BOT. WORK OF SEC. NORW. POLAR EXPEDITION. 233 



a little before the fjord was icebound, but got only a few spe- 

 cies as the bottom consisted everywhere mainly of mud. 



Previously during the summer Mr. Bay had dredged from 

 time to time in the Hamnfjord and its neighbourhood for 

 zoological purposes and delivered the few algae that he got 

 into my care. But as there also the bottom did not offer the 

 necessary conditions for the growth of algae, the botanical result 

 was very small and I deemed it more profitable to devote my 

 time to landexcursions than to boat-trips, which latter would 

 in all probability be mere waste of time as far as i I was con- 

 cerned. 



The third winter was characterized especially at our anchor- 

 age, by an almost unceasing storm that made it very disagree- 

 able and often impossible to go on shore; therefore still fewer 

 observations were made this winter than during the preeceding. 

 The observations of radiation also, which began as usual in the 

 spring, gave but little result as thermometers in vacuo had been 

 omitted in the outfit of the expedition. 



It was very late in 1901 before the first signs of summer 

 became visible. June 18th was the first day with a mean tem- 

 perature above freezing point and accordingly the plants began 

 unusually late to show any indications of life; at the winter- 

 quarters Saxifraga oppositifolia did not opens its floral buds 

 before the 22th, but Mr. Schei saw it in bloom on the west 

 coast of Ellesmereland on the 15th. Only one more species, 

 Draba Mrta, was seen in flower before the end of June. On 

 June 24th in company with Mr. Bay I set out on a dredging 

 expedition which although calculated only to last for a fortnight, 

 yet occupied me for nearly a month. During that time we visited 

 several places on the coast of Ellesmereland from the mouth of 

 the Goo s ef jord up along the Hellgate-Sound unto the 

 vicinity of „Nordstrand". We dredged at most places where 

 we landed and also made some excursions on shore. Yet the 

 harvest especially of algae was less than I had hoped; for one 



