THE GREAT WHITE JOURNEY 233 



the inland ice disappears beneath a hissing white torrent of 

 blinding" drift. The thickness of this drift may be anywhere 

 from six inches to thirty or even fifty feet, dependent upon 

 the consistency of the snow. When the depth of the drift is 

 not in excess of the height of the knee, its surface is as tan- 

 gible and almost as sharply defined as that of a sheet of water, 

 and its incessant dizzy rush and strident sibilation become, 

 when long continued, as maddening as the drop, drop, drop, 

 of water on the head in the old torture-rooms. 



While traversing the inland ice our hours of marching were 

 those corresponding to what here would be night — that is, 

 when the sun was above the northern horizon. In our line of 

 march I took the lead, on snow-shoes or ski as the condition 

 of the snow demanded, setting the course by compass, or by 

 time, and the shadow cast by my bamboo staff. The dogs, a 

 few yards in the rear, followed my trail, and Astrup traveled 

 on ski beside the sledge, encouraging the dogs and keeping 

 them up to their work. 



Our daily routine was as follows : When the day's march 

 (measured sometimes by the hours we had been on the move 

 and sometimes by the distance covered) was completed, I be- 

 gan sounding the snow with the light bamboo staff to which 

 my little silken guidon was attached, until I found a place 

 where it was firm enough to permit of blocks being cut from 

 it. This done, the guidon-staff was erected in the snow, and 

 at the shout of " Tima " from me, my dogs, no matter how 

 long or how hard the day had been, would prick up their ears 



