378 



tension of carbonic acid by passing between the roots of the 

 abundant vegetation, surrounding the «Unartok». 



It may be safely deduced from the determinations that the 

 water from the depth does not contain any trace of free car- 

 bonic acid, and 1 venture to predict that, if this spring should 

 be examined in winter-time, the temperature will be found to 

 be higher, the tension of carbonic acid = 0, and the percentage 

 of oxygen in the air-bubbles — if air-bubbles there are — very 

 insignificant or probably 0. 



Summary. The general feature of the carbonic acid in 

 the freshwaters of Disko is the influence of the soil. The 

 basaltic rocks may rightly be characterized as alkaline ; when 

 moist they absorb carbonic acid from the atmosphere and, 

 indeed, from any source, and they are capable of reducing the 

 tension of the gas to and consequently of dissociating bicar- 

 bonates of alkalis and alkaline earths. 



This powerful influence is so easily observed because the 

 climate in arctic. The organic production of carbonic acid in 

 the soil is comparatively insignificant and altogether unable to 

 mask the influence of the soil itself. 



