SOUTH 
the liead of the bay from the eastward. I hoped that the 
presence of these birds indicated tussock-land and not snow- 
fields and glaciers in the interior, but the hope was not a very 
bright one. 
We turned out at 2 a.m. on the Friday morning and had 
our hoosh ready an hour later. The full moon was shining in 
a practically cloudless sky, its rays reflected gloriously from 
the pinnacles and crevassed ice of the adjacent glaciers. The 
huge peaks of the mountains stood in bold relief against the 
sky and threw dark shadows on the waters of the sound. There 
was no need for delay, and we made a start as soon as we had 
eaten our meal. McNeish walked about 200 yds. with us; 
he could do no more. Then we said good-bye and he turned 
back to the camp. The first task was to get round the edge 
of the snouted glacier, which had points like fingers projecting 
towards the sea. The waves were reaching the points of these 
fingers, and we had to rush from one recess to another when 
the waters receded. We soon reached the east side of the 
glacier and noticed its great activity at this point. Changes 
had occurred within the preceding twenty-four hours. Some 
huge pieces had broken off, and the masses of mud and stone 
that were being driven before the advancing ice showed move- 
ment. The glacier was like a gigantic plough driving irresis- 
tibly towards the sea. 
Lying on the beach beyond the glacier was wreckage that 
told of many ill-fated ships. We noticed stanchions of teak- 
wood, liberally carved, that must have come from ships of the 
older type ; iron-bound timbers with the iron almost rusted 
through; battered barrels and all the usual debris of the 
ocean. We had difficulties and anxieties of our own, but as 
we passed that graveyard of the sea we thought of the many 
tragedies written in the wave-worn fragments of lost vessels. 
We did not pause, and soon we were ascending a snow-slope, 
heading due east on the last lap of our long trail 
The snow-surface was disappointing. Two days before we 
had been able to move rapidly on hard, packed snow ; now 
we sank over our ankles at each step and progress was slow. 
After two hours' steady climbing we were 2500 ft. above sea- 
194 
