THE GRANITE HARBOUR EXPEDITION 



375 



We climbed up the Tongue without difficulty, but soon 

 entered into a region riddled with crevasses. They were 

 parallel to the edge of the tongue, and looked like relics of 

 old lateral pressure rather than crevasses due to present 

 movement. They were difficult to cross, especially as Gran's 

 boots were so slippery. We had to make a big detour to 

 get on to the transit line. Finally, I got the theodolite set 

 up, and sighted " fore and back," until I got the cape and a 

 crack in the Kar Cliffs in transit with my station. Here we 

 planted the stake, and then returned via the maze of crevasses 

 to the camp. 



At first I could hardly see the stake from Cape Geology. 

 The cold air close to the ice surface is always flickering on 

 a warm day and mirages all 

 objects ; but soon I made it 

 out at two miles through the 

 telescope, and I could see 

 that we could readily measure 

 a movement of one foot a 

 day. 



By this time we had col- 

 lected enough eggs to have 

 a feast. We took the pre- 

 caution of frying them, and 

 Forde and I tested them 

 before cooking. The whites 

 are translucent and faintly 

 bluish, and have very little 

 taste, but I don't think we 

 had much fault to find /with 

 them. It was amusing to 

 see Gran's horror when a 

 twelve-day chicken appeared 

 in one of the eggs. It was really an interesting discovery, 

 for it showed that the skuas commenced laying about the 

 4th of December. We could not preserve the specimen, 

 but I knew Dr. " Bill " would be interested, and so I made 

 a sketch of Gran's bite noire. We had a splendid seal-hoosh, 

 tender, and flavoured with onion-powder, and on top of this 

 was a fried egg for each of us. It was Forde's chef d'ceuvre> 

 and celebrated the close of his week of cooking. 



Gr-an'sBeteNoi^ «5i2 n 



