EXPLOKATIONS. 537 



could scarely have overlooked ; besides the usual fir and 

 larch, were pieces of Alder (AInus incana, L.) and poplar 

 (Pojmlus tremula, L.), plainly showing that the drift-wood 

 of North-east Greenland comes originally from North 

 Siberia; whence driven into the sea by the strong cur- 

 rents, it floats in a westerly direction, north of Spitz- 

 bergen, and is carried on until it reaches the Greenland 

 coast, when it takes a southerly course. 



We dredged by the ship's side to thirty fathoms ; and 

 though the booty was poor, it was interesting, consisting 

 as it did of some elegant corals. 



On the morning of the 28 ih of July Lieutenant Payer 

 returned from his excursion, reporting that the prospect 

 to the north was not comforting ; nothing but ice as far 

 as the eye could reach ; no signs of water. 



No change on the 29th ; nothing but heavy ice and a 

 white ice-sky to the north. It was evident that until 

 the beginning of the autumn storms nothing could set 

 the enormous mass in motion. According to our expe- 

 rience, these did not begin before the middle or end of 

 August, and therefore not until near the end of the 

 sailing-season; so that, as our instructions positively 

 forbade a second wintering, we should have to think of 

 returning. The probability of advancing further, even 

 in the course of the year, was very uncertain, besides the 

 threatening danger to the ship from the crowding masses 

 of ice, and to this danger the amount of knowledge gained 

 would scarcely be equivalent. All this considered, the 

 Captain thought the best plan was to spend the remainder 

 of the time in exploring the coast and the inteiior of the 

 country. Whether this decision was the best must be 

 left to a just and well-versed judge ; sufficient, that all 



