Notes on the sea-ice along the east coast of Greenland. 211 
a difference in the drift of the ice, of which the innermost part would 
be stationary compared to the outermost part, thereby making it pos- 
sible for the north-water to form. 
This, which was only an unsupported theory, has received addi- 
tional proof in the finding of very shallow water on about 78° Lat. Lat. 
(“Belgica”, 1905). This shoal, which has also been visited by the Dan- 
mark-Expedition in 1908, comes at least within 58 metres of the surface 
and there is of course no reason to believe, that the absolutely smallest 
sounding has been taken in that vicinity, nor that eastern termination 
of the shoal is accurately laid down, as no one has crossed the shoal. 
On the contrary, it seems reasonable to suppose that the Belgica 
Shoal extends considerably further to the east than is shown on the 
Bathymetric Chart on Pl. XII (Meddelelser om Grønland, Vol. XLI, No.2), 
as the “Belgica” — as well as other vessels — has met and sailed along 
a seemingly unbroken body of ice, extending from about 80° N. Lat. 
and 2°—3° Е. Long., towards the SW until 76° N. Lat. and 10° W. Long., 
where the southerly point was passed, and where the unbroken mass 
of ice once more turns northward, оп a course inside the Belgica Shoalt). 
This body of ice seems unbroken and solid, forming a large area 
of stationary ice, and it is probably formed by large masses of ice frozen 
on to the floes and icebergs grounded on the Belgica Shoal. The fact 
that is area is lying between the main arctic current and the probable 
branch along the coast of Greenland would aid the growth of the mass 
of ice, as the current would probably be very slack between the two 
branches of the arctic current. 
This shoal, with the ice adhering to it, will force the main arctic 
current coming from across the Polar Basin down between it and Spitz- 
bergen, thus further narrowing the not very broad strait between these 
two countries, whereby the speed of the current will be somewhat accele- 
rated, bringing with it large masses of ice with a comparatively great 
drift-velocity. 
When the current has passed this shoal and has come south of the 
place, where the extreme NW branch of the Gulf-Stream forces it west- 
ward, pressing the drifting ice hard on the stationary ice, then it will 
spread, partly outward, partly toward the coast of Greenland, where it 
meets the branch coming inside the shoal and the ice floating out of 
it, and having more space to spread in it will consequently be more 
open just south of the stationary ice than further down the coast, where 
the current will be restricted and thus compress the masses of ice within 
its limits. 
The extent of the body of stationary ice will probably be subject 
т Ice-observations for July and August 1905, July 1906, July 1909. 
Medd. om Grønland. Vol. XLI, pag. 278 and 279—281. 
14* 
