The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume XII, No. 2 [‎273v] (49/154)

140 AN EXPLORATION IN 1897 OF SOME OF THE GLACIERS OF SPITSBERGEN.
or orange tints enforced by the lustrous atmosphere. There was none
of the sharp contrast of black and white that strikes a superficial observer
in high mountain views. This panorama was a glorious mass of colour,
harmonious without rift, and rich without monotony. At midnight the
cloud-roof opened in the north, and a flood of sunshine [toured upon us.
Camp was pitched just where the slope began to dip towards the head of
the Nordenskiold glacier.
Next day, in glorious weather, we descended to the foot of a mountain,
the Terrier, on the left side of the Nordenskiold glacier, opposite
De Geer’s peak. We meant to ascend it next day, but were prevented
by regathered clouds. Some hours were accordingly passed investigating
glacial phenomena in the neighbourhood, a curious long barrel-vault of
ice, and a burst glacier lake which had distributed huge masses of ice
over a square mile of glacier. On the 21st we rowed down Klaas Billen
bay to the Goose islands, where we spent the night. Early on the 23rd
we were back in Advent bay.
On the 24th wo sailed in the small steamer Kvik, and landed next
morning at the south-east angle of King’s bay. Some time was spent
making observations of the great King’s glacier’s terminal cliff, climbing
a peak in the neighbourhood, and preparing for another journey inland.
We started, with two new sledges, up the south side of the King’s glacier
on the morning of the 27th. For the first two days the humpy and
crevassed ice and the great moraines caused us infinite labour. We
thus gained the King’s Highway, the great south-east tributary of the
King’s glacier. Here were several miles of water-sodden snow to
be traversed, and several broad glacier rivers to be crossed. The third
march brought us to near the watershed The boundary between adjacent drainage basins. , and on the morning of the 30th
we stood on the actual pass, and could see down the whole length of the
glacier we had come up, and of another glacier in the opposite direction
leading down to Ice fjord, beyond whose waters Advent bay was clearly
visible. For the sake of a wider panorama, we climbed to the top of a
neighbouring snowy hill (Highway dome, 3000 feet). The weather was
fine, and the view most comprehensive. In all directions were a countless
multitude of snowy hills, with a labyrinth of neves and glaciers amongst
them. I he remainder of the day was spent in surveying, the sun being
painfully hot in the clear air.
Next day we went south over a snow pass, and down on to the neve
of the next great glacier, which we supposed would likewise flow into
Ice fjord. It is a very large glacier, but it bends round south and then
south-west, and empties into the head of St. John’s bay. Returning by
the pass at the head of this glacier, we went down the southern branch
of the Highway glacier, and rejoined our old tracks after a long march.
In the angle between the two great branches of King’s glacier—
Highway glacier and Crowns glacier—stands the fine mountain-
group of the Crowns, well known to the old navigators from their