186 V. WALFRID EKMAN. 



4 m. were generated, which, however, in a few hours might 

 change or vanish. In the deep water, on the contrary, the 

 motion seemed to be propagated in the form of great vortices, 

 sometimes stationary in one place, but more frequently, by their 

 advancing motion, imparting to the currents the most irregular 

 appearance. 



Part of the plan for these experiments was also to prove 

 the applicability of the apparatus from an anchored boat. The 

 experiments were also begun, but hindrances came in the way, 

 and time did not permit of their being carried on so far that 

 an account of them could be given here. They have, how- 

 ever, led me to the conviction that the instrument will certainly 

 adapt itself to current-gauging also from a boat, in any case on 

 fjords and small lakes, even if with less precision than from ice. 



Finally, as regards the inferences that may be drawn with 

 regard to the possibility of reliable deep-current-gauging in the 

 sea, these are decidedly favorable, it having been proved that 

 Prof. Nansen's current-meter accurately records the current at 

 the time at which it is arrested, and thus fulfils the requirement 

 that should principally be put upon it. For current-gauging out 

 at sea, the apparatus may be anchored to the bottom, and kept 

 floating by a buoy attached immediately above it, which is 

 connected by quite a thin line with a surface-buoy thrown out. 

 The value of the instrument is increased, moreover, by its being 

 especially easy to arrange for automatically repeated observa- 

 tions. The arresting plate, for instance, might be exchanged 

 for a thin celluloid plate, attached to the compass-needle hung 

 below the point of the pendulum, and in which the elastically 

 suspended pendulum, worked by clock-work set in motion by 

 the messenger, made holes at certain intervals of time. 



Another way would be to exchange the pendulum for small 

 grains or shot of various known sizes, which at regular inter- 



