236 CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



crossed a jump, a crack of the whip to encourage the dogs, 

 and we were over. But the wider ones, from 5 to 8 feet, were 

 very bad indeed. We ourselves usually managed it pretty well, 

 but the dogs suffered a good deal. We often had to unhitch 

 them, and with one man at the further side of the lane we pushed 

 the sledge across after fastening a rope to both ends of it. 



A PRESSURE-RIDGE BEFORE LEVELLING DOWN. 



When the two ends of the sledge were resting on the ice and a 

 bridge was thus constructed, the dogs commenced to fight for 

 the first crossing, having learned that it was infinitely more 

 comfortable to walk over on the sledge than to swim. But in 

 their hurry to be first, knowing that the sledge would not 

 remain as a bridge very long, they pushed and knocked each 

 other about so that a small fight usually began. Once over, 

 the dogs played about, probably thinking it great fun to watch 

 us working like slaves while they themselves played hide-and- 

 seek among the icefloes. In the meantime we hauled over the 

 sledges one by one ; but it was hard work and very risky, as 

 we often had to bridge lanes which were but ij to 2 feet 

 narrower than the sledges were long. The sledge might easily 

 capsize while being pulled over, and in that case we might 

 lose the outfit, as we were unable to get a hold of the load 

 sufficiently strong to right it. It was tedious work, and still more 

 unpleasant on account of the ridges on either side of the lane 

 which had to be hewn down to afford a passage. At other 



