8 EKMAN. ON DEAD-WATER. [norw. pol. EXP. 



It is a difficult thing to state anything certain concerning the frequency 

 of " dead- water" ; the accounts are much too scanty and incomplete. The 

 map PI. II is an attempt in this direction, as far as Scandinavia is con- 

 cerned. The places where dead-water has been observed, or is said to 

 occur, are represented by different signs explained on the map. It must of 

 course, be expected a priori that the greatest numbers of accounts should be 

 received from those fjords and other waters that are most frequented, and that 

 accounts should be altogether wanting from several small places with very little 

 traffic, or where Prof. Nansen's request in the newspapers did not become known 

 Taking these circumstances into account, it seems probable, from the results 

 illustrated by the map, that dead-water occurs in all Norwegian fjords into 

 which any considerable quantity of fresh water flows and, although with less 

 strength, in the Kattegat as well. As a general rule the phenomenon seems to 

 appear in particular cases, only when circumstances are favourable, but yet 

 not so very infrequently. In the environs of the mouth of the Glommen it 

 is constantly feared; the towing masters must lake it into account and not 

 take too great a load at the risk of sticking in dead-water. It must be noted 

 that the figures on the map give a too low estimate of the frequency of 

 dead-water. For several narrators declare they have been out in dead-water 

 on many occasions that they do not think it necessary to mention specially. 

 All these cases, not specially described, are left out of account. 



Still more difficult would it be to draw any reliable conclusions as to 

 the occurrence of dead-water beyond Scandinavia. To my appeal published 

 in at least 36 foreign newspapers, 1 I have not received more than 18 

 answers, of which number half are of decidedly negative import. Only two 

 narrators have certainly experienced dead-water themselves, one in the 

 Kristiania Fjord and the other inside Vancouver Island (Canada). It is 

 not probable, therefore, that dead-water is at all as decided or as common 

 on other seas as in Scandinavia; for one cannot assume that a phenomenon 

 so troublesome and so characteristic should escape the attention of seamen. 

 On the other hand, four of my Scandinavian authorities mention dead-water 



1 6 British, 1 German, 2 Dutch, 1 Belgian, 1 1 French, 2 Italian, 2 Chinese, 2 Brazilian, 

 1 in Argentina, 4 in United States of America and 4 Canadian. 



