80 FRANZ JOSEF LAND 



blocks, lifted to the brow of the ridge and rolled over 

 in their turn, raising a cloud of ice-dust in their fall, 

 the loud continual creaking of the pressure drowned by 

 the booming of the cascade which shook the ice for 

 yards around. These ridges were constantly forming, 

 most of them remaining, some of them subsiding as the 

 edges drifted apart, and the channels thus caused were 

 even more difficult to deal with, some having to be 

 passed over thin ice, some ferried over on small floes. 

 But they did not cross the track all along, and during 

 the last few days the travelling was easy. 



On the 24th of April the long journey reached its 

 end. " At ten minutes past twelve," says Cagni, " we 

 are on our way to the north. The ice is like that of 

 yesterday, level and smooth, and, later on, undulating. 

 At first the dogs are not very willing to pull, but en- 

 couraged by our shouts and a few strokes, they advance 

 at a rapid pace, which they keep up during the whole 

 march. At five we meet with a large pressure ridge, 

 which almost surprises us, as it seems to us a century 

 since we have seen any ; we lost a quarter of an hour in 

 preparing a passage through and crossing it. Beyond 

 it the aspect of the ice changes ; the undulations are 

 more strongly marked, and large blocks and small 

 ridges indicate recent pressure, but luckily they do not 

 stop us or obstruct our way. Soon after six we come 

 upon a large channel running from east to west ; we 

 must stop. Beyond the channel is a vast expanse of 

 new ice, much broken up and traversed by many other 

 channels. Even if I were not prevented from doing 

 so, I would now think twice before risking myself in 

 the midst of them. If we did push forward on that 



