ON THE GLACIER 



ranging from the size of a hazel-nut to great boulders 

 twenty to forty tons in weight, and on one snow slope 

 is the fresh track of a fallen rock. Still we can do no 

 better, for it is impossible to spread a tent on the blue 

 ice, and we cannot get any further to-night. I guess 

 we will sleep soundly enough. My eyes are my only 

 trouble, for their condition makes it impossible for me 

 to pick out the route or do much more than pull. The 

 distance covered to-day was 9 miles, with 4< miles relay. 



December 6. — Started at 8 a.m. to-day in fine weather 

 to get our loads over the half-mile of crevassed ice that 

 lay between us and the snow slope to the south-south- 

 west. We divided up the load and managed to get the 

 whole lot over in three journeys, but it was an awful 

 job, for every step was a venture, and I, with one eye 

 entirely blocked up because of snow blindness, felt it 

 particularly uncomfortable work. However, by 1 p.m. 

 all our gear was safely over, and the other three went 

 back for Socks. Wild led him, and by 2 p.m. we were 

 all camped on the snow again. Providence has indeed 

 looked after us. At 3 p.m. we started south-south- 

 west up a long slope to the right of the main glacier 

 pressure. It was very heavy going, and we camped 

 at 5 p.m. close to a huge crevasse, the snow bridge of 

 which we crossed. There is a wonderful view of the 

 mountains, with new peaks and ranges to the south- 

 east, south and south-west. There is a dark rock 

 running in conjunction with the granite on several of 

 the mountains. We are now over 1700 ft. up on the 

 glacier, and can see down on to the Barrier. The cloud 

 still hangs on the mountain ahead of us; it certainly 

 looks as though it were a volcano cloud, but it may be 

 due to condensation. The lower current clouds are 

 travelling very fast from south-south-east to north-north- 



309 



