OPEN WATER AGAIN - 



the west-south- west. The sledging was very heavy 

 up and down steep ice slopes with much soft snow 

 between. 



Mawson had a slight attack of snow blindness on 

 December 9. The day was so warm that we even 

 felt it oppressive, the temperature at midnight being 

 as high as plus 19° Fahr. The glacier ice kept cracking 

 from time to time with sharp reports. Possibly this 

 may have been due to the expansion of the ice 

 under the influence of the hot sun. At one spot the 

 sledges had to be dragged up a grade of 1 in 3 over 

 smooth blue glacier ice. This was exceedingly heavy 

 work. At last, when we were near to our time for 

 camping, Mackay, on going on a short distance ahead 

 to reconnoitre with the field-glasses, sighted open water 

 on the northern edge of the Drygalski Ice Barrier, about 

 three to four miles distant. He announced his 

 discovery with shouts of ediarra, edXarra, which thrilled 

 us now as of old they thrilled the Ten Thousand. It 

 was no sparkling waters of the Euxine that had met his 

 gaze, but a Black Sea nevertheless, for so it appeared 

 as its inky waves heaved under the leaden sky. But 

 what a joy to have reached once more that friendly 

 water world that went up by many a creek and river to 

 our homes. It was now clear to us that we could not 

 hope for sea ice over which to sledge westwards to the 

 shore, where we proposed to make our final depot before 

 attempting the ascent of the great inland plateau in order 

 to reach the Magnetic Pole. 



During the day we were cheered by a visit from 

 several snow petrels, which flew around our camp, as 

 well as from three skua gulls. Mawson managed to 

 snare one of the skuas with a fishing-line, but it got 

 away when he was hauling in the line. Our sledging 



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