NEW LAND 
except under pressure of necessity. Every mile gained towards 
the south meant a mile less sledging when the time came for 
the overland journey. 
Shortly before midnight on tlie 15th we came abreast of 
the northern edge of a great glacier or overflow from the 
inland ice, projecting beyond the barrier into the sea. It was 
400 or 500 ft. high, and at its edge was a large mass of 
thick bay-ice. The bay formed by the northern edge of this 
glacier would have made an excellent landing-place. A flat 
ice-foot nearly three feet above sea-level looked like a natural 
quay. From this ice-foot a snow-slope rose to the top of the 
barrier. The bay was protected from the south-easterly wind 
and was open only to the northerly wind, wliich is rare in those 
latitudes. A sounding gave 80 fathoms, indicating that the 
glacier was aground. I named the place Glacier Bay, and had 
reason later to remember it with regret. 
The Endurance steamed along the front of this ice-flow for 
about seventeen miles. The glacier showed huge crevasses and 
high pressure ridges, and appeared to run back to ice-covered 
slopes or hills 1000 or 2000 ft. high. Some bays in its front 
were filled with smooth ice, dotted Avith seals and penguins. At 
4 a.m. on the 16th we reached the edge of another huge glacial 
overflow from the ice-sheet. The ice appeared to be coming over 
low hiUs and was heavily broken. The cliff-face was 250 to 
350 ft. high, and the ice surface two mfles inland was probably 
2000 ft. high. The cliff-front showed a tide-mark of about 
6 ft., provmg that it was not afloat. We steamed along the 
front of this tremendous glacier for 40 miles and then, at 
8.30 a.m., we were held up by solid pack-ice, which appeared 
to be held by stranded bergs. The depth, two cables off the 
barrier-clifl, was 134 fathoms. No further advance was possible 
that day, but the noon observation, which gave the position 
as lat. 76° 27' S. long. 28° 51' W., showed that we had gained 
124 miles to the south-west during the preceding twenty-four 
hours. The afternoon was i ot without incident. The bergs in 
the neighbourhood were very large, several being over 200 ft. 
high, and some of them were firmly agTourd, showing tide- 
marks. A barrier-berg bearing north-west appeared to be 
27 
