32 SPITSBERGEN chap, hi 



them presently from another standpoint, and in still greater 

 splendour. A twelve hours' halt was made at Stokmarknaes, 

 to take on coal and give Mr. With time to visit his home. 

 A hill-climber himself, he knew the best point of view, so 

 at seven in the evening, Gregory and I set off to follow his 

 advice, and climb the round summit of the fjeld behind the 

 town. Studley and Garwood went fishing and caught eleven 

 sizable cod, whilst Trevor-Battye and our artist sketched 

 the range of snowy mountains across the fjord. 



Gregory went ahead like a steam-engine, whilst I did the 

 puffing and blowing behind. An hour's tramp carried us 

 over fields and bogs, through a wood of stunted birch, and 

 up rather steep snow-beds and a rounded ridge, to the 

 shoulder of our hill. There was a springy cushion of cloud- 

 berry plants and a splendid view. On either hand were 

 hollow places, once filled with glaciers, which, in some 

 hurry of retreat, left their lateral, medial, and terminal 

 moraines in situ, and disappeared. A stone avalanche, falling 

 not far away, filled the quiet air with the echoes of its 

 rattling. Half-an-hour's further trudge carried us up the 

 remainder of the ridge and over the broad area of the 

 culminating snow-field, along which the sun drew out out- 

 blue shadows to a hundred yards. I can recall no more 

 enjoyable hour of active life than the one we spent on the 

 upper part of this hill. On one side was a large snow- 

 cornice overhanging a precipice. Elsewhere the spotless 

 dome curved gradually away, and formed a smooth fore- 

 ground of warm creamy white to what was assuredly one of 

 the finest panoramas I ever saw. Golden light flooded forth 

 from the low sun, and enveloped the north in a glory as of 

 the portals of heaven. A broad water-highway led to the 

 sea. Along its far side ran the straight range of beautiful 

 snow mountains of Lofoten, with splintered peaks rising 

 from rounded slopes, which dipped under a flat alluvial 



