THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



way. We camped for lunch at 12.40 p.m., and the 

 ponies ate fairly well. Quan is pulling 660 lb., and 

 had over 700 lb. till lunch; Grisi has 590 lb., Chinaman 

 570 lb., and Socks 600 lb. In the afternoon the surface 

 further improved, and at 6 p.m. we camped, having 

 done 14 miles 600 yards, statute. The Bluff is showing 

 clear, and also Castle Rock miraged up astern of us. 

 White Island is also clear, but a stratus cloud over- 

 hangs Erebus, Terror and Discovery. At 6.20 p.m. 

 we suddenly heard a deep rumble, lasting about five 

 seconds, that made the air and the ice vibrate. It 

 seemed to come from the eastward, and resembled the 

 sound and had the effect of heavy guns firing. We 

 conjecture that it was due to some large mass of the 

 Barrier breaking away, and the distance must be at 

 least fifty miles from where we are. It was startling, 

 to say the least of it. To-night we boiled some Maujee 

 ration for the ponies, and they took this feed well. 

 It has a delicious smell, and we ourselves would have 

 enjoyed it. Quan is now engaged in the pleasing 

 occupation of gnawing his tether rope. I tethered 

 him up by the hind leg to prevent him attacking this 

 particular thong, but he has found out that by lifting 

 his hind-leg he can reach the rope, so I must get out 

 and put a nose-bag on him. The temperature is now 

 plus 5° Fahr., but it feels much warmer, for there is a 

 dead calm and the sun is shining. 



Note. — On my return to the winter quarters I made inquiries as 

 to whether the rumbling sound we had heard had been heard at 

 Cape Royds, but I found that no member of the party there had 

 noticed anything out of the ordinary. Probably Mounts Erebus and 

 Terror had intercepted the sound. There is no doubt that the Barrier 

 ice breaks away in very large masses. We had an illustration of that 

 fact in the complete disappearance of Barrier. Inlet, the spot at which 



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