154 SIEGE OF THE SOUTH POLE 
mass; land may intervene, or winds, where they are 
strong and prevalent, may have prevented its forming in 
some parts more than others, but I have found such 
frequent calms and light airs with smooth water, that I 
see no reason why ice should not be formed to any extent 
during the winter seasons.” 
These views have recently been confirmed by fresh 
evidence collected by Captain Scott on the Discovery 
expedition. Biscoe showed very clearly how the 
great masses of flat-topped floating ice “accumulated 
with time,” could give rise to all the varieties of peaked 
and caverned bergs wh ; ch were to be met with by the 
solvent action of the sea-water on the submerged portion, 
altering their centre of gravity and causing them to turn 
over, exposing the fantastically water-worn parts to 
the air. 
On February 6th, a patch of discoloured water was 
seen, but no soundings were found with 250 fathoms 
of line. On the 14th a severe gale blew and the cutter 
got out of sight again. The weather became so thick 
that lumps of floating ice, collision with which would 
have sent the brig to the bottom, could hardly be seen 
until they were almost on board, and the seas broke over 
the deck and froze so that if some unknown but benevo- 
lent Captain Christie had not supplied the crew with 
boots at Gravesend, the captain declared that half the 
poor fellows would have been laid up. After four days 
of anxious search the Lively was found again, and on 
February 20th, when the days were beginning to shorten 
with uncomfortable rapidity, a fine display of the aurora 
australis was seen by the officer of the watch, who neg- 
lected to report it to the captain before it disappeared, 
and is censured in the iog accordingly. On the same day 
