GEOGRAPHY. 



i. 



ON THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF GREENLAND. 



In drawing up a summary, as brief as such a wide subject will 

 admit of, regarding our knowledge of the physical structure of 

 Greenland, apart from its geology, which will be found in the 

 contributions to the Manual prepared by the Arctic Committee of 

 the Eoyal Society, the materials at my disposal will be best 

 utilized by adopting the following division : — (1) A description of 

 the coast. (2) A summary of what we know of the interior and 

 of the chief attempts which have been made to penetrate it. (3) 

 The Greenland ice and Greenland glaciers. (4) The nature of 

 the Greenland fjords. (5) A discussion of the question regarding 

 the probable termination of Greenland; and, finally, (6) a few 

 memoranda may be added in regard to the points discussed in 

 the preceding pages, in reference to which our knowledge is still 

 imperfect, but which the researches of the present Expedition could 

 do much to solve. 



1. The Greenland Coast-line. 



The Admiralty chart, and the numerous elaborate ones in the 

 narrative of the German Expedition to East Greenland, 1 are so 

 detailed, that any minute description of the coast-line is super- 

 fluous. I will, therefore, merely confine myself to a brief outline, 

 more as connecting the topographical portion of my subject with 

 that which is more purely physico-geographical, than with any 

 view to supply what a glance at the chart will much more efficiently 

 afford the reader. 



1 'Die Zweite Deutsche Nordpolarfahrt' (Leipzig, 1872-75), or its partial trans- 

 lation (but without all tho maps, &c.) by Messrs. Mates and Mcrcier (Londou, 

 1874). 



B 



