4 FRIDTJOF NANSEX. M.-N. Kl. 



During the following days researches were made at the mouth of 

 Hinlopen Strait and in the sea to the north of it. 



On August 13th we sailed northwards, hoping to reach the deep water 

 to the north of Spitsbergen, but unfortunately we were stopped b}- the 

 ice in about 80" 39' N. and 17° 14' E. (Stat. 35I. East of this place, 

 however, at Stat. 36, we found a depth of 620 metres, being obviously 

 in a submarine channel passing from Hinlopen Strait across the submarine 

 platform into the North Polar Basin ; and the water near the bottom of 

 this channel was evidently of the same kind as the deep-water of the 

 North Polar Basin. 



We now had to return, there being no prospect of getting farther 

 north, as the ice was drifting rapidly southwards. We went again west- 

 wards, and made a new attempt to penetrate northwards, north of the 

 north-western corner of Spitsbergen; but in 80° 29' N. and about 12° E. 

 we were stopped by tight ice at Stat. 41. The ship was moored to an 

 ice-floe on August 17th in the evening, and during the following two days, 

 current-measurements and other observations were continuously taken. In 

 the afternoon of August 19th, at 6.20 p. m., the tightening of the ice-floes 

 round the ship, and the heavy swell coming from the sea outside, made 

 it necessary to leave the ice; and heavy gales during the following days 

 prevented us from going into the ice again. 



On August 24th we returned to Green Harbour. During the next 

 few days we took several stations at the mouth of Ice Fjord, and as far 

 in as oflf Advent Bay. 



On August 29th we sailed southwards from Ice Fjord along the west 

 coast of Spitsbergen. On the following da}' we paid a visit into Bell Sound, 

 and took a few océanographie stations there during August 30th and 31st. 

 We then sailed southwards, taking a few océanographie stations, till we 

 were off the mouth of Horn Sound. From that place we took a section 

 with 4 océanographie stations (Stat. 54 — 57) towards SSW. We then got 

 a gale and shaped our course for Norway. After a stormy passage we 

 reached Harstad in northern Norway on September 5th. 



57 océanographie stations with vertical series of temperatures and 

 water-samples were taken during the cruise, chiefl}' on the west coast and 

 to the north of Spitsbergen. Investigations were also made in the following 

 fjords: Ice Fjord, Cross Bay and Kings Bay, Wood Bay and Liefde Bay, 

 Wijde Bay, Hinlopen Strait, and Bell Sound. It was mentioned above that 

 the ice prevented us from coming sufficiently far north to reach the deep 

 sea, but at the deepest stations water-samples were taken, which seem to 

 be of the same kind as the deep water of the North Polar Basin. 



