DOWN THE CREVASSE 69 



the dogs and the sledge, while Payer was dragged back- 

 wards by the rope. The fall was arrested at a depth of 

 thirty feet by the sledge sticking fast between the sides 

 of the crevasse. Payer, on his face, the rope attaching 

 him to the sledge tightly strained and cutting into the 

 snow, shouted that he would sever the rope, but 

 Zaninovich implored him not to do so as the sledge 

 would then turn over and he would be killed ; hearing, 

 however, from Orel, that the man was lying on a ledge 

 of snow with precipices all around him and that the 

 dogs were still fast to the traces, Payer cut the rope, 

 and the sledge made a short turn and stuck fast again. 

 Then, telling Zaninovich that he must contrive to keep 

 himself from freezing for four hours, Payer and Orel 

 set off to run the six miles back to Hohenlohe Island. 

 Payer, as he went on ahead, threw off his bird-skin 

 clothes, his boots and his gloves, and ran in his stock- 

 ings through the snow. In an hour he reached the 

 camp, and leaving it unattended they all set off to the 

 rescue with a rope and a pole. Picking up his clothes 

 on the way, Payer and his men reached the crevasse ; 

 one of the party was let down by the rope, and finally 

 Zaninovich and the sledge and dogs were brought 

 from their dangerous position four hours and a half 

 after their fall. 



The advance was then resumed along the west coast 

 of Crown Prince Rudolf Land round the imposing 

 headland they named Cape Auk the rocky cliffs being 

 covered with little auks and other seabirds, enormous 

 flocks flying up and filling the air, the whole region 

 seeming to be alive with their incessant whirring and 

 following the line of Teplitz Bay, Payer mounted one 



