350 PETTERSSON, SIBEBIAN SEA. 



fo navigation than otherivise. This circumstance alone is suf- 

 ficient to make a hydrographic survey ^ of the Kära Sea higlily 

 desirable; for in spite of 'the changeable condition of the 

 upper strata, there is every reason to expect that the confor- 

 mation of the deeper layers w ill be found to be far more 

 constant and regiilar. 



Another circumstance, which must exert the greatest 

 influence upon the condition of the Kära Sea in summer is 

 tJie direction of the ivinds. By southern tvinds the superficial 

 layer of warm water, flowing from the rivers northwards, 

 which contains the necessary amount of heat for the lique- 

 faction of the ice, must be accelerated and spread further to 

 the north or north-east över the arctic sea and thus with- 

 dravvn from acting upon the ice. On the other hand we can 

 infer, that winds from the north or north-east must have the 

 effect of retaining the greatest part of the flowing water within 

 the limits of the Kära Sea. 



It can be proved that the main direction of the winds in 

 August during the years most favorable to navigation was N 

 and NNE. 



In 1870, August and September, the Kära Sea was found 

 almost free from ice, with the aforesaid exception of the middle- 

 part of the sea between Novaya Zemlya and the Yalmal pen- 

 ninsula. From the I**" of August until the 9*^ September Cap- 

 tain Jo hanne sen- cruised in the northern parts of the sea 

 without meeting with any hinderance from the ice." 



:>Bis zur nordöstlichen Kiiste von Nowaja Semlä hatte 

 das Meer eine braune und griine Farbe bewahrt, hier wurde 

 es blau. Am Lande ^ fanden sich einzelne kleine Eisstreifen, 



1 Although a special hj'drographic survey of the Kära- and the Barentz 

 Sea would give most useful and interesting resnlts, I think, that frequently 

 repeated deep-soundings in the course of a series of years ought to give a 

 still more valuable and generalized account of the hydrogi-aphic conformation 

 of this part of the ocean, as we might thereby perhaps get a cue to the perioclic 

 variations in the state of this sea. As there is no hope of getting a special 

 expedition started every year for scientific purposes, I think the best thing 

 for the present would be to entrust an isolatingdeep-water-bottle of Ekman 's 

 model, with the necessary instructions for use, to the care of the captain or 

 navigating officer of every commercial steamer boand for the Yenisei, who 

 is willing to take the trouble. The price of the instrument is moderate 

 (£ 10 or there-abonts), it requires no special arrangements and performs 

 admirably. 



Kapitän Johannesen's Umfahrung von Nowaja Semlä in Sept. 1870. 

 Geogr. Mitth. 1871. 



3 ISforth, east part of Novaya Zemlya, between Cape Mauritius and Cape 

 Vlissingher. 



