180 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [JANUARY 



we could see that the cap of the nunatak was formed of jointed 

 columns recalling those of Staffa. 



On the south-west face of the nunatak we saw a long lenticu- 

 lar mass of yellow sedimentary rock lying above the red granite, 

 but below the black dolerite cap. It was quite inaccessible, being 

 about 1000 feet up, but I have little doubt that the shales and 

 coal were associated with this formation, for the moraine trended 

 exactly in that direction. 



Meanwhile Debenham and Forde had reached the central 

 hollow of the nunatak, but had not time to ascend one of the 

 1 cusps.' 



On the 4th leaving Debenham busy with the plane table 

 we others attacked the nunatak. Gran had his camera, I took the 

 theodolite in a ruck-sak, and Forde carried the legs. The eastern 

 face of the nunatak consisted of a giant granite bulwark 1800 

 feet above the ice. Dark dykes had weathered out somewhat, so 

 that it appeared to be pierced for guns. We scrambled up the 

 gap between the bulwarks and the deck of the Gondola and found 

 the latter occupied by two little lakes. From here we separated, 

 Gran making for the north-west cusp while Forde and I chose 

 the south-west peak. The slope was very steep and consisted of 

 granite and sandstone up to 200 feet. Then everything was 

 covered by the broken columns of dolerite. I think, however, 

 that hereabouts the sandstone layer was in situ, and in view of 

 the paucity of fossiliferous beds in Victoria Land, all such occur- 

 rences have an especial interest. 



I reached the top about 2 A.M. and found it 3000 feet above 

 the tent. Gran soon appeared on the other peak, which the theo- 

 dolite made 100 feet lower much to his disgust! 



The view was magnificent. A few feet away was a thousand- 

 foot precipice above the lower talus slopes. Out to sea we could 

 see miles of open water, with floes drifting about therein, but it 

 looked no nearer than a month ago. I guessed it 10 miles east 

 of Cape Roberts (Pennell said the pack ice was nearer 30 miles 

 wide). Some four miles to the south was a gap in the mountain 

 wall where a low-level distributary glacier seemed to flow into the 

 next great valley. The gigantic cliffs at each side were topped 

 by natural forts composed of Beacon sandstones and shales. I 

 have named this interesting glacier the Miller Glacier while 

 Debenham christened one to the north the Cleveland. He 



