458 Prof. Nordenskibld — Expedition to Greenland. 



at Flakkerkuk, the rocks adjoining Mudderbugten, Isungoak, Ujara- 

 susuk, Iglosnngoak. None of these localities is in richness to be 

 compared with Atanekerdlnk. 



III. h. — Ipsorisok strata. — By this name I designate the thinnisli 

 layers containing fossils that occur imbedded in the basalt of the 

 high hills. Such strata have been met with at — 



NetluarsiiJc, between Noursoak and Noursak. A little north of 

 Atane the basalt strata sinks down to the surface of the sea, and 

 from a distance it is impossible to discover in the very regularly 

 stratified basalt-beds, ending at the shore with a vertical section of 

 several thousand feet, any sand or argillaceous slate-beds. Neither 

 do the Greenlanders know of any other coal-beds in that neighbour- 

 hood than one which is met with at Netluarsuk, at an elevation of 

 about 1000 feet. The strata are here for a distance of a few dozen 

 feet exposed at a steep gorge between the basalt hills. They seem 

 to be of trifling thickness, and consist of alternating beds of from 

 0-2 to 2 inches thick of saijd, coal, slate, and a ferruginous clay, 

 different in appearance from the ferruginous clay at Atanekerdluk, 

 though, like it, full of fossils, chiefly of fir leaves and twigs, mixed 

 with clay or coal. Among these fossils occur not only leaves 

 and cones, but also seeds. The coal consists almost exclusively of 

 flattened and carbonized stems. 



Ifsorisok, a place situated about 12 miles from the coast, and 2250 

 feet above the sea. We visited the spot from Hollandarbugten or 

 Itiblit, situated a little to the north of Niakornet. Some distance 

 from the coast we first find thick layers of a rock, which appears to 

 be a much changed siliceous slate. Afterwards the path proceeds up 

 steep slopes of basalt detritus and basalt rocks, or (at 2300 feet) ex- 

 tensive plains, covered with the same material, and, at the period of 

 our visit, free from snow, though hardly clothed with any vegetation. 

 Here one has to pass long distances over weathered and crumbling 

 slabs of basalt, which show that the underlying rocks are everywhere 

 composed of eruptive masses. From these plains considerable basalt 

 hills rise further inward, among which Kinnitok — a lofty mountain 

 ridge between Niakornet and Ekkorfat — is the largest. This 

 mountain is probably 5000 or 6000 feet high, and, seen from a dis- 

 tance, appears also to be composed entirely of the eruptive rock 

 common in these parts. 



Somewhat beyond the spot where one passes the highest point of 

 the plains are some shallow valleys. In the slope of one of them is 

 the spot which formed the object of our visit. The place betrays 

 itself by larger or smaller pieces of coal lying mixed with the basalt 

 detritus, and, on digging here, sedimentary strata, consisting of 

 caol-seams some inches thick, sandy clay, and fine, grey, hardened 

 clay are discovered. The clay contains impressions of plants, and 

 among the coal flattened and imperfectly carbonized tree-stems are 

 met with. Silicified wood is also found in the gravel. The schists 

 are evidently of no great thickness, but regularly stratified with a 

 dip of about 10° towards the north. 



Assahak. — Immediately south of Kome river, Noursoakland, nearest 



