30 0. B. B0GGILD. BOTTOM DEPOSITS. [norw. pol. exp. 



No. 2; particles of such a size could only be to a very small extent carried 

 to a locality as far out at sea as that from which the latter was taken. 



Meanwhile, it is scarcely probable that the above mentioned current is 

 very constant in direction, and in that case other factors will also in time be 

 able to make their influence felt. No. 2 probably obtains a considerable 

 quantity of its sandy material from the near-lying Sverdrup's Island which 

 according to Nansen is certainly formed of rather sandy kinds of rocks; 

 Sample No. 5 lay rather farther away from this Island and the conveyance 

 of sand from the one to the other must consequently have been much less. 

 It would also appear to be likely that large amounts of material expelled 

 from the large rivers in this neighbourhood, could be scattered over the sea 

 bottom here; and this being so, No. 5 will owing to its closer proximity, 

 receive the largest amount of such material; which accounts for this particular 

 sample being of a more clayey character than the other two. As, however, 

 nothing is up to the present, known as to what sort of material the drift 

 ice which undoubtedly plays a very great part in the transportation of the 

 river material, actually does carry with it, there appears to be no possible 

 chance of saying exactly what influence the addition of materials derived 

 from this source can have had on the general texture of the samples. 



Sample No. 3 has a quite different appearance; it is composed of 

 nearly clean sand. As it was taken in rather close proximity to Sverdrup's 

 Island it is reasonable to suppose that at least a large portion of the sanded 

 ingredients owe their origin to this source. Meanwhile, it is difficult to 

 imagine that an Island of such insignificant dimensions should be able to 

 supply such a large quantity of sand, as to many times outweigh the amount 

 of clay presumably brought down from the great rivers, were it not that 

 the sample was taken from such a small depth that wave motion, currents, 

 etc., may have had a very appreciable influence in determining the proportion 

 of admixture. Where the water near the sea bottom is either always, or 

 at least at frequent intervals in motion, clay particles could not possibly 

 be deposited, and even if they sink whenever the water happens to be still, 

 they will soon be carried away again. The comparatively insignificant 

 amounts of fine clayey material that appear on examination, appears to 

 make it probable that this sample was deposited entirely as clean sand; and 

 the small amount of material under - 05 mm. must consequently be attributed 



