222 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec. 



the general flow of the ice-stream and gave some indication of 

 the nature of the land which lay beyond. 



Throughout this journey Mulock was indefatigable in using 

 the theodolite. The result of this diligence is that this stretch 

 of coastline is more accurately plotted than any other part of 

 Victoria Land, and by the fixing of the positions and heights 

 of more than two hundred mountain peaks a most interesting 

 topographical survey of this region has been achieved. 



But one of the most important results of this expedition 

 was obtained almost by an accident. The reader will remember 

 that in my early journey in 1902 I fixed on a position off the 

 Bluff to establish what I called Depot ' A.' This position lay 

 on the alignment of a small peak on the Bluff with Mount 

 Discovery. On visiting this depot in 1903, Barne found to 

 his astonishment that the alignment was no longer ' on,' and 

 therefore it was evident that the depot had moved. Thirteen 

 and a half months after the establishment of the depot he 

 measured its displacement, and found it to be 608 yards. And 

 thus almost accidentally we obtained a very good indication of 

 the movement of the Great Barrier ice-sheet. 



To this very interesting fact I shall refer in considering 

 the results of the expedition. Barne and his party safely 

 reached the ship on December 13, after being absent sixty- 

 eight days. 



I have already referred to the projected trip to the south- 

 east; it will be remembered that its object was to ascertain 

 whether the barrier continued level in that direction. The 

 conduct of this journey was undertaken by Royds, and with 

 him went our physicist Bernacchi, Cross, Plumley, Scott, and 

 Clarke ; the track which was taken by the party can be seen 

 on the chart. It was a short journey, as it only occupied 

 thirty days, and for those who took part in it it could not be 

 otherwise than monotonous and dull ; yet it deserves to rank 

 very high in our sledging efforts, for every detail was carried 

 out in the most thoroughly efficient manner. 



The party went on a very short food allowance, and day 

 after day found themselves marching over the same unutterably 



