nd salt, but some hundred
yards from the old ice it is six inches thick: probably it averages about
this thickness all over the Sound."[275] Then we had a hard blizzard, on
the fourth day of which it was possible to get up the Heights again and
see for some distance. As far as could be judged the ice in the two bays
had remained firm: these bays are those formed on either side of Glacier
Tongue, by the Hut Point Peninsula on the south, and by Cape Evans and
the islands on the north.

On April 10 Atkinson, Keohane and Dimitri started for Cape Evans, meaning
to travel along the Peninsula to the Hutton Cliffs, and thence to cross
the sea-ice in these bays, if it proved to be practicable. The amount of
daylight was now very restricted, and the sun would disappear for the
winter a week hence. Arrived at the Hutton Cliffs, where it was blowing
as usual, they lost no time in lowering themselves and their sledge on to
the sea-ice, and were then pleasantly surprised to find how slippery it
was. "We set sail before a strong following breeze and, all sitting on
the sledge, had reached the Glacier Tongue in twenty minutes. We
clambered over the Tongue, and, our luck and the breeze still holding, we
reached Cape Evans, completing the last seven miles, all sitting on the
sledge, in an hour."

[Illustration: CAPE EVANS FROM ARRIVAL HEIGHTS]

[Illustration: CAPE ROYDS FROM CAPE BARNE]

"There I called together all the members and explained the situation,
telling them what had been done, and what I then proposed to do; also
asking them for their advice in this trying time. The opinion was almost
unanimous that all that was possible had been already done. Owing to
the lateness of the year, and the likelihood of our being unable to make
our way up the coast to Campbell, one or two members suggested that
another journey might be made to Corner Camp. Knowing the conditions
which had lately prevailed on the Barrier, I took it upon myself to
decide the uselessness of this."[276]

All was well at Cape Evans. Winds and temperatures had both been high,
the latter being in marked contrast to the low temperatures we had
experienced at Hut Point, which averaged as much as 15 deg. lower than those
that were recorded in the previous year. The seven mules were well, but
three of the new dogs had died: we were always being troubled by that
mysterious disease.

Before she left for New Zealand the following members of our company
joined the ship: