92 SPITSBERGEN chap, vi 



and saw further afield. The eye in its turn played tricks, 

 figuring, for example, men carrying loads in casual lumps of 

 rock, whilst the snow-outlined edge of an ancient moraine, 

 high up on the opposite hill-side, looked like a mountain- 

 canal to carry irrigation-water to Alpine meadows. The 

 lower we descended the more incredibly bad did the snow 

 become. We bore to the right off the glacier, but profited 

 nothing on the snow-covered slopes. In we went, up to the 

 knee — sometimes up to the waist. I tried crawling gingerly 

 on all fours, a painful mode of progression. We came upon 

 a surface that would just bear our weight, not stepping but 

 creeping along it, each foot moved forwards a few inches at 

 a time. For a yard or two there might be stones ; the evil 

 snow succeeded, less tenacious than ever. At length came 

 a boggy slope with two very tame reindeer on it ; it seemed 

 a blissful highway, and led down to a flat stony bog, im- 

 mediately below the ice-cliff with which this glacier ends. 

 Garwood found much of interest to observe in the section 

 of glacier displayed by this snout. It was advancing with 

 some rapidity, not ploughing up the vegetation before it, 

 but simply gliding on to it. The same was the case with 

 other glacier snouts seen this day. All were advancing in 

 the same fashion. Garwood climbed right up to the ice 

 precipice in his eagerness, risking his life in the cause of 

 science. I was glad when he returned and we could eat 

 our Emergency Food at a safe distance. 



The whole area intervening between this point and the 

 place where the Plough Glacier's stream joins that from 

 Bolter Pass, was covered with reindeer tracks, and we 

 saw two more reindeer close at hand. They were little 

 disturbed by our presence, and advanced within easy range 

 to inspect us. For the remainder of the march we drove 

 them like goats before us clown the valley. After halting 

 to take observations at the point of junction, and wading 



