SOUTH SLOPE OF MOUNT MELBOURNE, SHOWING WHERE ICEFOOT, CONNECTED WITH MOMURDO BAY, BEGINS. 
THE ANTARCTIC MANUAL. 
A, Mount Melbourne, 8000 feet high; B, Pyramidal Mount, 2000 feet, 
is an easy way of communication between such 
a party and a ship wintering in Wood bay 
by means of an uninterrupted ice-foot, which, 
commencing from the southern slopes of Mount 
Melbourne, continues southwards as far as 
McMurdo bay. The surface of this ice-foot 
is perfectly level, covered with hard compact 
snow, and is but little crevassed, as was 
actually determined by two landings upon its 
surface in the vicinity of Cape Gauss, which 
is itself buried in the ice-sheet. 
The distance between McMurdo bay and 
Wood bay is about 170 miles, which, with 
sledges and dogs, and such favourable con- 
ditions of ice-travelling, could be covered in 
eight days. The surface of this ice-foot is 
easily reached from Wood bay by going round 
the foot of Mount Melbourne from behind. 
The geological formation here was volcanic, 
but not compact or magnetic rock. It con- 
sisted mostly of scorie, no doubt ejected from 
Mount Melbourne, which, most probably, was 
at one time a volcano in activity. Some 
pieces of slate were seen on the beach, but, 
being engaged in taking magnetic observa- 
tions, I had no time to search for any outcrop 
of this formation. The observed height of 
Mount Melbourne is 7200 feet. It is entirely 
snow-clad, and rises directly from the sea, 
The bare rocks at the foot of the mountain 
have weathered into many fantastic shapes. 
On February 9, we landed without diffi- 
culty on the western side of Franklin island, 
on a pebbly bank similar to that in Wood bay 
and at Cape Adare. The whole island is of 
volcanic formation, one heavy greenish vitreous 
rock being especially interesting, From 
Franklin island we steered straight for Mount 
Terror, without approaching McMurdo bay, a 
close examination of which would have been 
of much value, for possibly there is a spot on 
its shores where a party might be able to 
winter ; but the discovery of a sheltered inlet 
where a ship could safely winter is, I think, 
extremely improbable. On the 10th we 
