VICTORIA LAND. 199 



of ice along the coast, but every bay, every indentation 

 carries off the inland ice into the sea, and all these 

 openings are closed in by ice walls 180 to 450 feet in 

 height. The last measurement, never met with in ice- 

 bergs and ice barriers elsewhere, points to the fact that 

 these masses of ice rest on the sea bottom, and this 

 conjecture is supported by the soundings taken by Ross. 

 These are in so far of great interest that they indicate a 

 comparatively gentle descent of the continental base off 

 the elevated mountain coast. About thirty-seven miles 

 from Cape North the soundings gave only 1,000 feet — no 

 great depth when compared with those off the coast of 

 the Cordilleras. Whether geological or glacial action is 

 accountable for the existence of this submarine terrace 

 is naturally very doubtful. 



The only point free from ice hitherto seen or landed 

 upon on the north coast of Victoria Land is Cape Adare, 

 already frequently named as lying in front of the foot of 

 Mount Sabine. It rises as a huge boulder of basalt rock to 

 a height of 3,500 to 4,600 feet above the surface of the sea, 

 to which its foot descends as a long extended peninsula, 

 with a level shore covered with shingle. It is not certain 

 of what rock the cape is composed, as a great block of 

 nephelin-tephrite was found on the shore and not attached 

 to it, although it may belong to the cape. Even in this 

 high latitude sparse vegetation was found to exist in the 

 form of a lichen in particularly sheltered spots. 



According to the observations of Borchgrevingk the 

 neighbourhood of Cape Adare must still be in a state of 

 volcanic activity. A summit of 7,900 feet, scarcely covered 

 with snow in the midst of the dazzling white mountains, 

 suggested the probability of a recent eruption, and on 

 two out of twenty glaciers counted by Borchgrevingk 

 vast masses of snow seemed to alternate with layers of 

 lava above the ice. 



The portion of the coast between Cape Adare and 



