i9] HARD PULLING 161 



We had so far had neither time nor opportunity to examine 

 the geology of the coast we were skirting. It was apparent 

 also that as we proceeded northwards the glaciers had retreated 

 less, and except on the capes no rock was exposed. From our 

 low position we could only see the summits of the ' facetted ' 

 walls marking the three great valley glaciers which opened into 

 the Piedmont Glacier. Far away to the east, Erebus was throw- 

 ing a huge steam banner to the south. Later in the evening, 

 after some premonitory puffs, the banner shifted to the 

 north. We now had an imposing view of the great black ' fang ' 

 of the old crater wall, and just behind this the lower dark 

 dome of Terror contrasted strongly with its snow-covered rival 

 Erebus. 



It was very warm in the tent (though the air temperature 

 outside was only -f 18) and owing to the sun effect on the 

 dark tent water lay in little pools on the cloth valance. Luckily 

 this altered before we started, or the surface would have rivalled 

 seccotine! I finished my day's notes with the remark: ' I don't 

 take very full geological notes for obvious reasons we only see 

 a piece of rock about every three days! ' 



I will copy some notes I made on our sledge routine at this 

 time. ' Our first movement, when we try to take 1 200 Ibs. at 

 one fell swoop, is to " break out " the sledges, so as to free 

 the runners from ice. Then I give a Hipp! cautioning Deben- 

 ham not to strain hard, and the runners come away grudgingly 

 and you feel as if they were pulling you asunder. Once under 

 way they improve and we can do as much as three-quarters of 

 a mile in an hour, while the sweat rolls off us, groans rend the 

 air, and Forde curses audibly ! Gran slips about on the ice and 

 nearly kicks out Forde's patella. I get up steam too much on 

 easy ground till I hear Forde out of time. We come to an ice 

 ridge and there's bound to be soft snow just beyond. You step 

 into this just as the sledges start up the little slope, slip down 

 nearly to the knee, flounder about, and the whole caravan stops ! 

 So twisted I my right leg and it twinges all the time, while Gran 

 diagnoses burst veins with great gusto. . . .' How Debenham 

 got through with his disabled knee I don't know. We used to 

 yell out ' Crack ' as Gran and I stepped into them first, and so 

 he managed to keep out of some, but he suffered some awful 

 wrenches with gallant fortitude. 



VOL. II II 



