2i6 SCOTT'S LAST KXPMDITION [MAiuu 
( i.u k one luiiulu'J yartis l)cl(tw us, probably driven hack 
by a liii'ji licit'. We had t|uiU' a pil^^rima^c to grl our 
sK-tlia- parked .'if^ain, having Lo walk round the newly 
iorined l)ay. 
'I'he avenue petered oul liere, alter liirnishing us willi a 
niajMM been 1 hndi wa)' tor t wen ly miles. We liad some 
pi"elty rough woi k loi" I lie ni xl nnle or so, but reached our 
th'IM")! salely on (he evening ol ihe i^th. We had a line 
iced ol seal liver Iried in blubbei'. I )ebenham was cook antl 
V.i). luans was liankly sceptical as lo (he resuU. lie look 
Ins whack gnig<'rly, bu I handsomely acknowledged il 
I as led much bel 1 er than in Disrovrry tiays. Wt' t u rncd 
o\'er (he Iry w 1 1 h my bowie IvUile and tound lhat salely- 
pins made t'xcellen ( lorks. 
On the 61 h we started across the head ot" McMurdo 
Sound lo reach Ross Island. We luul now two sledges lo 
pull, but (lie surlaee was g(u)d and wc stton approached tlie 
|)ade\ Isles. W V made an inlereslmg disct)\er\ here. All 
ai"t)und were heaps ol laige sponges- a tool m diameler— 
bu ried in snow and ice. Among I he long spicules we 
tound Hr\ o/.oa, l^iachiopoda, Scrpuhe, nu)llusca, and a line 
' solitar\ ' ct)ra]. 
'I'iial evenmg we climbed A\'esl Pailex Isle- a mass of 
\olcanic la\a ()00 teet high — to lr\ lo see the exlenl ot 
open wa lei-. The head ot IVIcMunlo Sound is occupied 
by a broad wedge ol pinnacle ici' about iweKe miles wide 
al l(^^ base. It was net."essar\ eilher tt> caoss ihis or go 
riglil round it. A\'e had hat.! such hea\\' work with owe 
light sledge that the latlei- route seemcLl tlie best, e\en 
tiiough it was more than twice the distance. 
