CHAPTER IV 



ICE FJORD 



WHILE Garwood was climbing Mount Starashchin r 

 the Raftsund was trying to find a way through the 

 ice towards Advent Bay. Fortunately for him she failed, 

 and had to return. I was eager to land and explore the 

 Russian Valley, but Gregory quite rightly protested. It was 

 impossible to know when the ice might open, and to begin 

 our explorations by being sundered into two parties forty 

 miles away from one another, would doubtless have been 

 unwise. So we spent the evening together on board, and 

 Garwood presently returned and made our number complete. 



As the sun went to the north a mellower beauty spread 

 over the view, whilst a thin blanket of checkered clouds 

 came up from the west. All day long, masses of ice had 

 been drifting out of the fjord in endless procession, till it 

 seemed as though there must come an exhaustion of the 

 supply ; but no diminution was visible, and no lead opened 

 broad enough for the steamer to venture in. At any 

 moment the slow-moving ice might change its direction 

 and begin packing up at any point, so that without very 

 great risk the Raftsund could not advance. 



Early next morning (June 19) we were under way, at 

 first through open water, then among larger floes. Off 

 Coles Bay it was impossible to proceed ; we had to return 

 crestfallen a second time to the sheltered anchorage ; whilst 

 to make matters worse, the sky clouded over and the day 

 became wretched. All the glory went from the view, and 



