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It was after six a.m. before the head of the column moved out towards the desert track. The rear did not get away before eight o'clock, much too late an hour for marching in the Soudan. The weather was hot, the sun scorching despite a brisk southerly breeze. Lieutenant H. M. Grenfell had charge of the fine Cyprus mule train for carrying the British divisional baggage.
Here the Wind coming Southerly, forced us to keep farther from the Islands. The 14 day of October we came close by a small low woody Island, that lieth East from the S.E. end of Mindanao, distant from it about 20 Leagues. I do not find it set down in any Sea-Chart. The 15th day we had the Wind at N.E. and we steered West for the Island Mindanao, and arrived at the S.E. end again in the 16th day.
In such a scattered sea we cannot go direct, but often have to make longish detours; but on the whole in calm water and with a favouring wind we make good progress. With the sea even as open as we find it here it is astonishing to find the floes so large, and clearly there cannot be a southerly swell.
On the 22d of May, two isles were observed, the most southerly bearing from S. by E. to S.W. by S., and seeming to be about twelve leagues long, in a N.N.W. direction; the other bore from S.W. 1/2 S. to W.N.W., and having been first seen at day-break, was called Aurora. To the former, in honour of the day, was given the name of Isle de la Pentecôte, or Whitsun Isle.
As I had hoped, the white desert behind us has become broken by many thin streaks of water which intersect it in all directions. Our latitude to-day was 80 degrees 52' N., which shows that there is a strong southerly drift upon the pack. Should the wind continue favourable it will break up as rapidly as it formed. At present we can do nothing but smoke and wait and hope for the best.
But the argument favoring it is well fortified and ably advanced, and if we add to the astronomical considerations involved, the physical proofs of a change in the earth's centre of gravity, caused by the excessive accumulation of ice about either pole, and the probable shifting of the Gulf stream to a southerly direction during the glacial period north, it is difficult to resist the conviction that the real cause of glaciation has been suggested in this theory.
During our absence light winds had prevailed; on several days land and seabreezes. The cessation of strong southerly winds kept the temperature about 60 degrees. Mr. Fitzmaurice had returned and gave the following account of his examination. Commencing at Mr.
The more southerly of these terminates near a depression on a rocky headland projecting from the coast-line, and the other stops a few miles short of this. A third cleft, commencing at a point N.E. of the headland, runs in the same direction up to a small crater near the N. end of another cape-like projection.
We had a long passage out, the wind hanging to the eastward near three weeks. At length we got moderate southerly breezes, and began to travel on our course. Twenty-four hours after we had got the fair wind, I had the morning watch, and made, as the day dawned, a sail directly abeam of us, to windward, about three leagues distant, or just hull down.
On passing this line, and continuing towards the S.E., the formations 4, 3, and 2, are again repeated, in the same relative order of superposition, but with a southerly dip. These are composed of red conglomerate and sand, and are newer than any of the groups, 1, 2, 3, 4, before described, and rest UNCONFORMABLY upon strata of the sandstone group, No. 2.
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