Page:Scott's Last Expedition, Volume 2.djvu/248

that in the squalls was so thick one could not see more than a few yards. The wind was fair, however, and we raced along over the blue ice until we suddenly came to a huge crevasse barring our passage. We proceeded cautiously along its edge to the eastward until we found a place where it was snow-bridged, and then leaving the sledges with Levick and Browning, the rest of us roped up and went across, testing it with our ice-axes as we advanced.

The snow bridge was 175 paces across, and except for one place on the weather side it seemed perfectly safe. I should like to have stayed and examined it, as from its width it had more the appearance of an inlet of the sea ending in a wide crevasse, but the gale was rising and the drifting snow so thick I thought it best to get the sledges across and push on; the surface was good the other side, and with the gale behind us, we raced along, trusting to the wind to steer by, as it was impossible to see where we were going.

The pace was too much for poor Browning, who was very bad again, and we had to camp at 5.30, having done about 8·5 miles. Dickason, I am thankful to say, is better and was able to pull to-day.

The wind dropped after supper, leaving us a lovely but a very cold evening.

October 3.—A very cold night, the wind getting up again at 3 a.m. and bringing drift. Levick had trouble with his primus and we did not get away till nine a.m. Soft snowdrifts made the going very slow and heavy, until just before noon, when we got on ice again among