MAWSON IN A CREVASSE 



of about eighteen feet of recently formed thin ice at this 

 tide-crack. We tasted the water in this crack and found 

 that it was distinctly salt. It was clear then that at 

 this part of our journey we were travelling over sea 

 ice. About half a mile further on we reached another 

 open tide-crack, and had to make a considerable detour 

 in order to get over it. The surface of the ice was now 

 thawing, and we trudged through a good deal of slushy 

 snow, with here and there shallow pools of water as 

 blue as the Blue Grotto of Capri. On the far side of 

 this second tide-crack, and beyond the blue pools, we 

 reached a large pressure ridge forming a high and steep 

 scarped slope barring our progress. Its height was 

 about eighty feet. There was nothing for it, if we were 

 to go forward, but to drag our heavy sledge up this 

 steep slope. It was extremely exhausting work, and 

 we were forced to halt a few times, and had to take the 

 sledge occasionally somewhat obliquely up the slope 

 where it was very steep. In such cases the sledge 

 frequently skidded. Our troubles were increased by 

 the fact that this ice slope was traversed by numerous 

 crevasses, which became longer and wider the further we 

 advanced in this direction. 



At last we got to the slope, only to see in the dim 

 light that there were a succession of similar slopes ahead 

 of us, becoming continually higher and steeper. The ice, 

 too, became a perfect network of crevasses, some of which 

 were partly open, but most of them covered over with 

 snow lids. Suddenly, when crossing one of these snow 

 lids, just as he was about to reach the firm ice on the other 

 side, there was a slight crash and Mawson instantly dis- 

 appeared from sight. Fortunately the toggle at the end 

 of his sledge rope held, and he was left swinging in the 

 empty space between the walls of the crevasse, being 

 suspended by his harness attached to the sledge rope. 



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