ise to a prominent knoll of one hundred and
seventy feet. Here our distance from the Hut amounted to one hundred and
fifty-two miles, and the spot was reckoned a good situation for the last
depot.

In taking magnetic observations, it was interesting to find that the
"dip" amounted to 87 degrees 44', while the declination, which had
varied towards the west, swung at this our most northerly station a few
degrees to the east. We were curving round the South Magnetic Pole. Many
points on the coast were fixed from an adjoining hill to which Correll
and I trudged through sandy snow, while McLean stayed behind erecting
the depot-mound, placing a food-bag, kerosene tin, black cloth and
miner's pick on the top.

With four weeks' provisions we made a new start to cross the Ninnis
Glacier on December 3, changing course to E. 30 degrees N., in great
wonderment as to what lay ahead. In this new land interest never
flagged. One never could foresee what the morrow would bring forth.

Across rolling "downs" of soft, billowy snow we floundered for
twenty-four miles, on the two following days. Not a wind-ripple could
be seen. We were evidently in a region of comparative calms, which was
a remarkable thing, considering that the windiest spot in the world was
less than two hundred miles away.

After several sunny days McLean and I had very badly cracked lips. It
had been often remarked at the Hut that the standard of humour greatly
depreciated during the winter and this caused McLean and me many a
physical pang while sledging, as we would laugh at the least provocation
and open all the cracks in our lips. Eating hard plasmon biscuits was a
painful pleasure. Correll, who was immune from this affliction, tanned
to the rich hue of the "nut-brown maiden."

On December 5, at the top of a rise, we were suddenly confronted with a
new vision--"Thalassa!" was our cry, "the sea!" but a very different sea
from that which brought such joy to the hearts of the wandering Greeks.
Unfolded to the horizon was a plain of pack-ice, thickly studded with
bergs and intersected by black leads of open water. In the north-east
was a patch of open sea and above it, round to the north, lowering banks
of steel-blue cloud. We had come to the eastern side of Ninnis Glacier.

At this point any analogy which could possibly have been found with
Wilkes's coastline ceased. It seems probable that he charted as land the
limits of the pack-ice in 1840.

The excitement