While Scott was away southwards an organized attempt was made to discover the nature of the mountains and glaciers which lay across the Sound to the west.  This party actually reached the plateau which lay beyond, and attained a height of 8900 feet, when “as far as they could see in every direction to the westward of them there extended a level plateau, to the south and north could be seen isolated nunataks, and behind them showed the high mountains which they had passed”:  a practicable road to the west had been found.

I need note no more than these two most important of the many journeys carried out this season:  nor is it necessary for me to give any account of the continuous and fertile scientific work which was accomplished in this virgin land.  In the meantime a relief ship, the Morning, had arrived.  It was intended that the Discovery should return this year as soon as the sea-ice in which she was imprisoned should break up and set her free.  As February passed, however, it became increasingly plain that the ice conditions were altogether different from those of the previous year.  On the 8th the Morning was still separated from the Discovery by eight miles of fast ice.  March 2 was fully late for a low-powered ship to remain in the Sound, and on this date the Morning left.  By March 13 all hope of the Discovery being freed that year was abandoned.

The second winter passed much as the first, and as soon as spring arrived sledging was continued.  These spring journeys on the Barrier, with sunlight only by day and low temperatures at all times, entailed great discomfort and, perhaps worse, want of sleep, frost-bites, and a fast accumulation of moisture in all one’s clothing and in the sleeping-bags, which resulted in masses of ice which had to be thawed out by the heat of one’s body before any degree of comfort could be gained.  A fortnight was considered about the extreme limit of time for such a journey, and generally parties were not absent so long; for at this time a spring journey was considered a dreadful experience.  “Wait till you’ve had a spring journey” was the threat of the old stagers to us.  A winter journey lasting nearly three times as long as a spring journey was not imagined.  I advise explorers to be content with imagining it in the future.

The hardest journey of this year was carried out by Scott with two seamen of whom much will be written in this history.  Their names are Edgar Evans and Lashly.  The object of the journey was to explore westwards into the interior of the plateau.  By way of the Ferrar Glacier they reached the ice-cap after considerable troubles, not the least of which was the loss of the data necessary for navigation contained in an excellent publication called Hints to Travellers, which was blown away.  Then for the first time it was seen what additional difficulties are created by the climate and position of this lofty plateau, which we now know extends over the Pole and