For about a week we continued beating down the snow so as to form a road, only advancing two or three miles a day.
Accompanied by ten or fifteen of my personal followers, I worked myself with the others.

Every step we took forward we sank up to the middle, but still we went on, trampling till we got firm foothold.

And as the first person wearied of the exertion, he stood back and another took his place.

So, after a time, we managed to lead on a riderless horse.

It generally sank to the stirrups, and after floundering on a dozen paces was worn out.