Grotto in a berg. Terra Nova in distance. Taylor and Wright (Interior), January 5, 1911

Photographed on January 5, 1911, shortly after the arrival of the Terra Nova at McMurdo Sound: 'In one of these bergs there was a grotto. This I decided, should be the object of my first excursions. It was about a mile from the ship, and though a lot of rough and broken ice surrounded it, I was able to get right up to it. A fringe of long icicles hung at the entrance of the grotto, and passing under these I was in the most wonderful place imaginable. From outside, the interior appeared quite white and colourless, but once inside, it was a lovely symphony of blue and green. I made many photographs in this remarkable place - than which I secured none more beautiful the entire time I was in the South. By almost incredible good luck the entrance to the cavern framed a fine new of the Terra Nova lying at the ice-foot, a mile away ... Taylor and Wright came out to investigate the phenomenon in the afternoon, and with ice-axes cut steps up the floe that formed the outer part of the tunnel, whilst I kinematographed the Alpine feat. It made an excellent film. Then we all explored the cave, which closed up rapidly towards the further end. After squeezing through a passage with a "Fat Man's Misery" in it, and climbing through a narrow sloping tunnel, we found ourselves high in the open air, near the summit of the berg. As we emerged, Wright had a slip and narrowly escaped falling into the water, fifty feet below. Fortunately he managed to regain his footing - therby depriving a Killer whale, which immediately afterwards spouted in the pool, of a change of diet for lunch.' (H.G. Ponting, The Great White South, London, 1924, (6th ed.), p.67-8)