During the forenoon the ship was within seven or eight miles of
the high bold coast-line to the south of Cape Adare, but later
she had to be turned outwards
[Page 46]
so that the heavy stream of pack-ice drifting along the land could
be avoided. By the morning of the 11th she was well clear of the
land, but the various peaks and headlands which Sir James Ross
had named could be distinctly seen, and gave everyone plenty to
talk and think about. Progress, however, was slow, owing to a brisk
S. E. wind and the fact that only one boiler was being used.

Of all economies practiced on board the most important was that
of coal, but Scott was not at all sure that this decision to use
only one boiler was really economical. Certainly coal was saved but
time was also wasted, and against an adverse wind the _Discovery_
could only make fifty-five miles on the 11th, and on the 12th she
scarcely made any headway at all, for the wind had increased and
a heavy swell was coming up from the south.

To gain shelter Scott decided to turn in towards the high cliffs
of Coulman Island, the land of which looked illusively near as
they approached it. So strong was this deception that the engines
were eased when the ship was still nearly two miles away from the
cliffs. Later on, in their winter quarters and during their sledge
journeys, they got to know how easy it was to be deluded as regards
distance, and what very false appearances distant objects could
assume. This matter is of interest, because it shows that Polar
explorers must be exceedingly cautious in believing the evidence of
their own eyes, and it also explains the errors which the _Discovery_
expedition found to