rapidly, and soon came to the huge crevasses.  They were big enough and deep enough, but so scattered that, without much trouble, we could find a way between them.  The hollow between the two mountains, which was filled by the Heiberg Glacier, grew narrower and narrower towards the end, and, although appearances were still very pleasant, I expected to find some disturbance when we arrived at the point where the mountain-side passed into the glacier.  But my fears proved groundless; by keeping right under Don Pedro we went clear of all trouble, and in a short time, to our great joy, we found ourselves above and beyond that chaotic part of the Heiberg Glacier which had completely barred our progress.

Up here all was strangely peaceful; the mountain-side and the glacier united in a great flat terrace —­ a plain, one might call it —­ without disturbance of any kind.  We could see depressions in the surface where the huge crevasses had formerly existed, but now they were entirely filled up, and formed one with the surrounding level.  We could now see right to the end of this mighty glacier, and form some idea of its proportions.  Mount Wilhelm Christophersen and Mount Ole Engelstad formed the end of it; these two beehive-shaped summits, entirely covered with snow, towered high into the sky.  We understood now that the last of the ascent was before us, and that what we saw in the distance between these two mountains was the great plateau itself.  The question, then, was to find a way up, and to conquer this last obstruction in the easiest manner.  In the radiantly clear air we could see the smallest details with our excellent prismatic glasses, and make our calculations with great confidence.  It would be possible to clamber up Don Pedro himself; we had done things as difficult before.  But here the side of the mountain was fairly steep, and full of big crevasses and a fearful quantity of gigantic blocks of ice.  Between Don Pedro and Wilhelm Christophersen an arm of the glacier went up on to the plateau, but it was so disturbed and broken up that it could not be used.  Between Wilhelm Christophersen and Ole Engelstad there was no means of getting through.  Between Ole Engelstad and Fridtjof Nansen, on the other hand, it looked more promising, but as yet the first of these mountains obstructed our view so much that we could not decide with certainty.  We were all three rather tired, but agreed to continue our excursion, and find out what was here concealed.  Our work to-day would make our progress to-morrow so much the easier.  We therefore went on, and laid our course straight over the topmost flat terrace of the Heiberg Glacier.  As we advanced, the ground between Nansen and Engelstad opened out more and more, and without going any farther we were able to decide from the formations that here we should undoubtedly find the best way up.  If the final ascent at the end of the glacier, which was only partly visible, should present difficulties,