THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



tents, and we had to take the gear off the sledges and 

 pile that round to supplement the snow. We have burned 

 our boats behind us now as regards warm clothing, for 

 this afternoon we made a depot in by the rocks of the 

 island we are passing, and there left everything except 

 the barest necessaries. After dinner to-night Wild went 

 up the hill-side in order to have a look at the plateau. 

 He came down with the news that the plateau is in 

 sight at last, and that to-morrow should see us at the 

 end of our difficulties. He also brought down with him 

 some very interesting geological specimens, some of 

 which certainly look like coal. The quality may be 

 poor, but I have little doubt that the stuff is coal. If 

 that proves to be the case, the discovery will be most 

 interesting to the scientific world. Wild tells me that 

 there are about six seams of this dark stuff, mingled with 

 sandstone, and that the seams are from 4 in. to 7 or 8 

 ft. in thickness. There are vast quantities of it lying 

 on the hill-side. We took a photograph of the sand- 

 stone, and I wish very much that we could spare time 

 to examine the rocks more thoroughly. We may be able 

 to do this on the way back. We have but little time 

 for geological work, for our way is south and time is 

 short, but we found that the main rock is sandstone and 

 on our way back we will collect some. I expect that 

 this will be the most southerly rock that we shall obtain, 

 for we ought to reach the plateau to-morrow, and then 

 there will be no more land close to us. It is gusty to- 

 night, but beautifully clear. The altitude, according to 

 the hypsometer, is 6100 ft. 



Note. — When I showed the specimens to Professor David after 

 our return to the Nimrod, he stated definitely that some of them were 

 coal and others " mother of coal." The notes on geological matters 

 in another chapter will deal more fully with this very interesting 

 discovery. 



