FIRST ANTARCTIC NIGHT 401 
on shore at this point, indicating that Antarctica is not an 
absolute blank to the botanist. A broad ice-foot swept 
southward along the coast from Cape Washington, but 
the coast itself was easily visible beyond it, as the South- 
ern Cross found the sea much more free from ice than did 
the Erebus and Terror. On February 9th a landing was 
made on Franklin Island where magnetic observations 
were secured on a beach swarming with vociferous 
penguins. Reindeer moss was discovered here again. 
Next day the ship lay-to off Cape Crozier waiting for the 
clouds to disperse and reveal the forms of Mounts Erebus 
and Terror, which had been hidden from human sight 
since the ships that brought them their names carried Ross 
and Crozier back to the open ocean sixty years before. A 
landing was made near the foot of Cape Crozier at great 
risk, the party who scrambled on the narrow ledge of 
rocks being nearly washed away by the surge raised by a 
mass of ice falling into the sea. When the ship, steering 
eastward, had passed Cape Crozier a little before mid- 
night the clouds dispersed and Mount Terror stood out 
plainly, a large part of its upper slopes free from snow 
and dotted with parasitic cones, each with its crater. At: 
the foot of the mountain near Cape Crqzier there stretched 
the largest penguin rookery yet seen, Mr. Bernacchi esti- 
mating the number of birds at millions. But the most 
impressive feature of all was the great ice-barrier which 
now began to drag its slow length past the ship, commenc- 
ing at Cape Crozier and running eastward for an indefi- 
nite distance. 
As the Southern Cross steamed along the face of the 
towering wall of ice, much closer than the fear of finding 
himself on a lee-shore ever allowed Ross to sail, the 
weather grew bitterly cold. Though it was still summer 
26 
