i 9 o 3 ] A GOOD DAY'S WORK 217 



manner the maximum extent to which the ice had once 

 spread. 



• I cannot but think that this valley is a very wonderful 

 place. We have seen to-day all the indications of colossal ice 

 action and considerable water action, and yet neither of these 

 agents is now at work. It is worthy of record, too, that we 

 have seen no living thing, not even a moss or a lichen; all 

 that we did find, far inland amongst the moraine heaps, was 

 the skeleton of a Weddell seal, and how that came there is 

 beyond guessing. It is certainly a valley of the dead; even 

 the great glacier which once pushed through it has withered 

 away. 



' It was nearly four o'clock before we turned towards our 

 camp, and nearly ten before we reached it, feeling that it was 

 quite time for supper. The day's record, however, is a pretty 

 good tribute to our marching powers, for we have walked and 

 climbed over the roughest country for more than fourteen 

 hours with only one brief halt for lunch.' 



With this short expedition our last piece of exploration 

 came to an end, and on the 19th we started to ascend the 

 north arm. By the night of the 20th we had reached our 

 second depot under Cathedral Rocks, and here for the first 

 time, and with anxious eyes, we looked out towards the sea. 

 Many a time we had discussed this prospect, and agreed that 

 we should not have cared how far round we had to walk if 

 only that stubborn sheet of ice in the strait would break away. 

 But now, alas ! it was evident that our homeward track might 

 be as direct as we chose to make it, for the great unbroken 

 plain of ice still bridged the whole strait. Only in the far 

 distance could we see the open water, where a thin blue ribbon 

 ran in from Cape Bird and ended abreast of the black rocks 

 of Cape Royds. We saw with grief that there must be very 

 many miles between it and our unfortunate ship. 



On rounding Butter Point we had another blow on finding 

 an entire absence of seals, but, thanks to the kindness of 

 Skelton and his party, we were not deprived of our long- 

 expected feast of fresh meat, for close to our tin of butter we 



