190 THE A XT ARCTIC. 



free from snow, in perfect contrast to King Oscar Land, 

 which is wholly enveloped in ice and snow. Robertson 

 Island, the largest of them, is highest in the south, de- 

 scending towards the north ; this is the case also in the 

 neighbouring Oceana Island ; on the other hand Larsen 

 describes Castor Island as flat, Hertha Island as somewhat 

 higher, and Jason Island finally is described as high, and, 

 according to his estimation, three Norwegian miles (equal 

 to eighteen English miles) in extent. Larsen Island, 

 again, is low. 



King Oskar Land is apparently high and wholly 

 glaciated, excepting a few isolated spots where the bare 

 rock stands out from amidst the icy covering. North of 

 Jason Mountain it appears relatively level, or gently 

 ascending, whilst near the Jason Mountain the surface is 

 described as uneven and rugged. To the north of this strik- 

 ing summit the eastern extremity of which has been named 

 Framnces, lies an ice-clad fjord extending west. From 

 this spot the coast of the country extends to the north, and 

 is enclosed by an ice barrier, the edge of which is distant 

 five to six miles from the land, which gradually ascends, 

 and is here and there of considerable elevation. This icy 

 barrier also extends southwards along the whole extent 

 of coast as far as it is known, and is much higher than to 

 the north of Cape Framnces. Openings of remarkable 

 depth are noticed in it, which Larsen regards as fjords; they 

 are probably gaps left by icebergs that have drifted away. 

 In many places the icy barrier was overhanging atop, and 

 large masses of ice got detached and fell with a thunderous 

 crash into the sea. From Larsen's account it is to be 

 inferred that the mass of inland ice also fills the large bay 

 situated south of Jason Mountain, in the centre of which 

 lies Wetter Island. The background of the bay seems to 

 have a greatly varied [surface, whilst the country south of 

 the bay, as far as is known at present, and even beyond it 

 is possibly elevated, but more uniform in structure. We 



