194 SCOri^'S LAST KXPKDTTION [Februaky 
\\\c cast end of the lake — the first of many cold niealSj 
and like all of tliem consisting chiefly of biscuit and 
butler, varied by biscuit witliout butter. However, we 
had a cake of chocolate each afternoon and a little 
cheese. 
llereal)outs the wide valley was filled with niorainic 
debris, and we ]">assed close to several of the cliff glaciers. 
J was much surprised to find that the bed of tJie valley now 
commenced to rise, for we knew we were approaching the 
sea. We continued to ascend and could see no way out of 
ihe trough. Immediately aliead was a great rock barrier 
across tlie valley and evidently several tliousand feet liigh. 
\See Illustration, p. 420.] However, in the next few miles 
I counted no less tlian thirteen dead seals which, had 
somehow come up fiom tlie coast, and J lelt sure we could 
<'asily manage anything they could traverse. 
Soon we began to open up a narrow defile down tlie 
iiori li side of the valley, but this outlet — a sort of notcJi one 
thousand feet deep scored in tlie bottom of the trough — 
was apparently barred by a tributary cliff glacier. 
It was iu)W nearly six o'clock' and my shoulder was 
aching with my pack. judging Irom tlie readiness ot the 
others to drop tlieii' loads, 1 concluded that they felt the 
same. Hut we all had an idea that a few minutes later 
woidd give us a view ol the sea. 
We wondered if we could pass around tlie snout of this 
wonderful tributary immediately in ivoui. ]t opposed a 
face of ice 40 feet high, but just wliere it butted into the 
steep (south) slope of the defile there was a ga]\ So narrow 
was tliis that one could almost touch the ice face on on<' 
