us all were the bare sides that many of these mountains showed; we had
expected to see them far more covered with snow. Mount Fridtjof Nansen,
for example, had quite a blue-black look. Only quite at the summit was
it crowned by a mighty hood of ice that raised its shining top to some
15,000 feet. Farther to the south rose Mount Don Pedro Christophersen;
it was more covered with snow, but the long, gabled summit was to a
great extent bare. Still farther south Mounts Alice Wedel Jarlsberg,
Alice Gade, and Ruth Gade, came in sight; all snow-clad from peak
to base. I do not think I have ever seen a more beautiful or wilder
landscape. Even from where we were, we seemed to be able to see a
way up from several places. There lay Liv's Glacier,[1] for instance,
which would undoubtedly afford a good and even ascent, but it lay too
far to the north. It is of enormous extent, and would prove interesting
to explore. Crown Prince Olav's Mountains looked less promising, but
they also lay too far to the north. A little to the west of south lay
an apparently good way up. The mountains nearest to the Barrier did not
seem to offer any great obstruction. What one might find later, between
Mounts Pedro Christophersen and Fridtjof Nansen, was not easy to say.

On the 12th we reached 84deg. S. On that day we made the interesting
discovery of a chain of mountains running to the east; this, as it
appeared from the spot where we were, formed a semicircle, where it
joined the mountains of South Victoria Land. This semicircle lay true
south, and our course was directed straight towards it.

In the depot in 84deg. S. we left, besides the usual quantity of
provisions for five men and twelve dogs for four days, a can of
paraffin, holding 17 litres (about 34 gallons). We had abundance of
matches, and could therefore distribute them over all the depots. The
Barrier continued as flat as before, and the going was as good as it