ON THE PLANT-BEDS OF NORTH GREENLAND. 7 



doubtful impressions, and a few grains of amber. I then went along the 

 coast towards the north, and was at length rewarded by finding a fair speci- 

 men, containing leaves, in the bed of a small stream. It was in hardened, 

 warm-coloured clay, similar to that obtained at Atanekerdluk. I followed 

 the stream to its source, a height of about 1000 feet, without finding 

 anything more. Then returning, I went to the south, and in another and 

 larger torrent-bed foimd several others. The natives, now put on the right 

 track, soon brought in a fair collection. Gudemanu was the fortunate dis- 

 coverer of the Magnolia cone, to which Prof. Heer refers, and he was greatly 

 surprised at the reward it produced him. 



AU the specimens collected at this place were obtained from these two 

 torrent-beds : Mr. Erown, who followed the fossUs up to their soiurce, reported 

 that they came from a thin seam difficult to get at. As it was becoming a 

 question whether the boats would carry aU the specimens we had ah'cady 

 collected, I decided to push onwards the same night to Kudhset, which, from 

 reports received, seemed a more promising place for investigation. 



We arrived there about midnight, and camped very smartly. The weather 

 had already become sufliciently cold to freeze the salt water in the bays at 

 night, and during the whole day fresh water remained frozen in the little 

 pools on the land. The whole of this part of Disco Island was very dismal. 

 Its aspect allows the sun to shine upon it for but a small portion of the day*, 

 and all animal life seemed to shun it. A few ptarmigan were the only 

 lining creatures we saw on the land during the days we passed on these 

 shores. There was little wonder that the natives Averc akeady wishing to 

 return. They wore ill-protected from the weather ; for, from reasons which 

 need not be mentioned, it was impossible to allow them to enter the tents, 

 and they had only such shelter as they could obtain by piling up turf and 

 stones, and covering themselves with a few small blankets and spare skins 

 which we had brought with us. 



At this place (Kudliset) coal (lignite) was exposed in a cHft' on the south 

 side of the bed of a small stream in two seams, 4 feet apart, for a length of about 

 30 feet, difficult to get at. They were 105 feet (by aneroid) above the sea, 

 and distant from it about 300 yards. The lowest seam, 2 feet thick, was 

 resting on a bed of indurated clay, and between the seams was a coarse and 

 very loose, crumbly sandstone. The uppermost seam, one foot thick, was 

 capped by a finer and harder sandstone which I could not measure. The 

 whole, above and below, was enclosed by sand. 



In the torrent-bed we quickly found some considerable masses of fossilized 

 wood, and I followed the stream upwards in hopes of finding leaves. At a 

 height of about 800 feet I obtained agates in basalt, and following the stream 

 to its source (about 1000 feet above the sea), came nearly to the foot of the 

 great basaltic chifs. The specimens collected here include hardened clays 

 which have taken form in cavities in the basalt. Returning to my party I 

 found that they had in the meantime obtained some indifferent and fair 

 specimens from the torrent-bed, and from the sandstone above the coal. 

 We afterwards added to their number, but the coarseness of the stone pre- 

 vented any very good specimens from being obtained. We also secured some 

 good specimens of fossil wood, about one foot in diameter. Nodules of argil- 



* The Danish man at Sakkak informed me that the coal was got out easily enough 

 during the summer time, but that at a depth of 12 feet it remained frozen throughout the 

 year. On arriving at the frozen coal, they commonly wait two or three days to allow it 

 to thaw, before continuing to work it. 



