402 THE NATTOIS^AL ANTAEOTIC EXPEDITION. 



quickly brought on Ijoard, and found to be neither frost-bitten nor in any way hurt 

 by his exposure; he had turned to tin<l the sledges, failed to do so, wandered aim- 

 lessly aVjout, and finally lost consciousness; thirty-six hours later he awoke, to find 

 himself buried in snow and only a trifle stiff. He imagined it to be the morning after 

 the accident, and was astounded to learn that he had slept through a whole day. 



On taking the ship around to the scene of the accident we found an ice-foot, and 

 it was evident that Vince must have fallen directly into the sea from a cliff 150 to 

 203 feet in height. 



When Captain Scott addressed the ship's company in a few words 

 after service on the following Sunday, there was scarcely a dr}'^ eye. 

 All mourned the loss of their comrade, George Vince, a cheerful and 

 popular messmate and an excellent seaman. 



The winter passed cheerfully. There were plenty of anuisements, 

 but there was also plenty of hard work. Mr. Bernacchi tended his 

 magnetic instruments with zealous care, and took regular observations 

 with the electrometer. The temperature and sahnity of sea water at 

 various depths were ascertained. Mr. Hodgson was indefatigable in 

 all weathers, keeping holes open in the ice for his nets and lish traps. 

 Doctor Wilson's work, as regards vertebrates, is exceedingly valuable, 

 and I am assured that the biological collections are most important 

 and will form one of the great features of the expedition. The 

 meteorology is luider the charge of Lieutenant Boyds, and nothing can 

 exceed his care and diligence. A series of meteorological observations 

 for two years in 77-^ 50' S., more than 500 miles farther south than 

 any ship has ever wintered before, will be most valuable. 



As the sun began to return, the magnificent range of mountains to 

 the westward began to appear in surpassing grandeur. The glow of 

 the sun when it was still below the horizon just caught them, and the 

 sides facing the north were lit up with a pinkisli-orange tint, the other 

 sides being dark and shadowy. In September the eiiv\y spring travel- 

 ing commenced, when the cold was even more intense than in the 

 autunm. Koyds and Skelton were the chief explorers of the volcanic 

 island on which Erebus and Terror rear their giant cones. With four 

 men they were away twenty-one da3's, with the thermometer always 

 — 4:0'", and once as low as — 5S^. This cold is too intense for sledg-- 

 ing, and in addition they encountered a furious gale, which lasted for 

 five days. In spite of the weather, Skelton and two men found a wa}^ 

 over the big ice ridges of the barrier down to the sea edge, using 

 crampons and ice axes, and being roped together. A close examina- 

 tion was thus made of the position where the barrier abuts upon the 

 land at Cape Crozier. In a subsequent journey Royds found the post 

 cairn at this point and deposited a notice for the relief ship. 



There were several sledging journeys for short distances conducted 

 by the scientific staff, chietl v with the object of geological investiga- 

 tions, hut the great results were to be obtained from the southern and 

 western parties. 



