, had breakfast, packed up and left the Hut at
seven o'clock.

After two good days' work under a magnificently clear sky, with the
temperature often as low as -34 degrees F., we sighted two small
nunataks among a cluster of pressure-ridges, eight miles to the south.
It was the first land, in the sense of rocks, seen for more than seven
months. We hoped to visit the outcrops--Gillies Nunataks--on our return.

The course next day was due east and parallel to the mainland, then ten
miles distant. To the north was Masson Island, while at about the same
distance and ahead was a smaller island, entirely ice-covered like the
former--Henderson Island.

A blizzard of three days' duration kept us in camp between August 27 and
30. Jones, Moyes and I had a three-man sleeping-bag, and the temperature
being high, 11 degrees to 15 degrees F., we were very warm, but
thoroughly tired of lying down for so long. Harrisson, Dovers and Watson
had single bags and therefore less room in the other tent.

The last day of August was beautifully bright: temperature -12 degrees
to -15 degrees F. We passed Henderson Island in the forenoon,
and, hauling up a rise to the south of it, had a good view of the
surroundings. On the right, the land ran back to form a large bay,
seventeen miles wide. This was later named the Bay of Winds, as a "blow"
was always encountered while crossing it.

In the centre of the bay was a nunatak, which from its shape at once
received the name of the Alligator. In front, apparently fifteen miles
off, was another nunatak, the Hippo, and four definite outcrops--Delay
Point and Avalanche Rocks--could be seen along the mainland. The sight
of this bare rock was very pleasing, as we had begun to think we were
going to find nothing but ice-sheathed land. Dovers took a round of
angles to all the prominent points.

The Hippo was twenty-two miles away, so deceptive is distance in these
latitudes; and in one and a half days, over very heavy sastrugi, we were
in its vicinity. The sledges could not be brought very near the rock as
it was surrounded by massive ridges of pressure-ice.

We climbed to the top of the nunatak which was four hundred and twenty
feet high, four hundred yards long and two hundred yards wide. It was
composed of gneissic granite and schists. Dovers took angles from an
eminence, Watson collected geological specimens and Harrisson sketched
until his fingers were frost-bitten. Moss and lichens were found and a