SHACKLETON'S FARTHEST SOUTH 



399 



outline; map op south polar regions 



Steering south and southeast, we were 

 now approaching a high range of new 

 mountains trending to the southeast. We 

 found on December 2 the barrier in- 

 fluenced by great pressure and the ridges 

 of snow and ice turned into land. We 

 discovered a glacier 120 miles long and 

 approximately 40 miles wide, running in 

 a south and southwesterly direction. 



ASCENT TO THE CONTINENTAL, PLATEAU 



We started on December 5 to ascend 

 the glacier at latitude 83 0 33', longitude 

 172 0 . The glacier was badly crevassed 

 as the result of huge pressure. The 

 surface on December 6 was so crevassed 

 that it took the whole day to fight our 

 way 600 yards. 



On December 7 the pony Socks, break- 

 ing through a snow lid, disappeared in a 

 crevasse of unknown depth. The 



swingletree snapping, we saved Wild and 

 the sledge, which was damaged. The 

 party was now hauling a weight of 250 

 pounds per man. 



The clouds disappearing on December 

 8, we discovered new mountain ranges 

 trending south and southwest. Moving 

 up the glacier over the treacherous snow 

 covering the crevasses, we frequently fell 

 through, but were saved by our harness 

 and were pulled out with the Alpine rope. 

 A second sledge was badly damaged by 

 knife-edged crevasses. 



Similar conditions obtained on our 

 way up the glacier from December 18, 

 when we reached an altitude of 6,800 

 feet. In latitude 85 0 10' we made a 

 depot and left everything there but our 

 food, instruments, and camp equipment, 

 and reduced rations to twenty ounces per 

 man daily. 



