I9I2] 
A SAVING DEPOT LEFT 
next spring six desperate men sledging soiithward, to 
more endurable— though, as the^^thought, no less solitary — 
quarters, here found the first news of the main party. 
Our depot possibly saved Petty Olheer Browning's life. It 
certainly gave the Northern Party their first bearable day 
for many months. Brave old Hag — it: hangs in Tewkesbury 
in Priestley's home, and there my old Browning was 
restored to me after man)' months ! 
So we marched on. \W were all stiff and out of 
training, and the sledge did not pull easib', but we readied 
the tide crack and crossed it much more readily than 
I expected. After lunch we pulled up the steep slope 
of the glacier and to our delight found the surface grow 
harder almost every hour. But other troubles were 
upon us. So much so that for three days I felt it doubt- 
ful if anyone would ever read my diary ! However, 
on the evening of the 8th I wrote up the 5th (and succeed- 
ing days) as follows : 
' Then quite suddenly wc came on huge crevasses 
all round the shop. vSomc open — wliicli I took care not 
to keep too close to, and others bridged. They seemed 
too wide to do anything with, but after cautioning the 
others to tread quietly, I prodded across safely, though 
the ice axe pushed in all its length easily. Then tlie 
others followed and the sledge after. Gran fell in at 
the near edge and saw the straiglit wall. Several of 
these were over 20 feet wide, but we had to chance tliem, 
and tested them all before the sledge started. Then wc 
marched along between two fairly visible ones and luckily 
they didn't join. The surface got flatter and they died 
