Page:Scott's Last Expedition, Volume 2.djvu/137

penguins. Time and coal were precious; so we did not wait, but turned, and steamed out of the bay.

On getting outside we found a strong S.E. wind, and as we had the current against us as well, we decided not to work along the Barrier, but to shape course direct for Cape Colbeck, in which case we could carry fore and aft sail. We encountered strong S.E. wind but no pack, until 3 o'clock on the morning of the 2nd, when we made heavy pack with a number of small bergs in it right ahead.

The sea was breaking heavily on the pack edge, so we altered course to the southward, and after a few hours' steaming against a nasty head sea we got round it. About eight o'clock the wind fell, and shortly afterwards we sighted what was apparently ice-covered land on the starboard bow—soundings gave 208 fathoms. The day was lovely, and we had a good view of the land, which proved to be Cape Colbeck, a long convex ice dome without a rock showing. Sextant angles made the summit 750 feet high, while the ice face averaged 100 feet. Some heavy pack and a large number of bergs were lying off the cliff, but working our way slowly through we found open water under the cliff. Our prospects were now bright; open water ahead and a perfect day. However, in the afternoon our hopes were blighted; about 10 miles east of Cape Colbeck we came on a line of solid unbroken pack, into which a number of bergs were frozen, stretching from the ice cliffs of King Edward's Land out to the N.W. as far as we could see from the crow's nest. We steamed up to the edge of the ice, stopped, and sounded, getting bottom at 169 fathoms.