Prof. Nordensliiold — Expedition to Greenland. 297 



vikfjord, never previously visited by European, and up to the 

 present, time not mapped; afterwards, for the purpose of geo- 

 graphical investigations, and especially for collecting fossil plants, 

 we were to go round the shores of the Waigat, Disko Bay and Ome- 

 nakfjord. Dr. Oberg and Dr. Berggren were, on the other hand, 

 to travel in their boat round Disko Bay, and collect contributions to 

 its flora and fauna. Oberg was for this purpose furnished with 

 abundant zoological apparatus. 



The undertaking excited, as usual, much interest at home. His 

 Swedish Majesty's fleet, among other things, provided the expedition 

 with the necessary apparatus for sounding, and the Koyal Academy 

 of Science in Stockholm lent chronometers, astronomical instru- 

 ments, etc. 



In the earlier times of communication with Greenland, the passage 

 out was united with great difficulties, owing to the quantities of 

 drifting ice met with in doubling Cape Farewell ; experience how- 

 ever afterwards showed that this inconvenience might be almost 

 entirely got rid of by entering Davis Strait between 57^° and 58^° 

 N.L., that is, at least 1"^ or 2*^ south of that dangerous headland, 

 which few of the Greenland travellers of our time have ever seen, 

 and by this means one may in the spring sail up to North Green- 

 land from Denmark, not indeed without now and then fetching a 

 compass on account of the ice, but without being exposed to any 

 very much greater risk than in other channels free from ice. On 

 the present occasion also the "Hvalfisk" made that (by long ex- 

 perience) approved circuit, and, after four weeks' voyage, reached the 

 longitude of Cape Farewell. Here we were exposed to a very 

 violent storm, during which the ship was obliged to lie to nearly 

 a fortnight, afterwards north of 60° lat. we were further obliged 

 to make a number of delajdng circuits, to avoid the ice driven by 

 the storm to the mouth of the Strait. In consequence of this, our 

 voyage out occupied about eight weeks. In fact, we landed on the 

 2nd of July at Godhavn, originally a Danish whalers' station, now, 

 since the Danish whale-fisheries have been discontinued, one of the 

 minor Danish colonies in that tract, but still, in consequence of its 

 central position and of old custom, the seat of the principal magis- 

 tracy in North Greenland, the Inspectorate of North Greenland- 

 Hudson, and otlier veteran mariners of the Arctic seas, mention 

 the variety of colours that distinguish the water in certain parts of 

 the polar sea, wliich are frequently so sharply distinguished that a 

 ship may sail with the one side in blue and the other in greyish- 

 green water. It was at first supposed that these colours were indi- 

 cations of different currents — the green of the Arctic, the blue of 

 the Gulf-stream. Later, Scoresby affirmed that the phenomenon arose 

 from the presence of innumerable organisms, which he seems to have 

 considered as Crustacea, in the water. This observation has since 



of long duration, but hindered him from taking part, as bad been intended, in the 

 journey on the ice. His place was supplied by Berggren, who accordingly accom- 

 panied me to Auleitsivik. 



