92 THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS 



cult to manage over the smooth, sloping ice ; sometimes 

 they went straight, but just as often cross- wise, requiring 

 sharp attention to keep them from capsizing. And this 

 had to be prevented at all costs, as the thin provision 

 cases would not stand many bumps on the ice; besides 

 which, it was such h^rd work righting the sledges again 

 that for this reason alone the drivers exercised the 

 greatest care. The sledges were put to a severe test 

 that day, with the many great and hard irregularities 

 we encountered on the glacier; it is a wonder they sur- 

 vived it, and is a good testimonial for Bjaaland's work. 



The glacier that day presented the worst confusion 

 we had yet had to deal with. Hassel and I went in 

 front, as usual, with the rope on. Up to the spot 

 Hanssen and I had reached the evening before our pro- 

 gress was comparatively easy; one gets on so much 

 quicker when one knows that the way is practicable. 

 After this point it became worse; indeed, it was often 

 so bad that we had to stop for a long time and try in 

 various directions, before finding a way. More than 

 once the axe had to be used to hack away obstructions. 

 At one time things looked really serious; chasm after 

 chasm, hummock after hummock, so high and steep 

 that they were like mountains. Here we went out and 

 explored in every direction to find a passage; at last we 

 found one, if, indeed, it deserved the name of a passage. 

 It was a bridge so narrow that it scarcely allowed room 

 for the width of the sledge; a fearful abyss on each 



