chap, xxv A SUMMER RESORT 343 



and a public has been provided to take an interest in Alpine 

 science, which but for them would scarcely have come into 

 being. The same thing will happen in Spitsbergen if 

 summer travellers can be persuaded to frequent it. A 

 portion of Arctic land will be minutely studied and exactly 

 surveyed, its changes watched and recorded from year to 

 year, its phenomena patiently investigated, and its record 

 maintained. 



The interior of Spitsbergen is an almost unknown region. 

 It is now to be brought within ten days of London, and 

 opened for investigation to any person with a six weeks' 

 holiday at command. The glaciers are unmapped, the peaks 

 unclimbed, the valleys, for the most part, untraversed, the 

 ice-sheet absolutely unexplored. Come, then, all ye "who 

 live in houses and go to offices," and taste the delights of 

 the unknown ! Your chance is brief, for in a few years 

 the hills of Spitsbergen will be even as the Alps, where there 

 is no more a virgin peak for a man to conquer. In the 

 remainder of this chapter I propose to indicate some of the 

 work that awaits the man of adventure, and how he should 

 be equipped to undertake it. The question of equipment 

 shall be considered first. 



A traveller who would explore the interior of Spits- 

 bergen and climb its mountains must be prepared to carry 

 all his equipment on his own back, or the backs of other 

 members of his party. Hence everything taken must be as 

 light as possible. Thin Willesden drill "Mummery" tents 

 are best, with the ice - axes used for tent - poles. There 

 should be one of these tents for every two, or at the out- 

 side three members of the party. For sleeping-bags the 

 Norwegian reindeer - skin sacks, though most comfortable, 

 are far too heavy and bulky. The traveller must be con- 

 tent with bags made of eider-down quilt. One kilo of 



