82 SPITSBERGEN chap, vi 



second gully we turned west up an easy snow-slope, then 

 a more toilsome slope of debris, which narrowed to a ridge. 

 Here Garwood discovered fossils in great number, and more 

 were soon appropriated than could be carried, so we cast 

 them on to the clean snow-slope below, where they could 

 be found on the descent. While the fossils lasted progress 

 was slow ; eyes were glued upon the ground and the de- 

 veloping view was forgotten. Presently the debris became 

 too steep and rotten to be farther ascended, so we turned 

 aside to the neighbouring snow-ridge. I have not elsewhere 

 seen debris slopes at such a steep angle as many we en- 

 countered in Spitsbergen. The reason is that the friable 

 rocks there are smashed up so completely that the fine dust 

 holds the fragments together, and, by increasing the friction 

 between the pieces, prevents them from sliding. Debris 

 slopes of such steepness are most laborious and even difficult 

 to ascend ; the surface is too steep to tread upon and not 

 soft enough to yield readily to a kick. When such slopes 

 are saturated with wet, the foot adheres to them as though 

 glued down. On the snow-ridge were no fossils, so the view 

 received attention. The weather was doubtless clearing. 

 Advent Bay lay like a map beneath, with sunshine upon its 

 burnished surface. 



The snow arete gave place to a narrow cocks-comb of 

 the rottenest rock imaginable. Fearing lest the whole thing 

 should give way, we turned on to the right face, down which 

 were falling frequent avalanches both of snow and rock. 

 It became necessary, therefore, to return to the ruinous 

 crest, which stood upon the ridge like a wall with vertical 

 sides about forty feet high, so narrow that in several places 

 it was pierced right through with large holes, and so rotten 

 that huge masses of rock gave way at a touch, whilst at one 

 point, above a hole, the entire mass groaned and trembled 

 as we gingerly picked our way over. An hour was spent 



