264 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [MARCH 



an impenetrable barrier; in places this year's pancake, consoli- 

 dated and up to one foot thick, in thick slush, forms equally im- 

 penetrable barrier owing to its viscous nature.' 



In the forenoon of the 3rd the ship was again headed for 

 Cape Evans. From several miles north of Beaufort Island to 

 March nearly Cape Royds the ship was passing through pan- 



1912, 76 2' cake ice, ref rozen into large solid sheets of very vary- 

 S., 167 26" ing heaviness but often sufficient to reduce her speed 

 fifty per cent. The wait at Cape Evans was very 

 short; she was only delayed an hour embarking those members 

 going home who had not been able to get on board before, to- 

 gether with Keohane, and then proceeded to Hut Point, where 

 the ice had now broken away to within a quarter of a mile of the 

 hut. 



Atkinson and Keohane were landed and a few stores taken 

 to the hut. The ship then ran for the Glacier Tongue 

 March 4, to complete with water, and shortly after 10 P.M. 

 ^ut Point. ( tne 4 tn ) proceeded again for Terra Nova Bay. 



Although only twenty hours had elapsed between 

 the time she passed Cape Royds, going south, and repassed it, 

 going north, the ice had materially thickened, and between Cape 

 Bird and Beaufort Island she forced through with considerable 

 difficulty. The condition off Terra Nova Bay had, if anything, 

 grown worse, and this time the ship was held up when 20 miles 

 E.N.E. of the Barrier. 



Finally, on March 7, taking into consideration the nature and 

 ... , extent of the pack and the time of the year, the con- 



1912, 75 5' elusion was reluctantly come to that the ship could 

 s., 168 43' not reach Arrival Bay that season, and so she turned 

 E ' north. 



The next day a sooty albatross was around the ship a most 

 welcome sight, proving the absence of pack to north 

 March 8, 73 o f ner . an ^ from now on large numbers of deep sea 

 /y E * 74 birds were always round the ship. 



On the 1 5th and i6th the Terra Nova passed up 

 the north-east side of the Balleny Islands, closer than any other 

 ship had been able to get, except Balleny himself; but either it 

 was foggy or else it snowed so persistently, that noth- 

 March 16, j n g was seen o f them except on the i6th, when the 

 44' S., 164 fg suddenly rolled away for two hours and, through 

 48' E. a rift in the clouds, a glimpse of Buckle Island was 



