6o SPITSBERGEN chap, iv 



The end was formed of wood admirably joined, and with 

 a door that shut closely and locked. There were some 

 small glass windows, and a fireplace with an iron - pipe 

 chimney. These things were brought from the ship. Within 

 all was perfectly tidy — a bed along one side, various utensils, 

 all clean and proper. The seamen's chests were ranged 

 on one side, and on each was a label praying the finder, 

 "for pity's sake," to send it to the owner's wife at such 

 a place. 



All the camp sites we could see were equally exposed, 

 so we decided to pitch our tents by the Swedes, close to 

 the edge of the fjord on a sandy and gravelly flat, dry 

 enough, but not offering very good holding for tent-pegs. 

 After dining on board, we began landing our goods, and 

 set up the tents about a little square. There were six in 

 all. Pre-eminent for size was Studley's African marquee. 

 The others were three Whymper tents with flies, and two 

 smaller ones intended mainly for use inland. Each of these 

 was seven feet long by five feet wide and less than five feet 

 high. They were of the Mummery pattern, made of strong 

 Willesden canvas, rather heavy, but perfectly waterproof. For 

 supports we used two ice-axes with pieces of wood made 

 to fit on their ends and lengthen them to proper dimen- 

 sions. The weak point about these tents is the number 

 of cords required to hold them out, and consequently of 

 pegs to hold the cords. In a rocky country this does not 

 matter, because stones can be used, but in bogs one must 

 have pegs. Three men in one of these little tents made 

 rather a tight pack, but there was plenty of room for two 

 and their small baggage. 



The view from Advent Point camp was not seen to best 

 advantage in the grey light beneath low clouds, though across 

 the fjord to the large glaciers of Cape Boheman it was now 

 and always lovely, and the floating masses of ice, that drifted 



