120 WITH SCOTT: THE SILVER LINING 



described as the bearing of geology on scenery — in other 

 words, " How has the land surface been affected by the flow 

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

 do the resulting features differ from those observed in more 

 temperate regions where water plays such an important part 

 and ice erosion is absent ? " 



During February we obtained nearly a hundred photo- 

 graphs illustrating the typical valleys, glaciers, moraines, and 

 general topography of the western mountains, which it is 

 hoped will help to settle the question, " How do glaciers 

 erode the deep valleys they occupy ? " But early in March 

 our cameras became practically useless, for the cold stiffened 

 the shutters and the snow obliterated the details of the land- 

 scape. 



I asked Pennell to take some soundings off the glacier 

 mouth, for it has been supposed that glaciers cut their troughs 

 out even below the surface of the sea. Rivers, of course, 

 cannot erode below this level, so that this investigation was of 

 importance in connection with the Ice versus Water Erosion 

 hypotheses. He found only seventy fathoms (420 feet), 

 which bears little resemblance to the glacier-cut fiords of 

 Norway, some 6000 feet below sea-level. There is often so 

 much silt and debris washing down from these valleys, that it 

 may be possible that a deep rock trough has been filled thereby. 

 But I think it improbable for reasons which will appear later. 



Debenham went off with the eastern party to examine 

 the depot on Butter Point. Priestley was able to identify 

 many of the articles here as having been left by David on 

 the magnificent magnetic Pole journey. Meanwhile, Wright, 

 Evans, and I got our stores and sledges on to the ice and 

 started packing. Some of the seamen went off to kill a 

 seal, accompanied by our doctor, Levick. The latter was to 

 show them a humane and speedy way of ending the seal. 

 He described the method to us on his return, but the effect 

 was spoilt by the butcher declaring that the seal had travelled 

 a hundred yards after Levick had officially killed it ! 



Debenham had arranged his northern depot by six o'clock, 

 and then our party put the finishing touches to our two 

 sledges. With the zeal of a new leader, I advised donning 

 wind-proofs as evening drew on ; but experience showed later 

 that they were rarely needed until mid-February ! 



