688 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



egg" is nothing else but a portion of the edge of that long barrier which 

 forms our western boundary towards the cold polar deep. The natural 

 reason why that portion of the barrier has been known for so long a 

 time, without, however, leading to any correct knowledge of its exact 

 nature, is this, that here the polar deep approaches nearer to the coast 

 than at any other point, forming a very distinct bay. Even during the 

 soundings made from the steamer Hansteen a new portion of the northern 

 continuation of this edge was found, and its existence at several other 

 points has now been proved, as well as the fact that both farther south 

 and farther north it recedes from the coast to a distance of 20-30 

 (i^orwegian) miles. Although this is not the case everywhere, the gen- 

 eral rule seems to be that the bottom near the outer boundary of the 

 barrier before sloping toward the great outer deep, rises a little and 

 assumes a hard stony character, exactly like that of " Storegg." 



The first line of soundings running from Huso in a northwesterly 

 direction struck this edge at a distance of 20 miles from the coast (sta- 

 tions IG and 17.)* The bottom, which had so far been soft, suddenly be- 

 came hard and stony at a depth of 221 fathoms, and continued so even 

 after it had fallen off 70 fathoms toward the outer deep. That the bot- 

 tom here sloped off very abruptly was proved hy the circumstance that 

 at the next station the cold area was reached at a depth of 412 fathoms, 

 and a bottom temperature of — 1.3° C. Farther north, on the heights of 

 Trondhjem, at a depth of IDO fathoDis, and likewise on the boundary- 

 line between the cold and the warm area, a similar edge of rocky bottom 

 was discovered, falling off abruptly toward the west (station 891). Simi- 

 lar discoveries were also made in the other portions of the sea traversed 

 by the expedition. 



Northeast of the Faroe Islands, and at a considerable distance from 

 the same, the expedition was, in spite of the very unfavorable weather, 

 fortunate enough to strike the outermost edge or the most northeasterly 

 point of the long-stretched Faroe bank (station 38),f from which its ex- 

 tent and configuration could be somewhat determined, and the nature 

 of this point seems to be very similar to that of the " Storegg." By the 

 line of very careful soundings made from the Namsemfiord in a westerly 

 .direction, the existence of a hitherto unknown and very sharply marked 

 cross-bank of considerable extent was j)roved ; this bank extended at a 

 comparatively short distance from the coast, at a depth of only 62-92 

 fathoms, and had a hard bottom (stations G3, 64, 65§). Outside of this 

 bank the bottom sloped off' very imperceptibly towards the great deep, 



* The exact location of these points is given from tlie journal of soundings. Station 

 16: latitude, G-20 23.9'; longitude, 2oi7' east of Green-wich. Station 17: latitude, 62° 33' ; 

 longitude, 2° 4' east of Greenwich. 



t Station 89 : latitude, 04° 1' ; longitude, 6" 7.5' east of Greenwich. 



t Station o8 : latitude, 02° 57.4' ; longitude, 3° 47' west of Greenwich. 



§ Station 63: latitude, 04° 41.3' ; longitude, 9° 0' east of Greenwich. Station 64 : lati- 

 tude, 64° 42' ; longitude, 8° 50' east of Greenwich. Station 65: latitude, 64° 42.5' ; longi- 

 tude, 8° 39' east of Greenwich. 



