1 6 Recent Antarctic Exploration 



this part of the south-polar regions, and of vindicating the 

 trustworthiness and the caution of that great navigator. 



The " Discovery " proceeded along the face of the Barrier, 

 or rather the ice-edge which now represented it. On the 

 evening of Jan. 30 small patches of bare rock were detected 

 appearing through the icy covering of the distant high land. 

 After this the ship wandered among ice and fog, but on 

 Feb. i she got back to the position where the rock patches 

 had been seen ; and, the weather clearing up, a good view 

 was obtained, not only of the coastal range, but also of what 

 was probably the summit of a distant and lofty range of 

 mountains. The "Discovery" could now return westward with 

 the satisfaction of having not only confirmed the existence of 

 land on the eastern side of the Barrier ice-sheet, but of having 

 to a certain extent delimited it. 



On Feb. 3 the " Discovery " entered the same creek as, or 

 one in the immediate neighbourhood of, that in which the 

 "Southern Cross" moored in 1897. While lying alongside 

 the ice-wharf for twenty-four hours, the ship and wharf rose 

 and fell together, so that the ice-sheet was afloat. As the 

 depth of the water was 315 fathoms, it could not well be 

 otherwise. Captain Scott makes the important observation 

 that the surface current set into the Barrier and under the ice 

 for a certain time, then turned and set out again to sea. It 

 would be very interesting to know how far "inland" this 

 flux and reflux penetrates. The surface of the ice is smooth 

 and undulating ; an extensive view of it was obtained from 

 the captive balloon. 



On Feb. 8, 1902, the "Discovery" was brought into the 

 bay which was to be her winter-quarters ; but the weather 

 persistently declined to freeze her in. As a matter of fact the 

 open season was only beginning. It was not until March 24 

 that the ice between the stern of the ship and the shore was 

 strong enough to bear the weight of a man ; and then the 

 bow of the ship was in open water. Almost up to the date of 

 the disappearance of the sun (April 20), open water frequently 

 appeared outside that point. Indeed, the behaviour of the 

 ice in the neighbourhood of Ross Island was at all seasons 



