96 SPITSBERGEN chap, vi 



diminishing hills, and westward to the edge of a plateau. 

 An enduring gloom of cloud and damp overhung and per- 

 meated the place. Puffs of cold wind chilled the marrow 

 in our bones. Then rain began to fall, each drop like the 

 touch of an icicle. I put on my wet stockings and boots, 

 wound the wet pattis about them, and on we went again 

 over slightly better ground, where was much grass and 

 plenty of food for our ponies if only we could get them 

 over the mountains. At last we approached the mouth of 

 Dreary Valley, and found a grassy hollow with a clear little 

 brook rippling down it in tiny channels. It was the most 

 protected place we had thus far seen in Spitsbergen. More- 

 over there was a small patch of dry ground, big enough 

 to lie on, the first square yard of dry earth we had come 

 across since quitting Advent Bay. Here accordingly we de- 

 termined to rest. We were utterly weary with the labour 

 of the inarch, due to the quantity and condition of the 

 snow. If, as we w r ere informed, the season this year was 

 a late one, we had that lateness to thank for the worst of 

 our troubles. In August no doubt the pass might be crossed 

 and the valley descended without trouble and in a very 

 short time. 



Our camping ground, though relatively sheltered, was not 

 really a choice spot. It was a sloping trough about twenty 

 feet deep and forty wide. There were snow-walls on either 

 hand. Mountains protected us behind, but there was only 

 a low ridge in front, over which we could see the prominent 

 isolated mountain, whichi so attracted us as a probable point 

 of view when we first saw it from near Bunting Bluff. In 

 preparation for repose we changed our wet socks for the 

 dry ones from our sacks, put on our extra wraps, tied the 

 lappets of our Samoyede fur caps over our ears and round 

 our necks, then lay upon the ground back to back with 

 the oilskin coat about our legs, our feet in a kind of pocket 



