chap, ix GRIT RIDGE 133 



seen, was full of misfortune for us. Fox tracks were like- 

 wise numerous and recent. Brer Fox in these parts seems 

 to be a "monstrous soon beast," leaving traces everywhere, 

 but seldom visible in his own proper person. Thus far he 

 had preceded us up every hill we climbed. He traversed 

 Fox Peak. He was not only up Sticky Keep, but he went 

 out of his way to scramble to the edge of the overhang- 

 ing cornice at its highest point, apparently to obtain an 

 uninterrupted view all round. We caught a glimpse of him, 

 watching us at the pitching of Cairn Camp. This day we saw 

 him again, but very far off, alternately stopping to look at 

 us and then cantering away over the snow with the jauntiest 

 gait imaginable. 



The ascent to the lowest hill-top of Grit Ridge was dull 

 and laborious, up a snow gully, the rotten shale-ridge by it, 

 and the rottener slopes above, to the snow crest. Mount 

 Lusitania rose opposite, beyond a large neve basin. It hid 

 much of the desired view, and so became an enviable point 

 of vantage ; moreover, I had sentimental reasons for wishing 

 to make the ascent. In the year 1894 the Orient Company's 

 steamship Lusitania took a party for a cruise in Spitsbergen 

 waters. After reaching latitude 8o° 30' north, they spent 

 three days in Sassen Bay, during which a passenger, Mr. 

 Victor H. Gatty, climbed and named this peak. He wrote 

 an account of it and sent it to me, as Editor of the Alpine 

 Journal, for publication. 1 I was thus led to look up the 

 history of mountain exploration in Spitsbergen, and this 

 was how my attention came to be directed to the region. 

 Mount Lusitania was, in fact, the cause of our presence in 

 its neighbourhood. 



The day was now superb, with clear distant views, and 

 such depth of blue even in the nearest shadows upon the 



1 Alpine Journal, vol. xvii. p. 309. 



