288 SPITSBERGEN chap, xxi 



hollowed into caves, heeled over and fallen together, or 

 cloven asunder in every direction. Blue tones shimmered 

 upon them or gathered in their depths into an incredible 

 richness of colour which the calm sea reflected, and against 

 which the white beds of snow that lay upon them shone forth 

 in purest contrast. I stood on the deck, note-book in hand, 

 keenly alert to every novelty. 



"Five A.M. (Aug. 8). We are passing William I. Island, 

 and the sea is opening out, dead calm, with huge ice-masses 

 floating upon it. All the men are asleep below. The in- 

 significant Bastion Islands have come into view, and over 

 them I can see, far away, a low white line above the horizon. 

 It is the snowy covering of Barents Land. An ice-blink 

 has come up unpleasantly near the point towards which we 

 are steering. Seals raise their man-like heads and shoulders 

 to gaze at us out of the wonderful smooth, grey sea, whose 

 quality from hour to hour continues with little change. It 

 is now certain that the ice-pack lies ahead, barring our south- 

 ward way. Only one chance remains — to attempt the passage 

 of Heley Sound." 



This strait is marked Helis Sound on the chart, and 

 sometimes Hell Sound — a not inappropriate title, but it 

 was originally named after its probable discoverer, William 

 Heley, skipper to the Muscovy Company, and, according 

 to Purchas, a voluminous poet. Seldom has the Sound been 

 traversed by ships. Lamont, I believe, was the first to 

 navigate it, but only in an open boat. At the best of times 

 the navigation is most dangerous, and generally it is im- 

 possible. The ice-pack, filling the south part of Olga Strait, 

 formed a cape, against whose point our course would have 

 carried us. From this cape the edge of the pack trended 

 away SE. and SW. We bent off down the SW. face, running 

 toward Unicorn Bay, with the pack on one side and Cape 

 Weyprecht on the other. For ten miles or so the sea re- 



