The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume IX, No. 4 [‎178v] (27/172)

356
THE FIIiST CROSSING OF SPITSBERGEN.
First, however, I must premise that this journey into the interior
was not the whole of our work. A portion of our party remained for
some time at the coast, and worked there. Mr. Trevor-Battye and my
cousin made various boat-expeditions from Advent Point, and spent
some time in and about the North fjord; and Mr. Trevor-Battye went
up Dickson’s bay to its head, landed there, and made a long expedition
up a glacier previously unexplored. Dickson’s bay has been visited
seldom—by Lament in 1871, by Professor Nathorst in 1882, by Lieut,
(now Major) Stjernspetz, who surveyed it in 1883, by Nordenskiold, and
doubtless by a few others ; there is no published description of it, except
a too brief account by Stjernspetz, who landed at its head, and walked
up the north glacier to a pass whence Wijde bay was visible.
Garwood, on our first arrival, climbed the peak at Cape Starashchin,
and later on our geologists and artist spent a few days at Green
harbour for collecting and sketching purposes. The whole party also
made, in the little steamer Expres (12 tons net), a voyage of over 1000
miles round the coasts of the island, during which we visited North-
East land, the Seven islands, traversed Hinloopen strait twice, closely
approached Wiches land, visited Andree’s balloon establishment, and
entered every considerable bay in Spitsbergen except Lomme bay,
Liefde bay, Cross bay, and Michel Reinier’s (Van Keulen’s) bay. Finally,
whilst I remained at Advent Point to try and obtain a solar observation
for the purpose of deducing an important true bearing, Garwood and
Trevor-Battye went to Horn sound, and made the first ascent of Mount
Hedgehog, or Horn Sunds Tind, the highest measured mountain in
Spitsbergen.
All having landed at Advent Point on June 20, Garwood and I made
a trial trip inland, and on the 23rd definitely started with the two
ponies and sledges. A brief experience manifested that the task we
had undertaken was not going to be a light one. The west shore of
Advent bay is formed by a low cliff with slopes above it. The sledges
had to be dragged across these slopes. They are boggy, though nothing
like the bogs we afterwards encountered, and they are cut up by gullied,
large and small. Down each gully flows a stream, arched over at this
time by snow-beds. The snow was rotten, and here the ponies stuck
for the first of a countless number of times. Each time they stuck we
had to dig or haul them out, and ourselves lug the sledges over—a
fatiguing operation. Beyond the cliffs we descended on to the flat
consisting of soft mossy bogs, rotten snow-beds, torrents from 1 to’
2 f ' eet dee P’ and b °g s consisting of an unsupporting mixture of stones
and mud. None of these things were so bad near Advent bay as we
found them further inland. The worst were near Agardhs bay The
snow-beds were so sodden that the foot trod right through them, making
a green hole, which was immediately filled with water. The streams
were innumerable at this time of energetic thaw. In one mile near the