ASCENDING TO THE CRATER RIM 



rocky ground, and it was just on the crater edge that they 

 were picked up by the telescope again. 



The camp chosen for the meal was in a little rocky 

 gully on the north-west slope of the main cone, and 

 about fifty feet below the rim of the old crater. Whilst 

 some cooked the meal, Marshall examined Brocklehurst's 

 feet, as the latter stated that for some time past he 

 had lost all feeling in them. When his ski-boots and 

 socks had been taken off, it was found that both his 

 big toes were black, and that four more toes, though 

 less severely affected, were also frost-bitten. From 

 their appearance it was evident that some hours must 

 have elapsed since this had occurred. Marshall and 

 Mackay set at work at once to restore circulation in 

 the feet by warming and chafing them. Their efforts 

 were, under the circumstances, fairly successful, but 

 it was clear that ultimate recovery from so severe a 

 frost-bite would be both slow and tedious. Brockle- 

 hurst's feet, having been thoroughly warmed, were 

 put into dry socks and flnnesko stuffed with sennegrass, 

 and then all hands went to lunch at 3.30 p.m. It must 

 have required great pluck and determination on his 

 part to have climbed almost continuously for nine hours 

 up the steep and difficult track they had followed with 

 his feet so badly frost-bitten. After lunch Brockle- 

 hurst was left safely tucked up in the three-man sleep- 

 ing-bag, and the remaining five members of the party 

 started off to explore the floor of the old crater. Ascend- 

 ing to the crater rim, they climbed along it until they 

 came to a spot where there was a practicable breach in 

 the crater wall and where a narrow tongue of snow 

 bridged the neve trench at its base. 



They all roped up directly they arrived on the 

 hard snow in the crater and advanced cautiously over 

 the snow-plain, keeping a sharp look-out for crevasses. 



181 



