THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



of rocky hills. One of these was identified as probably- 

 being Mount Neumaer. Several mountains could be 

 seen further to the north of this, but the far distance 

 was obscured from view by cloud and mist so that we 

 were unable to make out the outline of Mount Nansen. 

 It was evident that the Drygalski Glacier was bounded 

 landwards on the north by a steep clilF of dark, highly 

 jointed rock, and we were not a little concerned to observe 

 with our field-glasses that the surface of the Drygalski 

 Glacier was wholly different to that of the Nordenskjold 

 Ice Barrier. It was clear that the surface of the Dry- 

 galski Glacier was formed of jagged surfaces of ice very 

 heavily crevassed, and projecting in the form of immense 

 seracs separated from one another by deep undulations 

 or chasms. It at once suggested to my mind some 

 scaly dragon-like monster and recalled the lines of 

 Milton quoted at the beginning of this chapter. The 

 " Scaly horror of his folded tail " did not seem enchant- 

 ing even at this distance of ten to fifteen miles. We 

 could see that much of this glacier was absolutely 

 impossible for sledging, but it appeared that further 

 eastward the inequalities of the ice-surface became less 

 pronounced, and at the extreme eastward extension, 

 at a distance of some twenty-five to thirty miles from 

 where we stood, the surface appeared fairly smooth. 

 After taking these observations from our point of 

 vantage we retraced our steps. Mawson, in his spiked 

 ski-boots, got do\m the sloping ice-surface with com- 

 parative ease, but as I had finnesko on I found it 

 necessary to cut steps with my ice-axe all the way down 

 the glacier ice. 



It was obvious from what we had seen looking out 

 to sea to the east of our camp that there were large bodies 

 of open water trending shorewards in the form of long 

 lanes at no great distance. The lanes of water were 



130 



