Page:Scott's Last Expedition, Volume 2.djvu/290
of the problems which engaged our attention. For instance, Wright was chiefly interested in the forms of ice-structure which we encountered. The most delicate ice-crystals, which withered at a breath, must needs be photographed in situ. There was no possibility of his bringing back specimens for study in the hut during the dark winter months. For similar reasons a somewhat bulky polariscope—in which sheets of ice were examined in polarised light—formed part of his load, and was vulgarly referred to as 'the Barrel Organ.' He also had charge of the theodolite.
Debenham was engaged on the more usual work of collecting rock specimens and mapping their occurrence in the field. For this purpose another camera was essential, since in general his investigations were carried out on the cliffs at some distance from the rest of us.
The subject which primarily interested myself was the physiographic aspect of the region, or, as it may popularly be described, 'The last chapter in the geological history of Antarctica.' In other words, How has the land surface been affected by the flow of glaciers, by the action of wind, frost, water, and ice? And a second and more interesting question I set myself was, How do the resulting features differ from those observed in more temperate regions, where water plays such an important part and ice erosion is absent?
On January 27 Pennell took us across the Sound in the Terra Nova from Glacier Tongue to Butter Point, where we arrived about 4 p.m. We spent some time