CHAPTER XII. 
LEAPING A CHASM-THE ICE-BELT — CAPE WILLIAM WOOD — 
CAMP ON THE FLOES-RETURN OF DEP6t PARTY — BONSALL’S 
ADVENTURE RESULTS — AN ESCAPE—THE THIRD CACHE — 
McGARY ISLAND. 
I found little or no trouble in crossing the ice until 
\ye passed beyond the northeast headland, which I have 
named Cape William Wood. But, on emerging into 
the channel, we found that the spring tides had broken 
up the great area around us, and that the passage of 
the sledge was interrupted by fissures, which were 
beginning to break in every direction through the 
young ice. 
My first effort was of course to reach the land ; but 
it was unfortunately low tide, and the ice-belt rose up 
before me like a wall. The pack was becoming more 
and more unsafe, and I was extremely anxious to gain 
an asylum on shore; for, though it was easy to find a 
temporary refuge by retreating to the old floes which 
studded the more recent ice, I knew that in doing so 
we should risk being carried down by the drift. 
The dogs began to flag; but we had to press them :— 
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