Recent Antarctic Exploration 17 



very capricious. One of the first expeditions undertaken 

 after the return of the sun was to Cape Crozier, to deposit a 

 record for the relief ship. On Oct. 12, corresponding to our 

 April, the party arrived at the cliffs above that cape, from 

 which they had an extensive view over the ice-bound sea. 

 From the I3th to the i8th the party were confined to their 

 tents by a blizzard, during which they were almost buried by 

 the drifting snow. When they were able to quit their tents, 

 they found that the Ross Sea, which before the storm had 

 been frozen over as far as the eye could see, was now a sheet 

 of open water. Not a scrap of ice remained in sight, except- 

 ing the small shelf immediately under the Barrier, which 

 formed the breeding-place of the Emperor Penguin. It is 

 very difficult to account for the phenomenon, unless the 

 whole pack was moved bodily seaward. The movements of 

 the ice and of the water in this district deserve close study. 



As a centre of exploring expeditions the winter-quarters 

 proved very advantageous. Besides many short expeditions 

 to the nearer islands and channels, which furnished much 

 useful information, the principal sledge-journeys in the first 

 season were that to the farthest south led by Captain Scott, 

 and that to the high plateau of inland ice to the westward 

 led by Mr Armitage. In the second season the principal 

 expedition was that of Captain Scott to the farthest west on 

 the lofty plateau of the inland ice. All these journeys are 

 remarkable achievements ; and they show Captain Scott at 

 his best, as a man of indomitable pluck and energy, who not 

 only did the hardest work himself, but was able to get others 

 to follow suit, and to do so willingly and cheerfully. 



On his journey to the farthest south, Captain Scott started 

 on Nov. 2, 1902, from the winter-quarters of the " Discovery" 

 in lat. 77 52' S. Immediately to the southward lay White 

 Island, Black Island, and the Minna Bluff, a long ridge 

 stretching eastwards from Mount Discovery. These neces- 

 sitated a detour over the ice to the eastward. About eight 

 or nine miles off the extremity of Minna Bluff a station, 

 called depot A, was made. This was not only of great im- 

 portance to Captain Scott's party on their return journey, 



