i 9 o 3 ] ANOTHER TRIP TO CAPE CROZIER 95 



and this short trip produced one or two interesting results. It 

 can be seen from the chart that from the elevated land at this 

 cape an excellent view of the Ross Sea can be obtained, and it 

 will be remembered that Royds on his last visit, little more 

 than a fortnight before, had seen this sheet of water swept 

 clear of ice. We had thought that this was the last of the ice 

 in this direction, and that it would have continued to drift to 

 the north ; but now, to his astonishment, he found the whole 

 sea thickly packed, and although the pack sometimes drifted 

 away from the land, leaving some miles of open water, it was 

 evident that no general exodus had yet commenced. 



Descending to the Emperor rookery, he found several 

 hundred adult birds, but not a single chick except those which 

 lay dead on the floe ; this was a most surprising fact, as it 

 seemed impossible that the small downy chicks of a fortnight 

 before could have already taken to the sea. It was not until 

 the following year that we learnt the interesting manner in 

 which these small creatures leave their birthplace. 



Pushing farther on, Royds found that he must have just 

 missed the occupation of the Adelie penguin rookery. These 

 small birds had returned in their thousands, and were just 

 commencing to lay their eggs ; a few had laid their second, a 

 larger number their first, but the majority had as yet laid none 

 at all. From one point of view the moment could not have 

 been more opportune, and it was not long before the party were 

 enjoying the greatest delicacy which the Antarctic Regions can 

 afford. In their good fortune, moreover, they did not forget 

 their comrades, but loaded their sledges with a supply of eggs 

 sufficient to provide at least one feast for those on board the 

 ship. It was on taking a last look at the spot where the 

 Emperor penguins had reared their young that Blissett called 

 Royds' attention to a rounded object almost buried in the 

 snow, which on being dug out proved to be an egg — the first 

 that had been found. The joy was great, and soon after the 

 party hastened back with their treasure. 



Meanwhile on board the ship all efforts were devoted to the 

 preparations of the western party, and it was hoped that in 



