The fringe of the pack ice along this cotjrse was composed largely 

 of new sea ice varying in thickness from six inches to two feet, with 

 occasional blocks of old pack ice of five and six feet thicknesses; the 

 pack was universally snow covered. Much of the westward passage was 

 made in open water^ although at times rough weather drove the ship 

 back into the pack-ice fringe where the new ice damped the heavy swells 

 or rough seas. On several occasions, however, swells persisted for 

 several miles into the pack fringe. The GLACIER kept well to the north 

 of the main body of the pack, and her track may be taken as the approxi- 

 mate northern boundary of the pack ice at this season of the year. 

 North of the outer margins of the pack, alternate bands of ice and 

 open water were traversed, the bands trending in a general north and 

 south direction. Some scattered small bergs were seen, but they were 

 never numerous. Also, very few bergy bits and growlers were observed; 

 the growlers observed were moving south (relatively) through the light 

 pack. 



By 20 October, while near 178°E at about 64°30'S, the first remnants 

 of old pressure ridges were noted (Fig. 20). The GLACIER was now in 

 ice which extended on all sides as far as the horizon, but containing 

 nixiTierous open water patches and a few scattered bergs. The ice was 

 mainly new with a few blocks of old pack ice here and there which were 

 from 4 to 6 feet thick; the ice in old pressure ridge remnants was 10 

 to 12 feet thick. Several good sized bergs of the pinnacled variety 

 were passed. At about 64°30'S, the ship headed due south along 174°E, 



On 21 October, heavier ice, forming the northern edge of the main 

 pack ice of the Ross Sea, was encountered by GLACIER at 66°15'S, and 

 forty miles farther south this changed to consolidated ice of ten-tenths 

 concentration, A few leads trended in a north and south direction, 

 but, when followed, either soon ended in wide consolidated ice fjields 

 or in pressure ridges. Here the ice v,ras visibly -under pressure, and 

 although it was not generally more than two or three feet thick, some 

 blocks at least ten feet thick were seen; all ice was heavily snow 

 covered a foot or more. Soon, pressure ridges running in all directions 

 were encountered which were hard to get thro-ugh. These ice conditions 

 persisted through 22 October, but on the 23rd at about 70°S, the ice 

 became considerably lighter and more open leads appeared. Off Cape 

 Adare, another patch of consolidated ice was passed through, and 

 south of this point occasional stretches of heavier ice were encountered. 

 As Coulman Island was approached, conditions appeared very favorable 

 for a fast passage to McHurdo Soimd. Just east of Coulman Island 

 however, a difficxiLt area of consolidated ice was encountered which 

 stopped the ship for over an hour. The ice here was four to five 

 feet thick and under considerable pressure. 



The GLACIER, by this time, reached a position of about 73°10'S, 

 and from here on the pack ice became increasingly more difficult to 

 pass through. While at first, leads and open water areas were frequent. 



37 



