GLACIAL STUDIES IN GREENLAND. 65 I 



excavations are fresh and unmodified. Our trip extended about 

 250 miles into the interior. I hope to give some of the results 

 in the Journal during the year. 



It is worthy of more than passing note that Mr. Howley, as 

 government geologist, was entrusted with the location of the 

 preliminary line for this road, and, though it bisects the island, 

 passing through a wooded and almost wholly unsettled region, 

 he was able to lay it down with such fullness of knowledge and 

 good judgment that only slight departures were found advis- 

 able on fuller surveys. It is equally gratifying to make note of 

 a government reposing the determination of the most important 

 feature of its greatest commercial undertaking in the hands of 

 its scientific adviser. The builders and operators of the road, 

 the Messrs. Reid, appear equally appreciative of Mr. Howley's 

 knowledge and counsel. The road is to terminate at the south- 

 western angle of the island, traversing the coal beds of the 

 southwestern portion which Mr. Howley has recently exploited 

 with favorable results. The completion of the road and the 

 establishment of a steam ferry to Cape Breton will very greatly 

 improve the now very poor communication between the mainland 

 and St Johns, the point of departure, directly or indirectly, of so 

 many Arctic expeditions. 



On the 7th of July the Falcon, a stanch, full-timbered sealing 

 steamer, specially fitted for ice work, and commanded and 

 manned by experienced Arctic navigators, was ready, and the 

 start was made. 



Our course was direct to Cape Desolation, South Greenland. 

 The voyage was almost without incident to that point, very little 

 ice being seen. On the day after departure I noticed only two 

 small masses of ice, on the day following, only one, and on the 

 next two days, none at all. When this is compared with the 

 much larger amount of ice reported off the coast of Labrador 

 and Newfoundland by other vessels, and with the observations 

 made on our return voyage, it seems to warrant the inference 

 that the berg-bearing current was comparatively narrow, and that 

 it hugged the mainland coast somewhat closely. If this is a 



