The centre of Charles Island, which lies opposite the western coast of Spitzbergen, is occupied by a mountain chain about 30 miles in length, rising on the west side from the sea, and on the east from a narrow strip of level ground only a few feet above the sea-level. The central part of this chain is perhaps the highest land near the sea. It rises from the water's edge by a continual ascent, at an angle at first of about 30 degrees, and increasing to 45 degrees and more, until it terminates in five distinct summits, of which the highest is 4500 feet and the lowest 4000 feet above the sea-level.
Along the north shores of Spitzberse, n and North-East Land the country is neither so elevated nor are the hills so sharp-pointed as on the west coast Some of the smaller islands, which occur along these shores, and considerable tracts of the mainland, are comparatively level. They also contain much more earth and clay, and the vegeta tion is rather more vigorous. Along the east coast of North-East Land there is a continuous line of glaciers extending to the shore. The Seven Islands, Walden Island, and Rosa Island (the northernmost land known) lie to the north of it Extending to within 10 degrees of the pole, the climate of Spitz bergen is intensely cold. The mean temperature of the three warmest months on the western coast does not exceed 3-P50*, and even at that season this part of the island is occasionally subject to a cold of 3, 4, and more degrees below the freezing-point In the northern parts the longest day is four months ; but from the 22nd of October to the 22nd of February the nun does not rise above the horizon. This long night however is not quite dark, for the sun, even during its greatest south declination, approaches within 134 degrees of tho horizon, and causes a faint twilight for about one-fourth part of every twenty-four hours. If we add to this the aurora-borealis, which sometimes ex hibits a brilliancy approaching to a blaze of fire, the stars, which shine with unusual brightness, and the moon, which in her north declination appears for twelve or fourteen days together without setting, we may conceive that during the long night there is generally sufficient light to enable a person to go abroad. The winter sets in at the end of September. In the middle of October the frost is sometimes very intense, and it increases rapidly in November. But
throughout the whole winter, when strong south winds occur, they are generally accompanied with mild weather, and sometimes with thaw. Storms at this season are frequent A great quantity of snow falls every winter, but it accumulates, principally in the sheltered glens, lying on the level ground seldom more than five feet deep. Captain Parry however found that the climate of the northern coast is remarkably temperate in summer for the latitude, and very agree able, but only so near the land, that of the adjacent sea being of a totally different character, owing to the almost continual fogs. In May and Juno the sea was almost entirely covered with large fields or floes of ice, but in August it was hardly possible to discover a mingle piece of ice, so great was the change which had been produced by tho continual presence of the sun. The Spitsbergen sea is said to bo much more open than any other part of the Arctic sea in so high a latitude.
The number of species of plants which have been found in Spitz bergen hardly exceeds forty, but vegetation is very rapid. Most of the plants spring up, flower, and produce seed in the course of a month or six weeks. They are of a dwarf size, and the only plant which partakes of the nature of a tree in a Salix lerbacea, which grows to the height of three or four inches. The islands do not produce vegetables suitable or sufficient for the nourishment of a single human being : yet Russian whalers who frequent the east coast have, iu several instances, resided for years upon Spitsbergen ; and ono, M. Sharostin, is named in the 'London Geographical Journal for I853,' who passed thirty-nine winters on the island, and resided there fifteen years without having once left the island. In some parts of King's Bay a very beautiful marble and coal of good quality aro abundant The quadrupeds are—polar foxes, polar bears, and rein-deer. The adjacent sea abounds in many species of whales and some other large fish. There are also many maraca, or wall-trams, and abundance of seals. Sea-fowl are exceedingly numerous.
Spitsbergen was discovered in 1596 by Barents, Hemskerko, and Ryp, in their endeavour to effect a north-east passage to the Indies. It was named by them Spitsbergen (Pointed Mountains) from the numerous peaks observed on the coast.