40 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [JULY 



invariably crevassed on the summits we hoped that by continu- 

 ing along this valley we might find some low spot where we could 

 cross the ridge on our right, and again get on the safer land ice. 

 We however found no such dip, and after some time decided we 

 must cross the ridge on our right [an enormous pressure ridge, 

 blotting out the moraine and half Terror, rising like a great 

 hill]. In doing so we managed to negotiate several rottenly 

 bridged narrow crevasses [both Bill and I putting a leg down] 

 and one broad one which we only discovered when we were all 

 on it with the sledge, and then Bowers dropped suddenly into one 

 and hung up in his harness out of sight and out of reach from the 

 surface. It was a crevasse I had just put my foot in, but Bowers 

 went in even as I shouted a warning. We were too close to one 

 another in our harness and the sledge followed us and bridged 

 the crevasse. I had hold of Bowers' harness, while Cherry 

 lowered a bowline on the end of the Alpine rope into which 

 Bowers got his foot, and then by alternately hauling on one and 

 the other we got him up again. After this, for the next few days 

 while we were on doubtful ground, I went ahead with 12 or 15 

 feet of rope on my trace, and so was able to give good warning 

 and to change the course easily if I found we were getting on to 

 bad ground. 



[C.-G. gives a fuller account: 



Just over the top Birdie went right down a crevasse, which 

 was about wide enough to take him he went down slowly, his 

 head disappearing quite slowly and he went down till his head 

 was four feet below the surface, a little of his harness catching 

 up on something. Bill went for his harness, I went for the bow 

 of the sledge. Bill told me to get the Alpine rope and Birdie 

 directed from below what we could do: we could not possibly 

 haul him up as he was, for the sides of the crevasse were soft 

 and he could not help himself. I put a bowline on the Alpine 

 rope, and lying down over him gave him the loop, which he got 

 under his leg. We then pulled him up inch by inch : first by draw- 

 ing up his leg he could give one some slack, then raising himself 

 on his leg he could give Bill some slack on the harness, and so we 

 gradually got him up. It was a near go for Birdie : the crevasse 

 was probably about 100 feet deep, and did not narrow as it went 

 down. 



It was a wonderful piece of presence of mind that Birdie in 



