PREFACE 



mountains and of the great glacier are shown on the 

 chart, and are as nearly correct as can be expected rn 

 view of the somewhat rough methods necessarily employed 

 in making the survey. 



The mystery of the Great Ice Barrier has not been 

 solved, and it would seem that the question of its forma- 

 tion and extent cannot be determined definitely until 

 an expedition traces the line of the mountains round its 

 southerly edge. A certain amount of light has been 

 thrown on the construction of the Barrier, in that we 

 were able, from observations and measurements, to con- 

 clude provisionally that it is composed mainly of snow. 

 The disappearance of Balloon Bight, owing to the break- 

 ing away of a section of the Great Ice Barrier, shows 

 that the Barrier still continues its recession, which has 

 been observed since the voyage of Sir James Boss in 

 1842. There certainty appears to be a high snow-covered 

 land on the 163rd meridian, where we saw slopes and 

 peaks, entirely snow covered, rising to a height of 800 ft., 

 but we did not see any bare rocks, and did not have an 

 opportunity to take soundings at this spot. We could 

 not arrive at any definite conclusion on the point. 



The journey made by the Northern Party resulted 

 in the attainment of the South Magnetic Pole, the posi- 

 tion of which was fixed, by observations made on the 

 spot and in the neighbourhood, at latitude 72° 25' South, 

 longitude 155° 16' East. The first part of this journey 

 was made along the coast-line of Victoria Land, and 

 many new peaks, glaciers and ice-tongues were discovered, 

 in addition to a couple of small islands. The whole of 

 the coast traversed was carefully triangulated, and the 

 existing map was corrected in several respects. 



The survey of the western mountains by the Western 

 Party added to the information of the topographical 



