302 CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF THE GLACIAL EPOCH. 



seem, so far as can be judged by the eye, to be several thousand feet higher 

 than the inland ice below."* 



In 1876 the Danish government authorized a systematic scientific explo- 

 ration of the west coast of Greenland, which was to be continiied during a 

 period of at least five years, and which, although not on a large scale, has 

 yielded results of great interest.! The amount and character of the Avork 

 done, so far as known to the writer, may be indicated by the following 

 resume. In 1876 K. J. V. Stecnstrup explored a portion of the district of 

 Julianshaab, devoting himself chiefly to its geology. The next year, the 

 same observer, with the assistance of Lieutenant Jensen, examined the region 

 near Frederikshaab, mapping the interior ramifications of the fiords, and the 

 borders of the inland ice. This year, however, they were prevented by con- 

 tinuous bad weather from making the desired explorations of the interior ice 

 and snow-covered region. 



In 1878 Steenstrup started for more northern and unknown regions, in 

 the vicinity of the Umanak Fiord and on the peninsula of Svartenhuk 

 (between the parallels of 71° and 72"). His return to Copenhagen was 

 expected in November of 1881. In 1879 he explored the Torsukatak glacier 

 (latitude 70°) ; and in 1880, with the assistance of Hammer, he continued 

 his work in the vicinity of the Umanak Fiord. Tiie results of these investi- 

 gations do not appear to have been yet made public. 



Jensen, in 1878, explored the portion of the coast of Greenland lying 

 between the fiord of Ameralik, in the district of Godthaab and Tiningnerlok, 

 a little south of the Isblink of Frederikshaab, a region embraced within the 

 parallels of 62° 15' and 64° 30', and he succeeded, with the assistance of 

 Messrs. Kornerup and Groth, in making a more detailed and satisflictory 

 examination of a portion of the inland ice than any one of his predecessors 

 in this line of exploration. His results are especially valuable, because he 

 was furnished with instruments, so that his distances and elevations could be 

 determined with considerable approach to accuracy -I This party ascended 

 the Isblink of Frederikshaab, a great arm of the inland ice coming down 



* A. Holland, Dm <le isfyliUe Fjurde og glaciale Daniipl.ser in Nonlgi-'/inlaud (Separataftryk af Arcliiv for 

 Mathematik og Naturvidcnskab, Bind I.). Kvistiania, 1S76, page 7. 



t See Meddelelser oin Grwnland, udgivne af Commissionen for I,edc4scn af de geologiske og geograpliiske 

 Unders«gelser i Greinland. Hefte 1, 1S79 ; 2, ISSl ; 3, ISSO ; the last-named is devoted to the botany of the 

 legion. 



t This party was ten days in making aliout the same distance on the inland ice which Dr. Hayes thought he 

 had made in a little over two. This would seem to indicate that the character of the surface was very different in 

 the two localities, or else tl;at the distance travelled by the latter was considerably overestimated. 



