SOUTH 
man, and at our best speed we went along the beach to another 
rising ridge of tussock. Here we saw the first evidence of the 
proximity of man, whose work, as is so often the case, was 
one of destruction. A recently killed seal was lying there, and 
presently we saw several other bodies bearing the marks of 
bullet-wounds. I learned later that men from the whaling- 
station at Stromness sometimes go round to Fortuna Bay by 
boat to shoot seals. 
Noon found us well up the slope on the other side of the 
bay working east-south-east, and half an hour later we were 
on a flat plateau, w^ith one more ridge to cross before we 
descended into Husvik. I was leading the way over this 
plateau when 1 suddenly found myself up to my knees in 
water and quickly sinking deeper through the snoAV-crust. I 
flung myself down and called to the others to do the same, 
80 as to distribute our weight on the treacherous surface. We 
were on top of a small lake, snow-covered. After lymg still 
for a few moments we got to our feet and walked delicately, 
like Agag, for 200 yds., imtil a rise in the surface showed us 
that we were clear of the lake. 
At 1.30 p.m. we climbed round a final ridge and saw a 
little steamer, a whaling-boat, entering the bay 2500 ft. below. 
A few moments later, as he hm^ied forward, the masts of a 
sailing-ship Ipng at a wharf came in sight. Minute figures 
moving to and fro about the boats caught our gaze, and then 
we saw the sheds and factory of Stromness whaling-station. 
We paused and shook hands, a form of mutual congratulation 
that had seemed necessary on four other occasions in the course 
of the expedition. The first time was when we landed on 
Elephant Island, the second when we reached South Georgia, 
and the third when we reached the ridge and saw the snow- 
slope stretching below on the first day of the overland journey, 
then when we saw Husvik rocks. 
Cautiously we started down the slope that led to warmth 
and comfort. The last lap of the journey proved extraordinarily 
difficult. Vainly we searched for a safe, or a reasonably safe, 
way down the steep ice-clad mountain-side. The sole possible 
pathway seemed to be a chamiel cut by water running from 
204 
