184 SCOTT’S LAST EXPEDITION [JANUARY 
A little searching showed us a possible track. Debenham and 
I tied together and crossed first and then the others, and then 
we judged the sledge might do it. I expect it would have sunk 
like a stone if the ice had given way, but we had to get over here 
or nowhere. 
The snow came down thickly now and we plugged ahead, 
steering by compass for the small piedmont tongue where we had 
been held up two days on our arrival. Suddenly we seemed to 
run into a snow slope—and by a mighty expenditure of energy 
we got the sledge up on to the tongue and were safely on fixed ice 
for the time. 
We soon got the tent pitched, for there was not much wind, 
and had some tea. I will quote my diary. 
‘We were all in a cold sweat—for the work is very hard, 
and yet you don’t keep warm. However we got into our bags 
and were soon warm, if damp. This blizzard was but tempo- 
rary, and about 4 P.M. it blew over to the west. I crossed the 
tongue to see the descent on the other side. It was about five feet 
down a steep snow slope. Beyond was a narrow shear crack 
with two seals, but the big crack at the end of the tongue went 
farther east. We pulled over the glacier and down the slope past 
the seals without difficulty. ‘Then on a little farther and saw a 
crack to our right. It seemed only about a foot wide, and I was 
testing this weak spot with the ski-stick, when the soft snow on 
which I was standing collapsed and I went into the water. Luck- 
ily I grabbed Deb’s hand, and Forde and Gran got my harness. 
I saw jerked out like a cork from a bottle and was never so near 
flying! None saw the others pull, and they all thought I felt 
very light! We plugged on to the east and came to the main 
wavy crack—an ugly blighter 30 feet across of mushy water. 
Luckily this also narrowed at the bend, and after some searching 
we pulled over him also. 
‘I was getting jolly tired here. However, we could see our 
destination at last and so pushed on. A keen wind came up from 
the south-west and swept over the 10o0-foot glacier wall to the 
south, driving snow across our course. We crossed a little crack 
which Debenham thought was new since the snowfall! To our 
left were many birds about a mile away and black patches of 
ominous appearance were showing. Debenham climbed on the 
sledge and was sure it was open water, and I agreed, but we 
