THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



down the bay we reached fast ice. It was now about half- 

 past twelve at night, and the southerly sun shone in our 

 faces. Our astonishment was great to see beyond the six 

 or seven miles of flat bay ice, which was about five or six 

 feet thick, high rounded icecliffs, with valleys between, 

 running in an almost east and west direction. About four 

 miles to the south we saw the opening of a large valley, but 

 could not say where it led. Due south of us, and rising to a 



• GRELAT -\CE- BARFUfLR • 



Barrier Inlet : Dotted Line Shows Position of Ice in 1902. 



height of approximately eight hundred feet, were steep and 

 rounded cliffs, and behind them sharp peaks. The south- 

 erly sun being low, these heights threw shadows which, for 

 some time, had the appearance of bare rocks. Two dark 

 patches in the face of one of the further cliffs had also this 

 appearance, but a careful observation taken with a tele- 

 scope showed them to be caverns. To the east rose a long 

 snow slope which cut the horizon at the height of about 



72 



