616 JOHN J. STEVENSON 



there, as well as the similarity in geological character between West 

 Spitzbergen and a portion of Franz Josef Land, recognized by 

 Nathorst, suggests that that area, now not more than 120 miles east 

 from Northeast Land and extending northward to about 84 , may 

 have been continuous with the Spitzbergen area, and may have 

 reached as land far toward the North Pole. 



Submerged moraines in many of the bays mark halts in recession 

 of the ice. Where the branches of Red Bay on the north shore come 

 together the depth decreases from 50 fathoms above to 6 and 7, with 

 a narrow strip of 33 fathoms on one side; the depth increases to 78 

 farther down, but at the mouth of the bay is a bar with 8-23 fathoms. 

 Near the head of Foul Bay the sounding is 61 fathoms, but at the 

 mouth there is shallow water; Magdalena shows 50 fathoms near 

 the head, but lower down it is blocked by shoals with about 30 

 fathoms on each side. Sassen Bay, the east branch of Icefiord, is 

 100 fathoms deep at 10 miles above its mouth, but is barred by a 

 moraine with 49-63 fathoms. No such barring appears in Icefiord, 

 which deepens steadily to 215 fathoms at its mouth; but the barring 

 is distinct in Recherche Bay. Similar conditions exist at many other 

 localities, and explain the absence of icebergs off the plateau. But 

 in any case, the ice is not thick enough to give off imposing blocks, 

 there being in all probability not more than 500 feet at any place 

 where the wall comes down to the water. 



That the great subsidence was succeeded by elevation — which 

 may be going on — is proved by terraces in the moraine stuff on Ice- 

 fiord and Recherche Bay, as well as at other localities along the coast. 

 No opportunity was found for measuring these, but they are as 

 characteristic as are those at Naes, Odda, and Marok as well as else- 

 where in Norway. Sandy beaches were seen south from Icefiord. 



The effect of wave-action is well shown on Bear Island, which has 

 suffered severely on the east and west coasts. At one time a glacier 

 had its origin on the southeasterly side and flowed to the northwest 

 corner. The waves have cut away the neve area, and the trough is 

 open at the east ; as the coast on the westerly side is diagonal to the 

 course of the trough, the bold rocky bluff at the southern point falls 

 off northwardly until at the northwest corner the whole wall has 

 been removed and the valley bottom is now the shore line. 



