The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume IX, No. 4 [‎190v] (51/172)

368
THE FIRST CROSSING OF SPITSBERGEN.
ideal traveller’s equipage. If you harness a polar bear in the shafts, with a reindeer
leading, you will, I am convinced, make extremely rapid progress.
The* President : Mr. Trevor-Battye requested that he might be called upon last.
I have no doubt he was anxious not to take the wind out of anybody else’s sails.
Mr. Trevob-Battye : Mr. Trevor-Battye wished to be called upon last in the
hope that he might not be called upon at all—a very good reason; and really,
after Sir Martin Conway’s most charming speech, there is not much for him to say,
especially as he is not supported by any views or photographs, although in the next
room will be found exhibited his sketches of Dickson’s bay, Wijde bay, Hinlopen
strait, the Seven Islands, and other places. Frankly, without illustrations it is
very hard to be interesting, and therefore, I think, the less I say the better. I will
only add to Sir Martin Conway’s interesting account, that in Eckman’s bay there
is a very striking instance of an advancing glacier. This, which I named the
“ Splendid glacier,” is advancing so rapidly that, within the twenty-five years or
so that have elapsed since North fjord was surveyed, it has filled up a great part
of the head of the fjord, which is put upon the charts as a large branch of the sea,
in the middle of which is an island. It has now advanced upon the island, and
within a very few years the head of the fjord will be entirely filled up. On the other
hand, the most important glacier at the head of Dickson’s bay is a retreating glacier,
which is dying back very rapidly. It is now so late that I will not ask you to
listen to anything more.
The President : I am sure the meeting will agree with me that we have seldom
listened to such an interesting paper, and to such interesting speeches as those that
followed it. The description given by Sir Martin Conway of the formation of hills
and valleys is particularly interesting and instructive because of its general applica
tion. I should have wished to have made various remarks on this subject, only I
have a sore throat; but I cannot sit down without referring to the way in which Sir
Martin Conway has done his work. You already know, from what you have heard,
how able he is as a descriptive geographer, and I wish to bear witness to the trouble
he took before starting, and to the trouble he is taking now, to inform himself of
the former history of Spitsbergen. I say without any hesitation that Sir Martin
Conway has a greater knowledge of the literature of Spitsbergen than any other
living man. I am sure you will all wish me to return our very sincere and hearty
thanks to him for his most interesting description of Spitsbergen, and for his
admirable series of photographs, and you will wish me to thank the members of
his staff for the valuable information they have given us.
Sir Martin Conway’s Map. —The general outline has been taken from the
Admiralty charts, but enlarged, and the interior filled in from a sketch-survey
made in June, July, and August, 1896. The southern coast-line of Sassen bay is
taken from a map made in 1892 by the officers of the French man-of-war Let
Manche (Bull, de la hoc. cle Geographic, 1894, p. 56). The coast-line of Temple
bay and the northern part of Sassen bay are from Prof. A. G. Nathorst’s
survey made in 1882 (Fmer, 1883, p. 134). The position of peak “Milne-
Ldwards was determined by M. Charles Rabot in 1892, on the occasion of the
visit of Za Manche. Details of glaciation of the east coast are taken from Dr. W.
Kiikenthal’s map in Petermanns Geogr. Mitteilungen, 1890, Plate 5. Dickson’s
bay is from the survey made in 1883 by Lieut. Stjernspetz, the neighbourhood of
the house at Cape Thordsen is from a survey by the same officer. The coast-line
o aas i len bay is from Nathorst and De Geer’s survey of 1882. Skans bay
is from a survey by the officers of La Manche in 1892. The corrections and addi-
10 ns at t e ead of Dickson s bay are from Mr. Trevor-Battye’s observations in 1896.