SCIENCE IN THE ICE 
with the temperature well below freezing, made every- 
thing look bright and cheerful. The sun also brought 
us wonderful cloud effects, marvellously delicate tints of 
sky, cloud, and ice, such effects as one might travel far 
to see. In spite of our impatience we would not willingly 
have missed many of the beautiful scenes which our 
sojourn in the pack afforded us. Ponting and Wilson 
have been busy catching these effects, but no art can 
reproduce such colours as the deep blue of the icebergs. 
'Scientifically we have been able to do something. 
We have managed to get a line of soundings on our route 
showing the raising of the bottom from the ocean depths 
to the shallow water on the continental shelf, and the 
nature of the bottom. With these soundings wc have 
obtained many interesting observations of the temperature 
of different layers of water in the sea. 
' Then we have added a great deal to the knowledge 
of life in the pack from observation of the whales, seals, 
penguins, birds, and fishes as well as of the pelagic beasts 
which are caught in tow-nets. Life in one form or another 
is very plentiful in the pack> and the struggle for existence 
here as elsewhere is a fascinating subject for study. 
'We have made a systematic study of the ice also, 
both the bergs and sea ice, and have got a good deal of 
useful information concerning it. Also Penncll has done 
a little magnetic work. 
'But of course this slight list of activity in the cause 
of science is a very poor showing for the time of our 
numerous experts ; many have had to be idle in regard 
to their own specialities, though none are idle otherwise. 
