430 THE VOYAGE OF H M.S. CHALLENGER. 



tinned so as the ship ran to the eastward even at a distance from the pack. Their absence 

 farther to the westward, between 70° and 80° E. longitude, except when close to the pack 

 edge, was so marked that, coupled with their absence on the same meridians in lower 

 latitudes as shown by the ice chart, it seems to indicate that there can be no land for a 

 considerable distance south in that neighbourhood, and that a very high latitude could be 

 gamed there if desired. 



The pack ice consisted chiefly of small salt water ice pieces, which could scarcely be 

 called floes, from 30 to 50 feet in diameter; 100 miles within the pack edge Ross" found 

 them to be 600 feet in diameter. The single season's ice was about 3 feet in thickness, 

 the hummocky ice, formed by several layers heaped one upon another and frozen 

 compactly together, was from 7 to 8 feet thick, the upper surface of each piece being 

 covered by a layer of snow about a foot in thickness. Scattered about in the pack were 

 a few blue coloured berg pieces of all sizes, some of them frozen into the salt water ice. 

 All the latter was much honey-combed by melting, but the ice was evidently still of 

 sufficient strength to give a very dangerous blow if impelled against a vessel's side, or 

 to a vessel forcing her way through the pack. A properly fortified ship could nevertheless 

 have easily made way through it. 



In the pack were numerous icebergs, but they were not in greater numbers than in 

 the open water, and certainly not numerous enough by themselves to create the nucleus 

 for the pack to form around. 



A very large proportion of the bergs were, as stated, flat-topped and maintained 

 their original balance. Very many were bounded by a single range of cliffs washed by 

 the waves all round (fig. 122 p. 377 ; PI. D. fig. 3). In some these ranges were evidently 

 old and very much indented. Many were highly complex, combining two stories, 

 lines of caves, talus slopes, and evidences of having been tilted to various angles 

 from the original line of flotation once or twice (PI. B. fig. 1 ; PI. D. fig. 4) ; 

 some were excessively worn and weathered, having apparently been long in warmer 

 regions, and were pinnacled and broken up by deep gullies or channels bounded often 

 by rounded ridges projecting at their mouths on either side. One much weathered 

 pinnacled berg was passed which had its entire surface shining and polished as if it had 

 recently toppled, and no fresh snow had fallen since this had occurred. Several were 

 seen with the parts which had been below water partially exposed by tilting ; the 

 surfaces of these were always polished and smooth ; but no berg was seen to tilt or turn 

 over during the voyage. One was noticed divided into three separate columnar masses 

 so far as the part above water was concerned, no connection between the columns 

 being visible. 



The platforms under water at the bases of the bergs often run out into spurs and 

 irregular projections, and these may be dangerous to ships going too near. Soundings 

 were taken on one of these platforms and gave 7 fathoms at some distance from 



