THE ASCENT OF MOUNT EREBUS.
impending, we had better abandon our gear, and push on for winter quarters that night, but as it was somewhat dark, and we had already had a very hard day, having been going since 4 a. m., we decided to rest there that night, and to make an early start the next morning; so we camped that night at our depot, and at 3 a. m. Adams stirred us out, and made ready the breakfast. After breakfast there was much ado about hunting after missing articles, which had been flung about by the blizzard. The quarter-plate camera was found by Marshall in a small snow drift, some little distance from our sledge. At last most of our belongings were recovered, the sledge packed, and we resumed our march at 5-30 a. m..
We now found the ‘sastrugi’, which were from four to five feet in height, and oblique to our course, very troublesome. We put rope brakes on the sledge-runners, and while two of us pulled in front, and two steadied the sledge, two pulled back behind; but the sledge either refused to move, or suddenly took charge, and kept overrunning those who were dragging it, and capsizes occurred every few minutes.
Marshall devised the best means of making progress: he let the sledge take charge, then, before it had got up much speed, he jumped on behind, and steered
