VEGA-EXVEDITIONENS VETENSKAPLIGA ÄMBETEN. 335 



of the Taimur bay, at 77° Lat. N. At the bottom, liowever, the 

 temperature was found — 1° C immediately north of Port 

 Dickson. On the sections III, IV, V we can trace the isotherm 

 of — 0°.5 C, which contmually rises, until it reaches the sur- 

 face of the sea a few miles east of Cape Tcheljuskin. Thus 

 the Kära Sea north and east of the rivers Obi and Yenisei is 

 covered by a hiyer of almost fresh fiowing water, which at 

 73° 30' Lat. occupies the entire depth of the sea (about 20 metres), 

 from the surface to the bottom showing a temperature of + 6° 

 to + 9° C, and then becomes gradually thinner and colder as 

 it spreads wider to the north. In the highest Latitudes ever 

 reached by ship in the Kära Sea its original character of a 

 fresh water stream is still well recognizable. This stream 

 contains the united water-masses of the Obi and the Yenisei. 

 On section II we can trace the influence of each river sepa- 

 rately in the temperature of the surface, which shows two 

 maxima, one at 75°.3o Long. E. G. [the Obi-streamJ = + 6°.8 C, 

 the other south of Port Dickson [the Yenisei-strearn] = + 8°.9 C. 

 A close scrutiny of the numbers on the map reveals to us 

 the fact, that each current deviates considerably to the east, 

 an observation, which, as we will see further below, is equallv 

 applicable to all rivers of Siberia. ' 



' These conclusions, which I will try to prove subsequentlj'' from the 

 observations of the Vega-expedition, are already foreshadowed in the pro- 

 gram of the expedition, presented in July, 1877, by Professor Nordenskiöld 

 to H. M. the King [see: Vegas färd kring Asien och Europa, page 11 of the 

 Swedish edition]. 



»Between Port Dickson and the Beli-Island a mighty current of fresh 

 water flows in northerly direction. As the influence of the eartli's rotation 

 at these latitudes upon currents moving in the direction of the meridian is 

 very considerable it must impart an easterly direction to the flowing water. 

 Therefore the river-water from the Obi— Yenisei must flow as an isolated 

 stream along the Taimur coast as for as Cape Tcheljuskin, where it becomes 

 free to spread farther to the north-east or east. At 74° Lat. N, in calm 

 weather, I have observed a temperature of + Ta C of the water north of 

 the embouchure of the Yenisei [17'" Aug. 1875] and + 8° C north of the 

 Obi Eiver [10"' Aug. that year]. As usual this stream from the south gives 

 rise to an undercurrent of cold water, which by tempests mixes with the 

 superficial layer and makes its temperature sink. Likewise it engenders a 

 cold icy sidewise current at the surface in the opposite direction, which, on 

 account of the earth's rotation, takes a westerly direction and makes its 

 way between Cape Tcheljuskin and the north point of Novaya Zemlya 

 towards the east side of that island. This is probably the cause of the 

 heaping of the drift-ice at this coast in summer. According to my own 

 experience and to the unanimous statement of the crews of the Norwegian 

 whaling ships this ice melts away in autumn completely.» 



