8 4 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [January 
or astern — several minutes often elapse after the telegraph 
has been put over before there is any movement of the 
engines. 
It makes the position rather alarming when one is 
feeling one's way into some doubtful corner. When the 
whaler was hoisted we proceeded round to the penguin 
rookery ; hopes of finding a quiet landing had now almost 
disappeared. 8 
There were several small grounded bergs close to the 
rookery ; going close to these we got repeated soundings 
varying from 34 down to 12 fathoms. There is evidently 
a fairly extensive bank at the foot of the rookery. There 
is probably good anchorage behind some of the bergs, but 
none of these afford shelter for landing on the beach, on 
which the sea is now breaking incessantly ; it would have 
taken weeks to land the ordinary stores, and heaven only 
knows how we could have got the ponies and motor 
sledges ashore. Reluctantly and sadly we have had to 
abandon our cherished plan — it is a thousand pities. 
Every detail of the shore promised well for a wintering 
party. Comfortable quarters for the hut, ice for water, 
snow for the animals, good slopes for ski-ing, vast tracks 
of rock for walks. Proximity to the Barrier and to the 
rookeries of two types of penguins — easy ascent of Mount 
Terror — good ground for biological work — good peaks 
for observation of all sorts — fairly easy approach to the 
Southern Road, with no chance of being cut off — and so 
forth. It is a thousand pities to have to abandon such 
a spot. 
On passing the rookery it seemed to me we had been 
