The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume IX, No. 4 [‎186v] (43/172)

364'
THE FIRST CROSSING OF SPITSBERGEN.
ascend in h.is balloon. We hurried off, therefore, to Dutch bay again,
where all was still. The south wind had not blown at that point till we
came in.
After a few hours’ pause, and obtaining some more coal, we ran out
through Danes gat, and then for Magdalena bay. The sun was shining
brightly for the first time in a fortnight, and we had a gay passage for
a while; but just as we entered Magdalena bay, the “ pearl of arctic
scenery,” as it has been called, a heavy cloud-bank came sweeping up
with a squall from the south, and we were only just in time to see the
beautiful peaks and steep glaciers that surround this blue inlet over
whelmed by the hurrying battalions of the sky. An hour or two later
we were running down the coast again, bound for King’s bay, which
we entered to its head, to gain some idea of the way the inland ice lies
in that neighbourhood, the trend of the glacier valleys, and the nature
of the famous Three Crowns peaks. The clouds lifted a little and
showed us these things for a brief interval, and all was hidden once
more.
I had still an important observation to make in the branch of Bell
sound, which is wrongly called Van Mijens bay. Its old name is Klok
bay; Van Mijens is a little harbour outside Axel island, in the north
shore of Bell sound. A straight run carried us to Cape Lyell, where
Gregory was left to collect fossil plants. Then we crossed Bell sound
to the north end of Axel island, and entered Klok bay through the
narrow passage, where the tide was rushing in wild haste, so that the
otherwise calm waters boiled about us and carried our boat this way
and that like a cork. Once within the entry all was still. I landed
the remainder of my companions on Axel island, and ran on alone
towards the mouth of the valley of the Shallow river, or Dry fjord,
lich I -visited foi the purpose of linking up the rough survey Garwood
and I made when crossing from Advent vale. This was no sooner accom
plished than the engines broke down, and we had to anchor for three
ours w list repairs were done. I then visited the little-known and
se } charted south-east extension of Klok bay. It runs much further
an the chart indicates, and its enclosed inner harbour would be
an excellent point of attack for this part of the interior of the island.
only late m the season, however, is it likely to be found ioe-free.
en the others had been fetched from their different resorts, it was
— whether we should run for Horn sound. But the necessity,
, lc 1 '-'oosideivd icysclf placed, to make all possible endeavours
rZ! th 0l,S< 7 atl0n for tr " e bearing at Advent point, compelled me to
to Norw at steamer that was to carry us back
li ofZ WaS , Within tW ° ^ blunder was the
to a™u,e f VT 11 - 1 had 0rde « d him ' “ a ^ contracted
locZTnl Z ° w fe ‘ Ched ^ th6 “ iddk of September. We
accordingly went to Advent bay, where Gregory, H. E. Conway, and I