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CHAPTER VIII

THE FIRST EXPLORATION OF THE MURCHISON GLACIER

''Hard Swagging—Erroneons Maps—The Struggle for Starvation Saddle—Exhaustion and Hunger—Return''

' Fresh fields and pastures new.'

often cast a longing eye in the direction of the Murchison Valley, and desired to explore those unvisited scenes which were as yet unknown and unseen by man. We had frequently during this visit to the district spoken of making an excursion in that direction should Mount Cook prove too heavy metal for us. Now was our chance, and we determined to take it.

Leaving the Hermitage with an addition to our party in the shape of Messrs. Wells, Timson, and Hamilton—the former two only intending to visit the Tasman Glacier, and the latter anxious to accompany us on the Murchison trip—we made the Ball Glacier camp, after the usual hard, hot grind over the moraine, by evening.

The next morning breaking fine, Wells and Timson went for an hour's excursion on to the glacier opposite, returning enchanted with the grand view of the Hochstetter ice-fall and the surrounding peaks, whilst the rest of us—viz. Harper, Hamilton, Annan, and myself—prepared swags for a two days' excursion up the