Cut off from all the World. 119 
ascent to the ridge of Victoria Land:some 5,000 feet 
above us. But the first 500 feet would necessarily 
meke Cuca risk in the ascent. On the 27th I 
decided to attempt the ascent. We started in 
the following order: the Finn Savio, Mr. Fougner, 
Mr. Bernacchi, and then myself, roped together. We 
had to cut footholds in the ice. By following in the 
steps by which Mr. Fougner and the Finn had reached 
us, we were enabled to attain the place where these 
two had camped under the small boat, and saw the 
spot likely to offer the only chance of escape. It 
was a kind of rough groove in the perpendicular 
cliff, partly covered with ice and snow. After 
having had a good feed of seal-beef we began 
the scent Some 
of our poor sledge- 
dogs, which had 
ventured along with 
us on the 
slope 
howled 
melan- 
ово ту 
MOLES) A$ 
they saw 
us ascend. 
Three of 
them had «WE HAD TO CUT FOOTSTEPS IN THE ICY SLOPE 
alread y. TO REACH THE RIDGE 5,000 FEET ABOVE 09-7 
perished 
by losing their foothold coming round the icy slope, 
and one was precipitated into the abyss below when 
we were some 200 feet up in the groove. Cautiously 
