A fresh west-south-westerly breeze was blowing on the following
morning (Wednesday, May 17), with misty squalls, sleet, and rain. I
took Worsley with me on a pioneer journey to the west with the object
of examining the country to be traversed at the beginning of the
overland journey. We went round the seaward end of the snouted
glacier, and after tramping about a mile over stony ground and snow-
coated debris, we crossed some big ridges of scree and moraines. We
found that there was good going for a sledge as far as the north-east
corner of the bay, but did not get much information regarding the
conditions farther on owing to the view becoming obscured by a snow-
squall. We waited a quarter of an hour for the weather to clear but
were forced to turn back without having seen more of the country. I
had satisfied myself, however, that we could reach a good snow-slope
leading apparently to the inland ice. Worsley reckoned from the chart
that the distance from our camp to Husvik, on an east magnetic course,
was seventeen geographical miles, but we could not expect to follow a
direct line. The carpenter started making a sledge for use on the
overland journey. The materials at his disposal were limited in
quantity and scarcely suitable in quality.
We overhauled our gear on Thursday, May 18; and hauled our sledge to
the lower edge of the snouted glacier.
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