268 SUGAR-LOAF MOUNTAIN. 



Very long, low, and dangerous reefs of rocks 

 run out many miles from the land all along 

 the coast, from South Cape to Ice Piord. The 

 mountains are much higher and steeper than 

 in East Spitzhergen. There is one enormous 

 sugar-loaf-looking peak, not far from South 

 Cape. It appears to be of granite, and is said 

 to be the highest mountain in Spitzhergen. 

 This is evidently the mountain described by 

 Scoresby, who states its height to be 4500 

 feet ; although, judging by the eye, I should 

 have estimated it at considerably more. 



Many of these mountains have a singularly 

 striking resemblance, on an enormously ex- 

 aggerated scale, to the pyramids of Egypt. 

 Some of them have four well-proportioned 

 sides, and slope at a very regular angle of 

 about 45° from top to bottom ; and the lines of 

 stratification being very horizontally disposed 

 and broken short off at the ends, give them 

 exactly the appearance of being composed of 

 gigantic courses of masonry, each smaller than 

 the one below it, until the mountain termi- 

 nates in an absolute point. Others again have 

 the uppermost strata slightly overhanging, or 

 projecting over, those immediately below. 



The 1st of September was a fine calm day, 



