June i, 1888.] 



SCIENCE. 



259 



ancient than those upon the northern side ; their exposed position 

 has simply hastened their destruction. 



Late in the season some of the party visited and made a survey 

 of the Pueblo of Jemez, situated upon a creek of the same name, a 

 small tributary of the Rio Grande. An accurate ground plan was 

 made, corresponding in every respect to the plans made in previous 

 years of the pueblos of the Little Colorado. 



At various limes during the progress of the field-work, opportu- 

 nities were afforded of making studies of Navajo architecture. 

 These Indians build a house of a rudely conical form, composed of 

 brush and earth upon a supporting framework of timber ; and their 

 ' hogans ' are of considerable interest, and throw much light on 

 primitive house-construction. While the party was at Keam's 

 Cafion a large number of these houses were examined, under the 

 guidance and with the help of some of the best men in the tribe. 

 No less than five distinct types of structures were found, although 

 the details of construction are minutely prescribed and rigidly ad- 

 hered to. The ' hogans ' always front the east ; and the erection of 

 one is an important and a sacred event to those interested, being 

 accompanied by many ceremonial observances and an elaborate 

 ritual. 



The material collected during the field-season will be incorpo- 

 rated into reports now being prepared by the Bureau of Ethnology. 



EXPLORATIONS IN GREENLAND. 



In the year 1886 the Danish Government sent out an expedition 

 for the exploration of the region of Upernivik and Tassiussak, which 

 had hitherto been almost unknown. Lieutenants Ryder and Bloch 

 wintered in Upernivik, and intended to set out early in spring on an 

 expedition northward. Unfortunately the winter proved to be very 

 severe, and the dreaded dog's disease swept away the dogs of the 

 natives, compelling the explorers to start as soon as the increasing 

 daylight permitted, as the dogs were wanted for sealing in April 

 and May. On Feb. 21, 1887, they left Upernivik, and on the fol- 

 lowing day arrived at Tassiussak, the most northern trading- 

 station. Here tbey procured a few dogs, and continued their 

 northward journey, the thermometer ranging constantly under the 

 freezing-point of mercury. As the Greenlanders did not build 

 snow-houses, travelling was very difficult, and the explorers as well 

 as their Eskimo companions suffered severely from frost-bites. 

 The difficulties were increased by deep snow ; and as no ice-bears 

 were met with, on which the travellers had to rely for dog's food, 

 they were compelled very soon to turn back. The failure of this 

 expedition to reach the northern parts of Melville Bay is to be 

 greatly regretted ; but its results show that an exploration of the 

 coast by means of dog-sledge, and early in spring, is not at all dif- 

 ficult. 



The travellers reached Upernivik in March, and in April ex- 

 plored the large fiord east of the colony. Here the velocity of the 

 glacier which empties itself into the sea was measured, and found 

 to be thirty-three feet, while in August it amounted to ninety-nine 

 feet in twenty-four hours. This result is very remarkable, as 

 measurements of the southern glaciers show a comparatively uni- 

 form velocity throughout the year. 



On May 7 the first sign of open water was seen on the western 

 horizon ; on May 23 the first whaler made his appearance on the 

 outside islands ; but the harbor of LTpernivik was not open until 

 June II. This was considered a late date for the breaking-up of 

 the land-ice on the Greenland coast ; while in Melville Bay it lasted 

 well into July or August, and on the west coast of Baffin Bay even 

 until late in August. On June 26 Lieutenants Bloch and Ryder 

 made another start northward with two boats. Their progress 

 was greatly retarded by the prevailing fogs, while drifting icebergs 

 made travelling dangerous. On Aug. 4 they reached their extreme 

 northern point in 74° 25' north latitude. The sea farther to the 

 northward was covered with ice ; and as the homebound vessel, 

 which the travellers were instructed to take at Upernivik, left on 

 Aug. 15, they were obliged to return. 



Among the results of this journey one is of great interest, — the 

 fact that even the extreme northern point reached by the expedi- 

 tion is inhabited by Eskimo, who visit it every spring. The most 

 northern native village is Itivliarsuk in 73° 30' north latitude ; but 



