I9I2] A COMPULSORY MARCH 279 
below us. Tlie surface was not very good, usually two 
inches deep in snow and occasionally a foot deep. This 
did not promise easy sledging ; but tlic snow was dry 
now, and I was going to cut down the weights to a 
minimum. 
We could see open water about twenty miles off, but 
a huge mass of ice pack was apparent as far nortli as we 
could sec. There seemed to be a broad belt of pack, 
at least sixty miles long, which was quite absent in 
January 1902. 
Obviously our exploration of Terra Nova Bay was 
impossible now, and it looked as if the sliip would never 
reach us at Cape Roberts. WitJi good luck wc might 
cross the piedmont glacier to Cape Bernacclii in a few 
days, and Pennell might find it easier to reach us there, 
while we should at any rate be nearer to headquarters. 
There was also a week's food there, and we liad now only 
a fortnight's sledging stores left. 
On February 4, Gran and 1 explored the sea ice below 
the piedmont for about four miles to the southwarei. 
Wc passed through the fifteen bergs in the little bay, 
and then got among tlie screw pack. This was covered 
with snow and afforded us extremely heavy going, as 
may be imagined. Near the shore was a perfect network 
of new cracks with the ice ' working ' all the time. Below 
the glacier wall was a deep tide crack four feet wide, but 
wliere some ice blocks had fallen in we nianaged to get 
across to fixed ice. As a result of this journey 1 decided 
to march first along the sea ice, and then climb up the 
piedmont at this point. 
