2o6 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec. 



dition we packed our sledge, and I could see no better course 

 than to continue our march due east. We had scarcely been 

 going half an hour, however, when high ice hummocks and 

 disturbances appeared ahead, and we found ourselves on a 

 hard glazed surface, which was cracked in all directions. 

 Hoping to avoid the disturbed area, we first made a circuit 

 to the right and then another to the left, but in neither of 

 these directions did the prospect look more hopeful; we 

 stopped and had a council of war, but by this time the wind 

 had sprung up again, it was bitterly cold, and the only result 

 of our deliberations was to show more clearly that we did not 

 know where we were. In this predicament I vaguely realised 

 that it would be rash to go forward, as the air was once more 

 becoming thick with snowdrift ; but then to stop might mean 

 another long spell in a blizzard camp, when starvation would 

 soon stare us in the face. I asked the men if they were 

 prepared to take the risk of going on ; they answered promptly 

 in the affirmative. I think that after our trying experiences 

 we were all feeling pretty reckless. 



\ At any rate, we marched straight on for the ice disturb- 

 ances, and were soon threading our way amongst the 

 hummocks and across numerous crevasses. After a bit the 

 surface became smoother, but at the same time the slope grew 

 steeper, and our sledge began to overrun us. At this juncture 

 I put the two men behind the sledge to hold it back whilst I 

 continued in front to guide its course ; we were all wearing 

 crampons, which at first held well, but within a few minutes, 

 as the inclination of the surface increased, our foothold became 

 less secure. 



' Suddenly JLashly slipped, and in an instant he was sliding 

 downward on his back ; directly the strain came on Evans, he 

 too was thrown off his feet. It all happened in a moment, 

 and before I had time to look the sledge and the two men 

 hurtled past me ; I braced myself to stop them, but might as 

 well have attempted to hold an express train. With the first 

 jerk I was whipped off my legs, and we all three lay sprawling on 

 our backs and flying downward with an ever-increasing velocity. 



