504 FAR THE SI' NORTH 



the same conclusions. I must look further into this, in 

 order to see whether all this brown dust is of a mineral 

 nature, and consequently originates from the land.* We 

 found in the lanes quantities of algae like those we 

 had often found previously. There were large accumu- 

 lations of them in nearly every little channel. We 

 could also see that a brown surface layer spread it- 

 self on the sides of the tioes far down into the water. 

 This is due to an alo^a that orows on the ice. There 

 were also floating in the water a number of small 

 viscid lumps, some white, some of a yellowish red 

 color; and of these I collected several. Under the mi- 

 croscope they all appeared to consist of accumulations 

 of diatoms, among which, moreover, were a number of 

 larger cellular organisms of a very characteristic appear- 

 ance.! All of these diatomous accumulations kept at 

 a certain depth, about a yard below the surface of the 

 water; in some of the small lanes they appeared in 

 large masses. At the same depth the above-named alga 

 seemed especially to flourish, while parts of it rose up to 



* This dust, which is to be seen in summer on the upper surface of 

 almost all polar ice of any age, is no doubt, for the most part, dust that 

 hovers in the earth's atmosphere. It probably descends with the falling 

 snow, and gradually accumulates into a surface layer as the snow melts 

 during the summer. Larger quantities of mud, however, are also often 

 to be found on the ice, which strongly resemble this dust in color, but 

 are doubtless more directly connected with land, being formed on fioes 

 that have originally lain in close proximity to it. (Compare Wissensch. 

 Ergebnissc von Dr. F. Naiisciis DurcJiqucntiig 7'on Gronlaiid. Ergdnziaigs- 

 Jtcft No. 105 zu Petcrmaniis Mitthcilungeu) 



1 1 have not yet had time to examine them closely. 



