1876 GREENLAND SLEDGE JOURNEY. 91 



c Next journey we started on a more level road, 

 timl hoped to make a better march, but we soon came to 

 another point worse than either of the other two. The 

 slope, which continued for* over two miles, was so 

 steep that it was impossible to stand on it, while towards 

 the end it became almost perpendicular. At the foot 

 of this slope was a tortuous and intricate passage along 

 and inside the hummocks, full of deep holes and 

 covered with thick soft snow. The work of getting 

 through this promised to be endless, and it was im- 

 possible to say what was beyond, so I sent Lieutenant 

 Eawson, accompanied by Dr. Coppinger, to report on 

 the road ; in the meantime we commenced to cut 

 through all obstacles. They returned in about two 

 hours to say that, after two miles of a road that got 

 worse and worse, they came to a cliff that went sheer 

 down into the tidal-crack and which it would be 

 impossible to pass without going out on to the ice. 



' I have gone into these particulars to show how 

 important I considered it to keep to the land on the 

 outward journey, though at the same time I felt it was 

 greatly retarding our advance. It had been impressed 

 upon me that the object of keeping to the land on the 

 outward journey was to prevent leaving an impassable 

 barrier in the rear, which, supposing the ice to break 

 up before our return, would effectually cut off the 

 retreat of the party. But here was a case in which it 

 was necessary to depart from the rule. The cliffs 

 extended, as far as could be judged, for about four 

 miles, and must be passed by the ice or not at all. It 

 was too late to depend on boats being sent to meet us, 

 so we trusted that the ice would remain and befriend us. 



