NO. 15.] 



ORIGINAL ACCOUNTS. 



The Nautico-meteorological journal of the Freja gives the following data, for the time 

 during which the above mentioned accidents occurred. 



The data in the 7th column are of special interest. They show that the surface-water 

 had a spec, gravity 1'010 in the Kattegat and 1'020 and more in the Skagerack. To judge 

 from the usual conditions prevailing in the Kattegat and Skagerrack, it is probable that the 

 water of spec, gravity 1'010 had formed a shallow surface layer in the Kattegat, reaching 

 out as a shallow tongue north of Skagen, upon water of spec, gravity 1'020. As the transi- 

 tion of spec, gravity at the surface seems to have been rather sharp, the tongue of 

 light surface-water might also have been distinctly separated from the heavier water below; 

 and near the end of the tongue the Freja might have sailed in a sharply defined surface- 

 layer of no greater depth than she drew. The surface-layer apparently has had a motion 

 of its own (to the east) upon the water below; this is quite clear from the description of 

 the appearance of the sea round the ship. 



An officer on the corvette, Lieutenant O. Wallahder, has made a somewhat different 

 sketch of the phenomenon (Fig. 15, PL IV). This sketch shows no asymmetry, which, how- 

 ever, need not depend on negligence; for when the ship during her manoeuvres headed in 

 the direction of the surface-current, the asymmetry must have been lost, and on such an 

 occasion the appearance illustrated by Fig. 15 might have been observed. 



No. 14. Count M. Hamilton, Kommendorkapten in the Swedish Navy, 

 has communicated to me the following experience, in which a strong surface- 

 current was proved to have played an important part. 



"On May 28th 1895 at 2'30 p. m. H. M. Brig Gladan' was about 3 or 4 miles NE. of 

 Skagen, heading WNW., at a speed of about 2 knots; wind ESE. At the hour mentioned 

 sail-drill began, and simultaneously with the shortening of sail, the ship suddenly sheered 

 two points to port. Believing that it depended on the sails being shortened, I intended 

 to bring the ship back to her course after they had been set again. However, the ship 

 could not, by any means be brought to starboard. I then tried to go round to port and 

 in this way get into the desired course. The ship, also, answered willingly; she went 

 round by the wind and fell] off on the starboard tack — but only north, and there she 

 stayed. I tried to turn her the first way again, and as before she went by the wind will- 

 ingly and fell off to leeward to the west, but no further. She could not be brougth into 

 the quadrant between W. and N., while within the 3 other quadrants she could be man- 

 oeuvred, and could make about 2 knots. A schooner in the neighbourhood seemed to have 



