Vol. 54.] GEOLOGY OF FRANZ JOSEF LAND. 641 



polygons being only from 2 to 3 feet across. Nordenskiold observed 

 a similar appearance at Cape Cheliuskin/ but he does not mention 

 the size of the figures. Of course, sun-cracks in drying mud assume 

 similar forms, but generally of much smaller size, and I am not 

 aware that figures of a large size are at all common. Having found 

 ice below the surface in one place where the large figures were 

 formed, and knowing how constantly the ground is frozen a little 

 below the surface in Pranz Josef Land, I am led to think that ice 

 may play an important part in the formation of large polygonal 

 cracks. 



Y. Ice-cap an^d ' Glaciers.' 



Although the land is so largely hidden by ice, which often 

 terminates in high faces at the sea-level, I do not think that there 

 is so great a thickness covering the land as might be supposed ; 

 for, not only are ridges and dimples to be seen everywhere upon the 

 ice-slopes, but the rock itself frequently protrudes along these 

 ridges. The fan-shaped glaciers on the eastern side of Windy 

 Gully (see fig. 2, p. 624) and east of Cape Gertrude both show, 

 as they descend, variations of angle which produce ridges and 

 dimples, and these are particularly numerous towards the lower 

 parts. When the ice melts in summer small surfaces of the rock 

 are uncovered at these ridges, exposing a series of terraces ; and 

 the thinness of the ice covering them, even in winter, can be fully 

 appreciated. This downward flow of the ice over a series of terraces 

 is illustrated by fig. 9 (p. 642). The ice may be thicker on the 

 higher parts than it is at the lower levels, yet I do not think that 

 it attains any great thickness anywhere. I have already mentioned 

 that two points of rock project through the dome of ice on the 

 summit of Cape Gertrude, and that on the northern slope there is 

 a small plateau free from ice. 



Although no rock has been seen to protrude at the actual summit 

 of Cape Flora, yet on the northern side, at about 100 feet below 

 the top, and in a line with the highest part of the cliff", points of 

 rock are seen all round a cirque-like hollow (see fig. 1, p. 622), 

 The slope below these rocks becomes steeper, and is interrupted 

 by a crevasse, such as is always found below such protruding rocks. 

 Smaller cracks intersect the slope lower down, which gradually 

 assumes a lower angle. The cracks and crevasses cross the ice-slope 

 in a direction parallel to the line of rocks, thus taking the semicircular 

 form of the cirque in which they lie ; but the curve becomes gradually 

 less as they approach the ridge of presumably raised beach at 340 feet 

 above the sea. From this ridge the slope continues, at first more 

 steeply, and interrupted by a crack 1 foot wide, and then is gradually 

 lessened to about 16° at the 150-foot level, where a long dimple 

 marks the change of angle to about 7°, and then gradually sinks 

 to the ice-face on the shore. The raised beaches indicated in fig. 1 



1 ' Voyage of the Vega,' LesHe's transl. (1855) p. 258. 



