91 EQUIPMENT 127 



months. For similar reasons a somewhat bulky polariscope in 

 which sheets of ice were examined in polarised light formed 

 part of his load, and was vulgarly referred to as ' the Barrel 

 Organ.' He also had charge of the theodolite. 



Debenham was engaged on the more usual work of collecting 

 rock specimens and mapping their occurrence in the field. For 

 this purpose another camera was essential, since in general his 

 investigations were carried out on the cliffs at some distance from 

 the rest of us. 



The subject which primarily interested myself was the physi- 

 ographic aspect of the region, or, as it may popularly be de- 

 scribed, ' The last chapter in the geological history of Antarc- 

 tica.' In other words, How has the land surface been, affected by 

 the flow of glaciers, by the action of wind, frost, water, and ice? 

 And a second and more interesting question I set myself was, 

 How do the resulting features differ from those observed in more 

 temperate regions, where water plays svch. an important part and 

 ice erosion is absent? 



On January 27 Pennell took us across the Sound in the 

 Terra Nova from Glacier Tongue to Butter Point, where we 

 arrived about 4 P.M. We spent some time packing our gear on 

 our two sledges. The total load was arrived at as follows : 



Ibs. 



Two sledges and steel runners 171 



Food for eight weeks 630 



Tools, tents, &c 130 



Instruments, cameras, &c 65 



Four personal bags 50 



1046 



We had heavy equipment for four men averaging about 

 270 Ibs. each but as we were only proposing to take one 

 sledge for a considerable portion of the journey this was of little 

 importance. 



From the coast we had a magnificent view of the lower por- 

 tion of the Ferrar Glacier. 1 The valley was about four miles wide 

 and extended south-west for thirty miles. Up this we were to 

 journey, ascending 3000 feet in the next few days. 



Everyone noticed the grand sweep of the cliffs at the side. 



1 See Illustration, p. 420. 



