THE TOP OF THE FALL. 259 



and to wonder at tlie curious forms and grouping of the 

 frozen towers and pinnacles. 



As time went on we could see, by the diminished pro- 

 portions of the ridges behind us, and the change from 

 the clear crystal substance of the lower glacier to the 

 half-formed ice, or rather * neve,' of the upper regions, 

 that we were slowly, but surely, drawing near the top 

 of the fall. We were rashly congratulating ourselves on 

 having achieved the victory, when a fresh obstacle ap- 

 peared — a great split in the surface, with an upper 

 lip ten feet higher than the lower. Francois made 

 some foothold on the further side with his axe, jumped 

 across, and attempted to work himself up the face of 

 the perpendicular upper lip, while we watched his pro- 

 ceedings with some anxiety from an insecure situation on 

 the lower bank. After several vain endeavours to wriggle 

 or work himself up, he gave in. It was no easy matter to 

 get back again, but he managed it by a skilful tumble ; 

 then with gloomy forebodings were traced our steps, until, 

 several hundred yards to the left, where the crevasse was 

 lost in a big hollow, we found a part of the wall of loose 

 floury snow, up which there was no serious difficulty in 

 forcing a passage. The steepest part of the icefall was 

 now fairly below iis, but we were still unable to see far 

 ahead, as a line of broken waves of neve separated 

 us from the unknown land above. Though our course 

 was still necessarily zigzag, and occasionally subject 

 to an annoying check, the first chapter of difficulties 

 was overcome. The soft state of the snow, into which 

 we sank at every step, now seemed likely to prove a less 

 exciting but scarcely less serious hindrance to our pro- 

 gress. rran9ois having of late had more than his share 

 of work, Moore relieved him by taking the lead, and soon 

 enforced his request that we would keep the rope taut, 



8 .2 



