THE TERRA NOVA GOES SOUTH 59 



of the heavy floe and nearly all the bergs have drifted north 

 before the southerly gale from the Barrier. The bergs would 

 be more affected by the wind than the low-lying floes, and so 

 would take the lead in this pilgrimage to the north. A month 

 later nearly all this pack will break away, and the entry to 

 Ross Sea — which is an open sheet of water even in December 

 — can be made without difficulty or delay. Thus, in the 

 place of the fortnight we have taken, this belt between 65 

 and 69 could, under more favourable conditions, be traversed 

 in two or three days. 



For the benefit of the cinematograph, we took the ship 

 close to a tabular berg which lay close to our course. From 

 the crow's nest the officer of the watch was able to see the 

 submarine ice-foot, projecting like a battle-ship's ram from 

 the lower portion of the berg. The visible part of the berg 

 was about three hundred feet long and some seventy feet high. 



Along the water's edge were several large caves, excavated 

 by the waves and coloured a vivid blue. A most interesting 

 feature was that the layers of the ice were horizontal in the 

 upper thirty feet, but quite steeply sloping in the lower visible 

 layers. This pointed to some change in position during the 

 growth of the Barrier from which this berg was calved. There 

 was, in fact, what geologists would term a " strong uncon- 

 formity." " Iceberg " is a loose term to apply to these 

 Barrier fragments ; for they are largely consolidated layers 

 of snow, and one can detect almost every type of material, in 

 the series from coarsely granular snow to true ice, in one or 

 other of the bergs. 



On the 10th, at 5 a.m., we crossed the Antarctic circle 

 (66° 23') and reached the lands (and seas) of the midnight 

 sun. For two reasons I stayed up to welcome him. Firstly, 

 because I had not had the pleasure before, and, secondly, 

 because I had to. My particular portion of the watch lies 

 between the hours of 8 p.m. and midnight — the best watch, 

 in my opinion. One has not to turn out of a comfortable 

 blanket as in later watches, and can share in all the incidents 

 of the day, from which officers on watch are debarred. 



The time is 11.45 P- m - I am sitting on the foc'sle with 

 unbuttoned coat and no gloves. When there is no wind one 

 does not feel at all cold. It is perfectly bright ; not only 

 light, but so bright that the sun's rays through the cabin 



