296 SPITSBERGEN chap, xxi 



the wreathed avenues of mist. Bluer grew the ice fronts,, 

 ruddier the rocks, more purple the valleys, and more green 

 the sea. 



Round went the propeller again, lining the water with 

 diverging waves. The panorama went on unrolling. De- 

 vonian rocks invaded the west shore and streaked all the lower 

 slopes with skirts of red debris, which, buried in blue air, pro- 

 duced astonishing effects. The east wall sloped, gentlier and 

 unbroken, up to the ice-field, over which domed clouds rolled 

 along. Farther in, still on the east, came deep cirques,, 

 surrounded by fine areted peaks of hard rock, all white 

 with new snow, and jutting their heads into cloud. And 

 now we were approaching Cape Petermann, the bold, 

 steep-sided, mountain promontory that divides into two 

 fjords the head of the sound. The east fjord is the true 

 continuation of the main valley, and retains its leading 

 characteristics. It terminates in a broad, smooth glacier,, 

 which flows down from the inland ice, and appears to be 

 advancing and driving back the sea. Narrower and grander 

 is the west branch, in reality a side valley, depressed below 

 the water level. 



We turned up it, minded to land on the promontory in 

 the interests of botanical collecting, but the geologists, pre- 

 ferring the Devonian of the west coast to the Hecla-Hook 

 of the Cape, gained the day, so we crossed over, going very 

 slowly and sounding, for there is little depth. 



During the day Trevor-Battye collected several birds, of 

 which he was in need. At this point he shot a young little 

 auk. A greedy glaucous gull instantly snatched it up, but 

 the other barrel dropped him stone-dead, amidst cries of 

 " Sold again ! " from all on board. When the others had 

 landed, I went on alone up the bay, but with little profit, 

 for its head is quite shallow, and nothing new came in sight. 



