i$03] OTHER JOURNEYS 221 



specimen of rock which Ferrar brought back was obtained 

 only by traversing long miles of rough ice, by clambering over 

 dangerous crevassed slopes, and by scaling precipitous cliffs ; 

 and all this at a great distance from home, and where a strained 

 limb might have led to very serious consequences. 



It will be remembered that the main work of this season 

 was thoroughly to explore this valley and the ice-cap which 

 lay beyond ; thus, when to the results of the longer journey 

 were added Ferrar's survey and Skelton's photographic work 

 we had the satisfaction of knowing that our object had been 

 well accomplished. 



The object before Barne and Mulock on their journey to 

 the south has already been stated. They left the ship on 

 October 6, and, passing around the Bluff, steered for the inlet 

 which has since been named after the former. 



But ill fortune dogged this party from the start. They 

 were hampered by continual gales from the south, and again 

 and again had to spend long days in their tents, as it was 

 impossible to march onward with the wind directly in their 

 faces. In this manner no fewer than ten days were wasted on 

 the outward march, four of these being consecutive, and con- 

 sequently it was not until the middle of November that they 

 approached the entrance to the inlet, and here they became 

 involved amongst numerous undulations and disturbances 

 which greatly impeded their progress. 



As they advanced these disturbances grew worse, and it 

 was necessary to cross wide crevasses and clamber over steep 

 ridges. On November 19, to their great disappointment, they 

 were forced to turn, having barely passed the mouth of the 

 inlet which they had hoped to explore. From their observa- 

 tions, however, it seems evident that the whole of this area is 

 immensely disturbed, and it is doubtful whether a sledge party 

 could ever cross it unless they were prepared to spend many 

 weeks in the attempt. Although from their farthest position 

 they could see no definite rise in the level of the ice in the 

 inlet, as they travelled towards its northern side they found a 

 moraine of large granite boulders which showed conclusively 



