NORWEGIAN 1)1:EP-SEA EXPEDITION OF 18?8. 265 



and cliaiige our course, steering northward and following- the apparent 

 direction of the edge of the ice. The following night we reached the 

 northernmost station, where we cast the lead, finding a depth of about 

 2,000 fathoms, the greatest depth we had yet observed. We now turned 

 our course to the east, casting the lead at suitable intervals, and usually 

 taking a series of careful observations of the temperature in order to 

 determine accurately the curve which indicates the modifications of the 

 temperature at various depths. Thereby we established, among other 

 things at various stations, the inteiesting fact that at a certain depth 

 below the surface there is found a minimum of temperature, then again 

 a more or less distinct rise of the temperature, below which the usual 

 gradual decrease toward the bottom was observed. 



The following day the trawl was sent down to a depth of 1,200 fath- 

 oms, and although it was evident that it had gone down on the wrong- 

 side, that is, with the beam down and the runners up, it still cont;:ined 

 several interesting objects from the dee]), and among them two speci- 

 mens of the same Arctic fish {Lycode.s) which we had caught beltr.-e at 

 a somewhat less depth. In the night we sounded again, finding a depth 

 of 1,500 fathoms, and the series of observations of temperature taken 

 showed that we were already outside of the actual limits of the Polar 

 current, as we did not find 32^ Fahr. before reaching the considerable 

 depth of 400 fathoms. 



The tornado we had touched recently had now evidently passed us 

 entirely. On the following day the weather was calm, and the sea was 

 so smooth that even microscopic examinations of the i)eculiar sea-slime, 

 whicli on this expedition was observed in various places in the ocean, 

 could be made successfully. We were now rapidly approaching a point 

 where the depth, according to a sounding made during the voyage of 

 Gaimard, was recorded as being 260 fathoms, and which, therefore, was 

 to constitute the extreme points of the bank extending between Beereu 

 Island and Spitzbergen. It being of importance to investigate more 

 accurately the ascent from the deep in this jilace, the lead was cast at 

 short intervals, but the depth did not decrease in any marked degree. 

 Exactly at the point indicated on the chart where Gaimard's lead had 

 been cast, we still found a depth of 1,0G0 fathoms, which presupi^oses a 

 considerable error in the chart of the soundings heretofore made at this 

 place. Xot before we had made three or four soundings further to the 

 east did we find the real ascent to the bank, and thus we had an oppor- 

 tunity of making here a not unimportant correction in the sketching ot 

 the depth-curves. At a depth of G50 fathoms, that is, on the very slope 

 of the bank, the trawl was let down and brought up again late in the 

 forenoon of the following day to be i)laced in good order on the deck. 

 It contained about three barrels of mud. An exceedingly plentiful 

 harvest of zoological specimens was secured, and, as usual, there was 

 found, in addition to lower animals, a considerable number of fishes in 

 the net, among which were several of great importance. Upon the bank 



