t 9 o 2 ] A FRESH START 387 



but some fatality seems to ensure bad weather on the date 

 fixed for our departure. Barne's fingers suffered so severely 

 in our recent adventure that he has had to be replaced by the 

 boatswain, Feather. The latter has worked so splendidly all 

 through, and has taken such a keen interest in every detail of 

 the sledging, that I am glad to give him the chance of accom- 

 panying us.' 



Early on September 24 we got away ; travelling with light 

 sledges, we reached our desolation camp, fifteen miles to the 

 south, before we called a halt, and, increasing our loads to full 

 weights, camped for the night at a distance of twenty-three 

 miles from the ship. On the following day we were forced to 

 face a bitter southerly wind with drift and a temperature of 

 — 30 . After a few miles the dogs refused duty, and we were 

 obliged to camp. 



Proceeding later, when the wind had dropped somewhat, 

 we found ourselves climbing a stiff incline between the two 

 islands, and we had risen at least 180 feet before we reached 

 the top. Across the slope there ran two or three well-marked 

 cracks which I think can only have been tide cracks, and 

 which went to show that the ice-sheet over which we had been 

 travelling was afloat. On the other side of this crest there was 

 a slight descent, but not for much more than fifty feet, after 

 which the surface stretched horizontally ahead of us and was 

 undoubtedly at about the general level of the barrier. I came 

 to the conclusion that the two islands were joined, at least by 

 a shallow bank, if not by land above the water level, and that 

 the barrier sheet was over-riding this and pouring slowly into 

 the sea to the north. 



On the 26th we had a beautifully clear day, and pushed on 

 towards the Bluff, which now loomed high above us. We were 

 much struck by the fact that all the wind-furrows in this region 

 lay in a south-westerly direction, showing that the prevalent 

 wind is from that quarter, although at the ship we had known 

 little but south-easterly winds. When we camped at the close 

 of this day, after a fifteen mile march, we were within a short 

 distance of the north side of the Bluff, and already there were 



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