AN EASY CROSSING 



he could see the end of the barrier where it terminated 

 in a white chfF only about six hundred yards ahead. 

 We halted the sledge, and while Mawson took some more 

 theodolite angles Mackay and I reconnoitred ahead, 

 but could find no way down the cliff. We returned to 

 the sledge and all pulled on for another quarter of a 

 mile. Once more we reconnoitred, and this time both 

 Mawson and I found some steep slopes formed by 

 drifted snow which were just practicable for a light 

 sledge lowered by an Alpine rope. We chose what 

 seemed to be the best of these; Mackay tied the Alpine 

 rope around his body, and taking his ice-axe descended 

 the slope cautiously, Mawson and I holding on to the 

 rope meanwhile. The snow slope proved fairly soft, 

 giving good foothold, and he was soon at the bottom 

 without having needed any support from the Alpine 

 rope. He then returned to the top of the slope, and 

 we all set to work unpacking the sledges. We made 

 fast one of the sledges to the Alpine rope, and after 

 loading it hghtly lowered it little by Httle down the slope, 

 one of us guiding the sledge while the other two slacked 

 out the AJpine rope above. The man who went down 

 the sledge to the bottom would unload it there on the 

 sea ice and then chmb up the slope, the other two mean- 

 while pulling up the empty sledge. This manoeuvre was 

 repeated a number of times until eventually the whole 

 of our food and equipment, including two sledges, were 

 safely down on the sea ice below. 



We were all much elated at having got across the 

 Nordenskjold Ice Barrier so easily and so quickly. 

 We were also fortunate in securing a seal; Mackay 

 went off and killed this, bringing back seal steak, liver 

 and a considerable quantity of seal blood. From the 

 last Mackay said he intended to manufacture a black 

 pudding. Usually, I believe, a black pudding is manu- 



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