396 WITH SCOTT : THE SILVER LINING 



Gran climbed to the top to scan the ice in Ross Sea. Deben- 

 ham visited the flag, and made a chart of the great shear-cracks 

 in the bay ice, due to the Mackay Ice Tongue. 



Forde and I packed everything which we should need for 

 sledging at Evans Coves on the good sledge. We packed the 

 specimens, and some articles not now necessary on the " roof- 

 tree " sledge. This necessitated dismantling Granite Hut, 

 and very woe-begone it looked, with the sealskins flapping 

 dismally on its walls. They had turned into fine black fur 

 now, but were not beautiful enough to warrant transport 

 on our heavily laden sledge. The skuas enjoyed our removal. 

 They pounced eagerly on our specimen bags, and flew off some 

 distance with several, in the hopes of finding a dainty morsel. 



I was much amazed at the unusual sight of two skua gulls 

 amicably tearing a piece of blubber up between them, and 

 bolting half each. I never saw another instance of so much 

 sociability. 



"On Sunday, January 14, I woke the others at 6 a.m., 

 having had to keep awake an hour or so to do it. We had 

 food quickly, packed up, and were ready to start about twenty 

 to eight. I should think our sledge had 900 lbs. on it, which 

 is about a record down here. We got over our * Pressure 

 Pier ' to the bay ice without much difficulty, though it is very 

 narrow now. Later parties will have to find a new route. 



" We found the sledge pretty hard to pull, and it took us 

 over an hour to do the first mile. When you are going 

 slowly it is always twice as hard, and lasts twice as long ! 

 This looked bad with nine miles to do. We got over the 

 first tide crack, near the signal flag, by means of an island. 

 Then we halted for a rest, and marched along the front of the 

 Bluff towards the Piedmont Ice Tongue. The east was very 

 gloomy now, and it started to snow. When you are pulling 

 half a ton, and know that the ice you are on was breaking up 

 in January, 1903, this is not cheerful. However, I turned in 

 nearer the land, so as to reach Avalanche Bay, where it was 

 possible to ascend the cliffs. The snow got no worse, and 

 the surface improved slightly. We could see two seals far 

 ahead on the next big crack, and we found thirty feet of wet, 

 mushy snow at the first spot." 



A little searching showed us a possible track. Debenham 

 and I, tied together, crossed first, and then the others, and 



