The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume IX, No. 4 [‎180v] (31/172)

358
THE FIRST CROSSING OF SPITSBERGEN.
plodded down the valley till we were too tired to go another step and
then we lay down in a hollow between two walls of snow, with nothing
but one mackintosh cape to cover our legs. That was a dreary resting-
time. Icy rains fell on us at intervals. A few hours were enough.
Going forward again, we soon came out into a very big flat valley,
the valley of the Shallow (Ondiepe) river, as the Dutch called it in
their time. Only a bog-flat here intervened between us and the waters
of Klok bay. Across the valley were some fine mountains, pouring
out a great glacier on to the flat. Other glaciers were seen emptying
into the valley higher up. We returned by the way we had come, to
near the foot of Plough glacier; then, taking another head valley, we
crossed the range by a lower and better pass (Bolter pass, 1340 feet),
descended over a wide snowy area, in which a large lake of snow-slush
had to be circumvented, and ultimately came out into Advent vale close
to our first camp. The walk from thence to our tent at Cairn camp
was almost more than we could manage.
After this Gregory joined us, and we went forward up Advent A ale
for two marches, and encamped close to Brent pass (450 feet). A large
glacier debouched on the plain opposite camp, descending from a wide
and far-reaching snowy basin. The edge of this glacier was broken
into seracs all the way round, and these kept constantly falling with
a loud booming crash. To this glacier Garwood returned a few weeks
later, when he climbed on to it, and ascended one of the peaks that rise
from it. One more march carried us over Brent pass and down the
Esker valley to Advent vale, just where the Esker river tumbles over
in rather a finely set little waterfall. The descent of the Esker valley
was very laborious, for everything was in the worst possible condition—
snow deep and slushy, gullies many and all cluttered up with rotten
snow, river flooded, bogs numerous and soft.
From Waterfall camp Gregory walked down to Sassen bay, expecting
to meet our comrades; but the ice, packing into Ice fjord, made the
mouth of the Sassendal inaccessible by water. So Gregory returned,
and next day walked from Waterfall camp to Advent bay by the way
we came—a really colossal undertaking, which he accomplished in
twenty-four hours. W'hen the ice broke up, he and Trevor-Battye
came round, and walked up the Sassendal to join us. Trevor-Battye
returned to the boat after a day’s visit, and went off to Dickson’s bay;
Gregory came on with us to the east coast. Garwood and I spent these
days exploring the neighbourhood, climbing peaks, and investigating
valleys. The weather was beautifully fine, the sun shining brightly
all twenty-four hours round. It was a joy to live.
Starting on again, we went up the Sassendal to a big side valley,
and turned up it, hoping to find a way to Foul (Agardhs) bay; but the
appearance of things not being propitious, we returned next day to the
Sassendal, and went further up it to a much bigger side valley. This