About noon
They managed , however , to advance towards the mighty ice-wall , Kalumah generally leading the way . Like a chamois on the Alpine rocks , the young girl firmly treaded the ice-masses with a swiftness of foot and an absence of hesitation which was really marvellous . She knew by instinct the best way through the labyrinth of icebergs , and was an unerring guide to her companions . About noon the base of the ice-wall was reached , but it had taken three hours to get over three miles . The icy barrier presented a truly imposing appearance , rising as it did more than four hundred feet above the ice-field . The various strata of which it was formed were clearly defined , and the glistening surface was tinged with many a delicately-shaded hue . Jasper-like ribbons of green and blue alternated with streaks and dashes of all the colours of the rainbow , strewn with enamelled arabesques , sparkling crystals , and delicate ice-flowers .