Page:Scott's Last Expedition, Volume 1.djvu/71

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1910]
TABULAR BERGS
23

more than two or three feet in thickness. ‘I had hoped that we should not meet it till we reached latitude 66½ or at least 66.’ We decided to work to the south and west as far as the open water would allow, and have met with some success. At 4 p.m., as I write, we are still in open water, having kept a fairly straight course and come through five or six light streams of ice, none more than 300 yards across.

We have passed some very beautiful bergs, mostly tabular. The heights have varied from 60 to 80 feet, and I am getting to think that this part of the Antarctic yields few bergs of greater altitude.

Two bergs deserve some description. One, passed very close on port hand in order that it might be cinematographed, was about 80 feet in height, and tabular. It seemed to have been calved at a comparatively recent date.

Straight strata of hard white névé with 'intrusions' of blue Ice.

Twisted strata of blue ice.

The above picture shows its peculiarities, and points to the desirability of close examination of other berg faces. There seemed to be a distinct difference of origin between the upper and lower portions of the berg, as though a land glacier had been covered by layer after layer of seasonal snow. Then again, what I have described as ‘intrusive