128 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [JANUARY 



The northern face for twenty miles is a marvellous wall-like 

 cliff about 3000 feet high as straight and smooth as if planed 

 by a giant carpenter. And indeed it is a typical glacial valley, 

 where the lateral spurs, such as break up the continuity of an 

 ordinary river-cut valley, are entirely wanting. 



We started about 6 P.M. and pulled the sledges about four 

 miles before camping for the night. 



I asked Evans to cook for the first week, as he was experi- 

 enced with the cooker and primus lamp. Debenham's reputation 

 was such that I was sure he would master polar cooking sooner 

 than any of us. So he became cook's-mate and assistant to 

 rise to chef next week. Wright agreed to take the third week, 

 and I thought by that time I might have learnt enough to im- 

 prove on my own very modest culinary attainments. 



We started on a Friday, and our calendar was reckoned from 

 cook's day to cook's day. There was never any doubt as to 

 which day of the week it was, because each cook was so keen 

 to relinquish his post at the close of his term of office! 



While Evans was initiating Debenham in the mysteries of 

 pemmican, Wright and I walked across the sea ice a mile or so 

 to the south and reached a ' lateral tongue ' or prolongation of 

 the main glacier. There was a sudden rise of some three feet, 

 and the surface in place of being level and comparatively smooth 

 was carved out into deep irregular bowls with overhanging mar- 

 gins. These were in all probability giant ' sunholes,' and their 

 floors were covered with a most beautiful carpet of snow crystals. 



Examined closely each crystal was like the segment of a fan 

 strengthened by cross-ribs, and these ' fan-plates ' were often 

 half an inch across. The surface as a whole reminded me 

 strongly of the appearance of a coral reef and it was about as 

 pleasant a sight to us as the latter is to the navigator. Wright 

 was the only one who appreciated their beauty, we others being 

 more concerned with the numerous capsizes caused by this 

 ' coral reef ' structure, which characterised the whole of the 

 lower Ferrar Glacier. 



We returned to the tent, and as usual at starting found it 

 impossible to eat all our pemmican. It seemed much too rich 

 and abundant; alas, how fleeting was this opinion! 



Next day, January 28, we sledged several miles up the 

 glacier, but spent all the afternoon examining a beautiful hang- 



