204 HOBBS— ROLE OF GLACIAL ANTICYCLONE [April 24. 



dication of drifting. To a depth of 2 meters no hard snow layers 

 were encountered, so that the cutting of blocks (for guide cairns) 

 was all but impossible. During the fortnight spent within this region 

 the sky was clear with light winds, except on two days when there 

 were snow flurries at intervals. The brightening after the snow was 

 accompanied by such a high sun heat that even with most clothing 

 removed the perspiration poured from the bodies of the men.^^ 



Captain Scott, who entered the same general region about a 

 month later, found conditions of atmosphere and snow which during 

 the three weeks of his stay within it, agreed strikingly with those de- 

 scribed by Amundsen. After passing the latitude 875^°, hardly a 

 day passed that he did not jot down in his diary the fact of variable 

 light winds and the noteworthy softness of the snow surface, sev- 

 eral times expressing his opinion that the area is one of light winds. 

 He was evidently puzzled by the appearance of the clouds, " which 

 don't seem to come from anywhere, form and disperse without 

 reason." Again he describes them as " coming and going overhead 

 all day, drifting from the S. E., but constantly altering shape. Snow 

 crystals falling all the time" (Vol. i, p. 370). On January 19 on 

 the return from the pole, he notes, " Snow clouds, looking very dense 

 and spoiling the light, pass overhead from S., dropping very minute 

 crystals ; between showers the sun shows and the wind goes to the 

 S. W." 



Again and again he calls attention to the dampness and the chill 

 in the air, so that when the temperature is observed, all are surprised 

 that it is not lower. The sun was often shining through the snow 

 mist, and bright sunlight and overcast sky interchanged with kalei- 

 doscopic suddenness. Near the margins of this area snow blizzards 

 were experienced, but in comparison with the Barrier blizzards Scott 

 notes that the wind was surprisingly light. Temperatures rise 

 after the blows. Within this central area the sastrugi are found 

 in isolated areas, show cross directions and general lack of con- 

 stancy. The snow got softer the farther they went to the south- 

 ward, and it was soft below the surface also " as deep as you like 

 to dig down." Yet with all the wind variations, there was evidently 

 a preponderance of southerly and southeasterly winds. Like 



22 Roald Amundsen, " The South Pole," Vol. 2, Chapters XI.-XIII. 



