628 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION 
mass of the Barrier with vast pressure and disturbance. So far did 
this ice disturbance extend, that if the travellers had taken a bee-line 
to the foot of the glacier itself, they must have begun to steer outwards 
200 miles sooner. 
The Gateway was a neck or saddle of drifted snow lying in a gap of 
the mountain rampart which flanked the last curve of the glacier. 
Under the cliffs on either hand, like a moat beneath the ramparts, lay 
a yawning ice-cleft or bcrgschrund, formed by the drawing away of 
the steadily moving Barrier ice from the rocks. Across this moat 
and leading up to the gap in the ramparts, the Gateway provided a 
solid causeway. To climb this and descend its reverse face gave the 
easiest access to the surface of the glacier. 
Note 23, p. 514. — Return of first Southern Party from Lat. 85 0 7' 
S. top of the Beard more Glacier. 
Party : E. L. Atkinson, A. Cherry-Garrard, C. S. Wright, Petty 
Officer Keohane. 
On the morning of December 22, 191 1, we made a late start after 
saying good-bye to the eight going on, and wishing them all good luck 
and success. The first 11 miles was on the down-grade over the ice- 
falls, and at a good pace we completed this in about four hours. 
Lunched, and on, completing nearly 23 miles for the first day. At 
the end of the second day we got among very bad crevasses through 
keeping too far to the eastward. This delayed us slightly and we 
made the depot on the third day. We reached the Lower Glacier 
Dcp6t three and a half days after. The lower part of the glacier was 
very badly crevasscd. These crevasses we had never seen on the way 
1 up, as they had been covered with three to four feet of snow. All the 
bridges of crevasses were concave and very wide ; no doubt their normal 
summer condition. On Christmas Day we made in to the lateral 
moraine of the Cloudmakcr and collected geological specimens. The 
march across the Barrier was only remarkable for the extremely bad 
lights we had. For eight consecutive days we only saw an exceedingly 
dim sun during three hours. Up to One Ton Depot our marches had 
averaged 14*1 geographical miles a day. We arrived at Cape Evans 
on January 28, 1912, after being away for three months. [E.L.A.] 
Note 24, p. 529. — January 3. Return of the second supporting 
party. 
Under average conditions, the return party should have well 
fulfilled Scott's cheery anticipations. Three-man teams had done 
excellently on previous sledging expeditions, whether in Discovery 
days or as recently as the mid-winter visit to the Emperor penguins' 
rookery ; and the three in this party were seasoned travellers with 
a skilled navigator to lead them. But a blizzard held them up for 
three days before reaching the head of the glacier. They had to press 
on at speed. By the time they reached the foot of the glacier, Lieut. 
Evans developed symptoms of scurvy. His spring work of surveying 
