194 



CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



with shovels. The tops when hewn off sank down into holes, 

 and thus we made a fairly good road. Then came the turn of 

 the sledges ; three and sometimes more of us applied ourselves 

 to a sledge and took them in as carefully as possible, but even 

 with the utmost care the sledges broke down, bows got smashed, 



A HIGH PRESSURE-RIDGE. 



runners split, and pieces of wood along the trail told the sad tale 

 of sledges unable to stand the strain. We hewed a road about 

 two hundred and fifty yards long and advanced the sledges 

 about a hundred yards. It took us four hours, and the result 

 was that our sledges had either broken down or become so loose- 

 jointed that they needed relashing. Mr. Lefnngwell and myself 

 walked further out over the rubble and came to a pressure-ridge 



