ice field we had just forced. The wind came fair as the day wore on and
by 10 p.m. we were under plain sail, doing a good six knots. High
mountains were visible to the west-ward, part of the Admiralty Range, two
splendid peaks to be seen towering above the remainder, which appeared to
be Mounts Sabine and Herschell. Coulman Island was seen in the distance
during the day.

What odd thrills the sight of the Antarctic Continent sent through most
of us. Land was first sighted late on New Year's Eve and I think
everybody had come on deck at the cry "Land oh!" To me those peaks always
did and always will represent silent defiance; there were times when they
made me shudder, but it is good to have looked upon them and to remember
them in those post-War days of general discontent, for they remind me of
the four Antarctic voyages which I have made and of the unanimous
goodwill that obtained in each of the little wooden ships which were our
homes for so long. How infinitely distant those towering mountains seemed
and how eternal their loneliness.

As we neared Cape Crozier Wilson became more and more interested. He was
dreadfully keen on the beach there being selected as a base, and his
enthusiasm was infectious. Certainly Scott was willing enough to try to
effect a landing even apart from the advantage of having a new base. The
Cape Crozier beach would probably mean a shorter journey to the Pole, for
we should be spared the crevasses which radiated from White Island and
necessitated a big detour being made to avoid them.

As we proceeded the distant land appeared more plainly and we were able
to admire and identify the various peaks of the snow-clad mountain range.
The year could not have opened more pleasantly. We had church in a warm
sun, with a temperature several degrees above freezing point, and most of