262 British Antarctic Expedition. 
me of Mount Etna, while the midnight sun surpassed 
itself in splendour. 
As we gradually drew near to this dark рго- 
montory, we were enabled more distinctly to ascertain 
the nature and appearance of it. Towards the west 
a low peninsula descended from some picturesque 
and wild-looking basaltic rocks, which stood sharply 
out against the white cover of Mount Melbourne. 
They towered up into the most fantastic shapes some 
700 ft. high. At places the pinnacles seemed in the 
very act of falling, and evidently did not want a very 
great force brought to bear upon them for them to do 
so. Through the appearance of these rocks I gathered 
that. they had been there for some time, and it is 
likely that the gales in this vicinity were considerably 
more moderate than those prevalent at Cape Adare. 
Towards the north-western side, and parted from 
the low peninsula on the western side through a 
small ridge with numerous passes, a small penguin 
colony was thriving, and as the young ones were 
not so far advanced as those few which were 
still left at Cape Adare when we departed, they 
did not seem to have any immediate. intentions 
of leaving their breeding-place. At all events, they 
were evidently well protected by the cone of Mount 
Melbourne from the south. Although we had to use 
considerable care in approaching near this promontory 
with the Southern Cross, because of the drifting pack, 
we effected a landing in one of our whale boats 
without much difficulty. It was remarkable how the 
pebbly peninsula on which we landed resembled that 
at Camp Ridley. On this beach, however, there were 
no penguins, but a great many skuas with. nearly 
