CAPE SUMNER TO DRAGON POINT 



variation of form which otherwise breaks the monotony. Every- 

 thing about us bears the stamp of the iron climate of the 

 country. The eternal blast has whipped the sparse vegetation 

 flat along the ground, nothing has had a chance to grow erect. 

 All life here bears the yoke of storm and frost. 



We snailed along from headland to headland, and every 

 point of land ahead looked like the one we had just passed. The 

 whole coast is clipped and cropped, blockaded by ice-ridges and 

 chilled through by an ocean of ice. 



We made occasional halts to give the dogs a short rest, and, 

 in the meantime, we ourselves walked into the sandy desert, 

 where not the slightest track encouraged us to persist. The 

 crushing monotony of death seems to be the only ruler in this 

 district. 



During the journey I suddenly discovered a piece of wood 

 placed by human hands in a conspicuous place near a large stone 

 mound. Although in a way it formed a link with other men 

 who have visited this coast, owing to our mood our thoughts 

 involuntarily turned to graves. I hurried up to it to see 

 whether it was not some sad memorial or other connected with 

 Beaumont, but soon discovered that this place had once been 

 merely a depot of provisions, perhaps a salvation for those who, 

 starving and exhausted, managed to reach it. 



The coast trends sharply and straightly due north-east and 

 permits no view ahead ; little headlands continually block the 

 horizon. But under Cape Bryan the coast suddenly turns 

 southward and opens at once the view to the north, where all 

 the lands which we had dreamed about for months rise up from 

 the ice-ocean and show their brilliant contours in the clear, 

 sharp air. 



It was two o'clock in the morning. The sun had not yet 

 reached such a height as to emit a flat and monotonous light : 

 sharp shadows were thrown on to the dark mountain walTs, and 

 a fine, tender red still trembled round the topmost peaks, 

 covered in ice and snow. 



It suddenly seemed as if the low, dreary coast which we 

 had followed from Rest Point sank into the ocean behind us 



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