180 THE VOYAGE OF THE < DISCOVERY' [Nov. 



We have had a foretaste of it this afternoon, and at the present 

 moment it is straining our threadbare tent in no reassuring 

 manner.' 



On the following day the wind was as strong as ever, but 

 we knew it was useless to wait, so pushed on once more. For 

 a brief half-hour we got some shelter in a curious horseshoe 

 bay which we entered to repair Ferrar's sledge-runners. Here 

 the cliffs rose perpendicularly, and immediately above our heads 

 the broad band of sandstone ran with perfect uniformity around 

 the whole bay. On rising to the open glacier again, I struck 

 off for the south side, hoping to get better conditions, and with 

 very happy results, for shortly after lunch we walked out of the 

 wind as easily as we had walked into it on the previous day. 

 And now I made an error, for I started from this point to 

 ascend directly upward. It is impossible to describe all the 

 turns and twists which were taken by this glacier, or to mention 

 the numerous undulations and disturbances which obliged us 

 constantly to alter our course from side to side, but it must 

 not be imagined that our route was all plain sailing and easy 

 travelling. 



From a very early time we saw that it was desirable to map 

 out our course a long way ahead, and to do so with reference 

 to the various land masses so as to avoid disturbances which 

 we could not see, but at which we guessed. I mention this 

 matter because it impressed on us a golden rule for travelling 

 in this region, which was, 'Always take a long sweep round 

 corners.' We were often tempted to break this rule when a 

 shorter road looked easy, but we never did so without suffering. 

 It was an error of this nature that I made on the afternoon of 

 the 3rd, and which after an hour's work landed us in such a 

 dangerously crevassed region that we were very glad to struggle 

 back by the way we had come. The note I made at this time 

 may perhaps be quoted : ' The whole of this glacier can be 

 made easy by taking the right course — a course such as a 

 steamer takes in rounding the bends of a river. The tempta- 

 tion to cut corners is excessive, but it is always a mistake. By 

 walking round obstructions such as cascades, not only does 



