X904] EXPLOSIONS 251 



smaller one off Hut Point, beyond which the ice is very thin 

 and treacherous for three or four hundred yards. The sledge 

 parties have to go a long way round to avoid this, though un- 

 loaded travellers can climb over the land and down on to the 

 firm ice in Arrival Bay. 



' For some days now there has been practically no advance 

 in the ice conditions. Our spirits are steadily falling again, 

 and I am just off to the " Morning " to see if anything more 

 can be done.' 



* February 4. — On board the "Morning." The ships are 

 lying about one and a half mile inside the glacier, where they 

 have been without change for the last three days. I have 

 discontinued transport work for the present. It has been a 

 lovely calm, bright day— alas ! much too calm and bright. I 

 cannot describe how irritating it is to endure these placid con- 

 ditions as the time speeds along. There being nothing else to 

 be done, Colbeck took me round the glacier tongue in the 

 " Morning," and we sounded on both sides, getting most extra- 

 ordinarily regular depths of 230 to 240 fathoms, except at one 

 inlet on the north side, where we got 170. In the afternoon 

 we climbed to the top of the Tent Islet (480 feet) and brought 

 down the telescope and flags left by the signalling party. The 

 ice to the westward is not broken away so far as I expected ; 

 altogether the view was not inspiriting. Spent the evening 

 with Captain MacKay, who is excellent company for a depressed 

 state of mind.' 



' February 5. — I did not want to begin explosions whilst 

 the distance was so great, but on considering the stagnant 

 condition of affairs I decided to make a start to-day. It has 

 been evident to me for some time that if explosives are to be 

 of any use, they must be expended freely, and so to-day we 

 experimented in this direction. To explain matters, it is 

 necessary to describe the condition of the fast ice. Its edge 

 starts about a mile from the end of the glacier, and after a 

 sweep to the south turns to the west, in which direction it 

 runs for five or six miles before it gradually turns to the north j 

 any point along this long western line is more or less equi- 



