200 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [Fkbkuary 
books. Tlic Red Magazine^ llic: ' Autocrat,' and ]5rowning 
wtMc most often read ; Iwans' contribution bcin^^^ an easy 
winner. Sonieliow wc didn't Jiaidcer after German. 
On tlie loili we descended 1200 feet down a series of 
undulations and readied our de]^ot at CatJiedral Rocks. 
The skua gulls had found the carcase of the Eniperor and 
our chance of a variation in tlie menu had departed with 
the gulls. 
On the iith Wriglit and Debcnham carried out a very 
important operation to determine tlie movement of tlie 
Ferrar Glacier. TJiey fixed stakes rigiit across tlie glacier 
which were aligned on two prominent peaks. Some six 
months later Captain Scott re-measured tJiis line and found 
that very considerable movement, amounting to 30 feet, 
had taken place during the winter. 
Meanwhile P.O. Evans and I prospected for a route up 
the steep snow slope of Descent Pass. Evans had been witli, 
Armitagc when lie used this route in 1903. We found the 
conditions very dilTerent. Soon we were sinking nearly 
two feet at ever)' steji in soft snow, through wliicli I knew 
it would be almost impossible to drag tlie sledges. The 
slo[X' soon increased to 1 so tJiat we found sttme difliculty 
in progressing even unencumbered. I'here I first nuide 
the acquaintance oi the ' Jxirrier Shudder.' Every now 
anil then a siiiver would shake the surface and wc could 
hear the eerie wave of sound exj\anding like a ripple all 
around. Sometimes one could see the whole snow 
surface sinking slightly, and at first the eficct was very 
unpleasant. 
had been roped for two miles and were still 
