IN A MAZE OF CREVASSES 
567 
do a good distance, which in fact I suppose we did, but for 
the last hour or two we pressed on into a regular trap. 
Getting on to a good surface we did not reduce our lunch 
meal, and thought all going well, but half an hour after 
lunch we got into the worst ice mess I have ever been in. 
For three hours we plunged on on ski, first thinking we 
were too much to the right, then too much to the left ; 
meanwhile the disturbance got worse and my spirits 
received a very rude shock. There were times when it 
seemed almost impossible to find a way out of the awful 
turmoil in which we found ourselves. At length, arguing 
that there must be a way on our left, we plunged in that 
direction. It got worse, harder, more icy and crevassed. 
We could not manage our ski and pulled on foot, falling 
into crevasses every minute — most luckily no bad accident. 
At length we saw a smoother slope towards the land, 
pushed for it, but knew it was a woefully long way from 
us. The turmoil changed in character, irregular crevassed 
surface giving way to huge chasms, closely packed and 
most difficult to cross. It was very heavy work, but we 
had grown desperate. We won through at 10 p.m. and I 
write after 12 hours on the march. I think we are on or 
about the right track now, but we are still a good number of 
miles from the depot, so we reduced rations to-night. We 
had three pemmican meals left and decided to make 
them into four. To-morrow's lunch must serve for two 
if we do not make big progress. It was a test of our 
endurance on the march and our fitness with small supper. 
We have come through well. A good wind has come down 
the glacier which is clearing the sky and surface. Pray 
