142 AMUND HELLAND ON THE FJORDS, LAKES, 



9. On the Ice-Fjords of North Greenland, and on the Formation 

 of Fjords, Lakes, and Cirques in Norway and Greenland. By 

 Amund Hell and, Fellow of the University of Christiania. (Read 

 June 21, 1876.) 



(Communicated by Prof. Eamsay.) 



The observations recorded in the following paper were made during 

 two years of travel among the fjords and mountains of Norway, and 

 during a visit to the ice-fjords of North Greenland in the summer of 

 1875. These travels were almost wholly undertaken with the view 

 of seeing how far these countries confirmed the views entertained by 

 Prof. Eamsay and other English and American geologists as to the 

 origin of fjords and lakes. 



"We will first examine the fjords of North Greenland, ascend to the 

 Inland Ice which covers the whole country, so far as is known, then 

 visit the glaciers which descend into the fjords, measure their rate of 

 flow, and examine the other phenomena which they present. As 

 these are, in many respects, of the greatest importance to geology* in 

 general, they shall be described more fully than is necessary for ex- 

 plaining the formation of fjords and lakes. 



The tract over which I travelled in North Greenland extends from 

 the colony of Egedesminde (60° 42' 9" N. lat., according to Norden- 

 skjold) to the fjord of Kangerdlugssuak (about 71° 15' N. lat.) in the 

 district of the Colony of Umanak*. 



Of the great ice-fjords which produce bergs of large dimensions, 

 the following were visited, viz. those of Jakobskavn and Torsukatak ; 

 of the smaller, which produce only little bergs, those of Sarkardlek, 

 of Alangordlek (in the district of Christianshaab), and of Kangerd- 

 lugssuak. The ice-filled valley of Ilartdlek, by Pakitsok, was tra- 

 versed, and the Inland Ice here ascended. A large number of 

 glaciers in the district of Umanak were visited, many of which, 

 though small compared with the gigantic ice-streams of the fjord, 

 can yet compete with the largest of Europef. 



A Norwegian geologist travelling in North Greenland will find 

 much that is new to him, but perhaps still more that is familiar. 

 The rocks of this country chiefly belong to the Azoic formation, gra- 

 nites, gneiss of various kinds, mica schists, and hornblendic schists — 

 on the whole, rocks well known in the Azoic formation of Norway. 

 Disko Island, however, and Nugssuak peninsula are composed of 

 newer rocks — sand, sandstones, and shales, with fossil plants and 



* In the orthography of Greenlandic names, I have followed that of Klean- 

 Schmidt's Dictionary, wherever the signification was known. 



t Our present knowledge of the ice-fjords and of the Inland Ice is chiefly de- 

 rived from Dr. Rink's ' Gronland geographisk og statistisk beskrevet,' and Pro- 

 fessor IVordenskj old's ' En Expedition till Nordgronland.' By these travellers 

 many of the phenomena mentioned in the following paper have been already 

 described, 



