384 WITH SCOTT: THE SILVER LINING 



To assist our survey we named many of the peaks and 

 glaciers around us. The sharp peak to the north (which I 

 usually made the datum for the theodolite angles) we called 

 the " Referring Facet." A large tributary glacier to the east 

 of this was named the Cleveland Glacier by Debenham. He 

 explained that it was after a large family, and so required a 

 correspondingly large natural feature ! Red Ridge was to the 

 south, and formed of red granite. Killer Ridge had the shape 

 of an orca i Sperm Bluff was a black headland like the blunt 

 head of the sperm whale. Pegtop and Dome nunataks are 

 self-explanatory. We were quite close to Mount Suess, and 

 obtained a fine view of this nunatak. Its three dolerite peaks, 

 the armchair hollow, and the bulwark on the north-east, sup- 

 ported by huge granite cliffs, made it a very striking object. 



On the 30th the day was overcast, and it snowed most of 

 the time. We could not leave the tent, and lay snug in our 

 bags and mended gear. I did some useful darning, using 

 seaming twine to repair my socks. They were lasting splen- 

 didly. " I mended them with my left hand ; so far 1 am still 

 wearing the same socks for eight weeks. If I could darn 

 easily, I'd keep to them for our whole fourteen weeks. ..." 

 Such was the practical value of my patent canvas heel- tips ! 



Debenham and 1 made a set of chess pieces from card- 

 board, and we played on his survey plane-table. It took a 

 week or two to get used to the men, but we had many games 

 later while we were marooned on Cape Roberts. 



On the last day of the year we pulled westward to Gondola 

 Ridge. " All was snow-covered, and we sank four inches into 

 it, but the sledge pulled pretty well. There was no sun, but 

 I got in a cold sweat with the work. Now and again our feet 

 would sink a foot or two. There must be plenty of crevasses 

 round this corner of the nunakol, but we trusted the fates and 

 plugged on. The snow was so deep that we did not break 

 through the bridges anywhere. The sun came out to cheer 

 us, and soon we heard the old creaking due to ' bottle-glass ' 

 ice and £ glass-house ' ice. ..." I knew this meant an ancient 

 undisturbed glacier from our experience up the Koettlitz 

 Glacier, and felt that we were safely past the crevasses. 



About noon we had approached close to Gondola Ridge, 

 which extends northward from Mount Suess. Here we came 

 to a sudden ice cliff, but the slope was not too steep for us to 



