ON TO THE GLACIER 



we have had to turn in towards the land and get over 

 the mountains to reach the Pole. We felt that our 

 main difficulty on the glacier route would be with the 

 pony Socks, and we could not expect to drag the full 

 load ourselves as yet without relay work. Adams, 

 Marshall and I pulled one sledge with 680 lb. weight, 

 and Wild followed with Socks directly in our wake, 

 so that if we came to a crevasse he would have warning. 

 Everything went on well except that when we were 

 close in to land, Marshall went through the snow cover- 

 ing of a crevasse. He managed to hold himself up by 

 his arms. We could see no bottom to this crevasse. 

 At 1 p.m. we were close to the snow-slope up which we 

 hoped to reach the interior of the land and thence get 

 on to the glacier. We had lunch and then proceeded, 

 finding, instead of a steep, short slope, a long, fairly 

 steep gradient. All the afternoon we toiled at the 

 sledge, Socks pulling his load easily enough, and eventu- 

 ally, at 5 p.m., reached the head of the pass, 2000 ft. 

 above sea-level. From that point there was a gentle 

 descent towards the glacier, and at 6 p.m. we camped 

 close to some blue ice with granite boulders embedded 

 in it, round which were pools of water. This water 

 saves a certain amount of our oil, for we have not to 

 melt snow or ice. We turned in at 8 p.m., well satisfied 

 with the day's work. The weather now is wonderfully 

 fine, with not a breath of wind, and a warm sun beating 

 down on us. The temperature was up to plus 22° 

 Fahr. at noon, and is now plus 18° Fahr. The pass 

 through which we have come is flanked by great granite 

 pillars at least 2000 ft. in height and making a magnifi- 

 cent entrance to the " Highway to the South." It is 

 a]l so interesting and everything is on such a vast scale 

 that one cannot describe it well. We four are seeing 

 20 305 



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