AT THE TOP 61 



this we were disappointed. Towards the south-west it 

 looked very level and fine, but that was not the way we 

 had to go. Towards the south the ground continued to 

 rise in long ridges running east and west, probably a 

 continuation of the mountain chain running to the 

 south-east, or a connection between it and the plateau. 

 We stubbornly continued our march; we would not 

 give in until we had the plain itself before us. Our 

 hope was that the ridge projecting from Mount Don 

 Pedro Christophersen would be the last ; we now had it 

 before us. The going changed at once up here ; the loose 

 snow disappeared, and a few wind-waves(5a5frw^') began 

 to show themselves. These were specially unpleasant to 

 deal with on this last ridge ; they lay from south-east to 

 north-west, and were as hard as flints and as sharp as 

 knives. A fall among them might have had very 

 serious consequences. One would have thought the 

 dogs had had enough work that day to tire them, but 

 this last ridge, with its unpleasant snow-waves, did not 

 seem to trouble them in the least. We all drove up 

 gaily, towed by the sledges, on to what looked to us 

 like the final plateau, and halted at 8 p.m. The 

 weather had held fine, and we could apparently see a 

 very long way. In the far distance, extending to the 

 north-west, rose peak after peak ; this was the chain of 

 mountains running to the south-east, which we now 

 saw from the other side. In our own vicinity, on the 

 other hand, we saw nothing but the backs of the 



