1903] 197 



CHAPTER XVIII 



RETURN FROM THE WEST 



Returning aver the Great Plateau— Doubts about Provisions and Oil — 

 Harrowing Effect of Fresh Snowfall — Thick Weather — No Sight of 

 Landmarks — Sudden Descent into Glacier — Escape from a Crevasse — 

 Exploration of North Arm — A Curious Valley — Return to the Ship— 

 Results of other Sledging Efforts — Fcrrar's Journey — Barne's 

 Journey — Royds' Journey — Shorter Journeys — Review of Sledging 

 Wc rk. 



Ceaseless frost round the vast solitude 

 Bound its broad zone of stillness. — Shelley. 



The interior of Victoria Land must be considered the most 

 desolate region in the world. There is none other that is at 

 once so barren, so deserted, so piercingly cold, so wind-swept 

 or so fearsomely monotonous. 



I have attempted to give some idea of it in the last chapter, 

 but I feel that my pen has poorly expressed the awe-inspiring 

 nature of its terrible solitude. Nevertheless, when the reader 

 considers its geographical situation, its great elevation, and the 

 conditions to which we were subjected while travelling across 

 it, he will, I think, agree that there can be no place on earth 

 that is less attractive. For me the long month which we spent 

 on the Victoria Land summit remains as some vivid but evil 

 dream. I have a memory of continuous strain on mind and 

 body lightened only by the unfailing courage and cheerfulness 

 of my companions. 



From first to last the month was a grim struggle with 

 adversity, and never a trouble was overcome but some fresh 

 one arose, until an ever-increasing load of anxiety was suddenly 



