406 



deciimbens; but otherwise the heath stretched unaltered for 

 several square miles. 



Our next tent-place by "Vandreblokken" Avas not reached 

 till after a long row in rainy weather and night-quarters 

 in the boat, as we could not land on account of low water. 

 The bluff towards the sea was here 2 — 5 m high, it consists 

 of marine clay with numerous shells of Mya, Astarte, Saxicava 

 and other arctic mussels. It is greatly intersected by clefts, 

 formed by streamlets which, during our visit, were nearly 

 all dried up; but their bottoms were however moist, and the 

 ground water was found in from 6 to 10 centimetres' depth. 

 They are covered with scattered mosses, amongst which were 

 noted: Pohlia cruda, Tortula ruralis, Amblystegia^ Anthelia 

 julacea, Philonotis fontana, and Sphagnum teres. Of vascular 

 plants were found Silène acaulis, Saxifraga cernua, Oxyria 

 digyna, Carex lagopina, Trisetum subspicatum, Poa alpina f. 

 vivipara, and, in great numbers, Equisetum arvense v, boréale, 

 which, although decumbent, is very powerful and thick-stemmed. 

 Up the loamy soaked slopes stood besides the above-menti- 

 oned : Phippsia algida, Poa sp. and Festuca rubra. 



In the small rainclefts the vegetation was a little less 

 scattered and richer in dicotyledons. Here stood : Sagina 

 nivalis, Ranunculus pygmœus, Cerastium alpinum, Saxifraga 

 cernua , Erigeron uniflorus, Oxyria digyna, Salix arctica v. 

 groenlandica, Poa alpina f. vivipara, Poa pratensis, Glyceria 

 angustata, G. vilfoidea, and Equisetum arvense. 



The surface of the land between the clefts is more sandy 

 owing to washing out, and here are found Cassiope and Fac- 

 cinium half covered by sand, so that only branchends from 3 

 to 6 cm long stick out; there are great intervals between the 

 tufts, wherever the sand is completely bare. Farther up the 

 country the sand-drift stops, and the heath is dense, luxuriant 

 and 10 cm high. 



The sand beach is totally devoid of vegetation as well as 



