The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume IX, No. 4 [‎182v] (35/172)

360
THE FIRST CROSSING OF SPITSBERGEN.
lay in patches upon the splendid expanse; lakes of sapphire-blue
here and there diversified the great glacier’s frozen area. It was a
gorgeous vista. Unfortunately, I had no camera with me, but only
surveying instruments. The cold was intense. I could not remain
long on the exposed summit. The descent to camp was a long-drawn-
out fight with the opposing gale.
Next day (July 17) Gregory, Garwood, and I returned to my first
point of observation and again enjoyed a good view, though not so fine
a one as before. We descended on to the glacier, and crossed its wide
white foot in about two hours’ walking. By a great stroke of luck, we
hit off what was perhaps the only point where the ice could be quitted
easily on the Foul bay side. For there the glacier ends in an ice-
cliff over 100 feet in height, falling to a pile of moraine-hills over 200
feet high. The point where we reached the ice-cliff gave access to a
slope down which steps could be cut to a snow-slope not too steep for a
glissade. We ran down the moraines, and were at once on the swampy
flat that fills the head of Foul (Agardhs) bay. A stream was waded,
and we walked far out on to the flat to an amorphous region that was
half land, half water. Stranded icebergs in the bay looked down upon
us over the mud-flat. We had crossed to the east coast for the first
time on record. I leave you to imagine our satisfaction.
JL 11C 111
o ~ eoany wae> UJ a
hideous gale, in which the ponies suffered severely. A pool of mud sur
rounded the tents. Bolling up our loads, and the mud with them, we
fought the way down the valley, and in two days reached Waterfall
camp, where we divided, Garwood returning to Advent bay over Brent
pass,. Gregory and I descending the Sassendal to Sassen bay, and there
turning along the coast. We camped at two different places, and made
expeditions inland, climbing Mount Lusitania (3120 feet), whose summit
Garwood and I had attempted but failed to reach from the other side. We
also explored the large valley that divides in half the mountain region
between the Sassendal and Advent bay. We named it De Geer valley,
a ter the leader of the Swedish expedition, at this time engaged in sur
veying the coast of Ice fjord. An interesting group of side valleys enter
De Geer valley from the west. They contain many small glaciers, and
are surrounded by peaks of individual form. Before we could attempt
to explore them vile weather returned, and thenceforward these peaks
remained buried m clouds as long as we were in Spitsbergen. This
f\7 re ?T dmS VaUey that deWhes 011 fjord near the
mouth of Advent bay, were the only portions of this instructive moun-
everfr 1 - * r™ ^ aCtUa1 ^ l )enetrate ’ *t least behold from
after llav° m i 'T' t0 Advent Point days
The tourT/ ’ T 6 “ With th ° Cha ^ es mad ° - our absence.
besidlT r T , LUllt ’ aUd WaS bein S l^ted. Other visitors,
besides ourselves and the Swedes, had their camps on the spit. Presently