptable, as we had finished ours. Priestley col- 

 lected some specimens and we started away again at 4.30, across 

 pressure towards Butter Point. At 6 P.M. we camped about I 

 mile south of Cape Bernacchi with smooth ice ahead. 



We are certainly having the most lovely weather, clear, calm, 

 and cold enough to make marching a pleasure. A large number 

 of seals and young up. 



November 2. 5 A.M. A fine morning. Got away early 

 over good snow surface, reaching Butter Point at 2.30. There 

 was a good deal of pressure off the point, so leaving the sledges 

 on the good ice we walked the half mile to the depot. We had 

 been seeing a large number of seals and young since Granite Har- 

 bour, but just off Butter Point the number was extraordinary. 



Getting up to the depot we found an enormous quantity of 

 stores, also a note from Atkinson saying he had tried to relieve 

 us last April but had found no ice beyond this spot. As there 

 was no further message we were anxious for the safety of this 

 party, as we know how unreliable the autumn ice is. As to what 

 had happened it was hopeless trying to speculate. This had 

 upset all our theories and I had a vague feeling something was 

 wrong. 



I therefore decided to leave one tin of biscuits here and get 

 right across the sound as soon as possible. Taking a few luxuries 

 such as chocolate and jam, we went back to the sledges and pulled 

 in a south-east direction until about 7 P.M., when we camped. 

 Distance 14 miles. Weather fine. The latter part of our march 

 we were delayed by pressure ridges running north and south. 



November 3. 5.15 A.M. Weather overcast, surface good, 

 with belts of heavy pressure, the ridges running north and south. 

 Some of the smooth ice had struck me as being rather new ice. 

 At 11.30 our iron-runner sledge broke down hopelessly, one side 

 coming off. We had a hasty lunch, packed the sleeping-bags, 

 records, and a little fresh food on the other sledge, depoted all 

 the remainder, and then started on again. The smooth ice leads 

 between the pressure were suspiciously dark and greasy looking, 



