I9I2. No. 14. THE HYDROGRAPHIC OBSERVATIONS. 33 



Bear Island 



measures from north to south about 20 kilometres, and from east to west 

 about 15 kilometres. The northern part of the island is flat country, at 

 a height of from 25 to 100 metres above the sea, and is dotted over 

 with small lakes. The remainder, the southern and south-eastern part, is 

 mountainous countr}-, culminating in Mt. Misery, more than 500 metres in 

 height. The island is situated in latitude 74^2° N., due north of Tromsö, in 

 the region where the Spitsbergen Atlantic Current meets the Spitsbergen 

 Polar Current, thus making the climate of the island damp and cold. 

 Clear davs are few in the summer half of the year. The vegetation is 

 poorer than in Spitsbergen. In the southern part there are great bird- 

 cliflfs, where sea-birds, especiall}' auks and gulls, breed. Foxes and seals 

 are found here, and the polar bear comes down in the winter, though not 

 in great numbers. Formerly the walrus was also found. 



8. Norske Hamna 



is situated on the east side of Bear Island, about 5 kilometres north of 

 the island's southern extremity, and in the middle of its elevated portion. 

 The other harbours on the east side are Sörhamna (South Haven) farthest 

 south, the best of Bear Island's bad harbours, and Hvalros Hamna (Walrus 

 Haven) separated from Norske Hamna (Norwegian Haven) north of it, b}- 

 Ingebrigtsen Island and a few smaller islands. 



The length of Norske Hamna between the above-mentioned island on 

 the south, and Andersson Island on the north, is about i kilometre, and 

 its breadth only half that. The main direction of the coast-line is 

 SSW-NXE. The harbour was visited by Isachsen's expedition in June 

 1909 and 1910. In the latter year it was sounded out by Hermansen on 

 June 24. The depths increase evenh- outwards from the shore and 

 from the islands south and north of the entrance. The harbour cannot be 

 used in easterh' winds. The ice too, sometimes sets in here. Water can 

 be taken from several streams. The harbour is surrounded by almost 

 perpendicular cliffs, from 5 to 10 metres high. In one or two places there 

 is a little sandy beach at their foot; but even here it is difficult to land. 



There is a good boat-harbour about i kilometre north of Norske 

 Hamna, called Russe Hamna, where the cliffs, as in Hvalros Hamna and 

 on the north side in Nordhamna, are broken, and where there is a sandy 

 beach. In the outer part of Russe Hamna, which is about 300 metres 

 wide, there are depths of from 10 to 20 metres, but in the actual harbour, 

 which runs up into the land 300 metres in a north-westerly direction be- 



Vid.-Selsk. Skrifter. I. M -N. Kl. 191 2. No. 14. . 3 



