THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



sledge capsized for the first time. Light snow was 

 falling, and there was a slight wind. The report supplied 

 to me by Professor David and Adams depicts in a 

 graphic manner these first experiences of this party in 

 sledging. 



Pulling the sledge proved fairly heavy work in places; 

 at one spot, on the steep slope of a small glacier, the 

 party had a hard struggle, mostly on their hands and 

 knees, in their efforts to drag the sledge up the surface 

 of smooth blue ice thinly coated with loose snow. 

 This difficulty surmounted, they encountered some 

 sastrugi, which impeded their progress somewhat. 

 " Sastrugi " means wind furrow, and is the name given 

 to those annoying obstacles to sledging, due to the 

 action of the wind on the snow. A blizzard has the 

 effect of scooping out hollows in the snow, and this 

 is especially the case when local currents are set up 

 owing to some rock or point of land intercepting the 

 free run of the wind. These sastrugi vary in depth 

 from two or three inches to three or four feet, accord- 

 ing to the position of any rock masses that may be near 

 and to the force of the wind forming them. The raised 

 masses of snow between the hollows are difficult to 

 negotiate with a sledge, especially when they run more 

 or less parallel to the course of the traveller. Though 

 they have many disadvantages, still there are times 

 when their presence is welcome; especially is this the 

 case when the sky is overcast and the low stratus cloud 

 obliterates all landmarks. At these times a dull grey 

 light is over everything, and it is impossible to see the 

 way to steer unless one takes the line of sastrugi and 

 notes the angle it makes with the compass course, the 

 compass for the moment being placed on the snow to 

 obtain the direction. In this way one can steer a 

 fairly accurate course, occasionally verifying it by calling 



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