21 



If we examine a geological map of East Greenland as given 

 by Nat horst M it will be seen that a number of different 

 formations are found all along the coast explored by this expe- 

 dition. This fact is of the utmost importance as regards the 

 mineralogicai constitution of the deposits ; for the greater the 

 difference found between the rocks of the various localities, 

 whence the deposits have derived their material, the greater 

 will be the possibility of determining the laws by which the 

 individual ingredients are distributed. A closer examination 

 now proves that, whereever a large tract of archœan rocks or 

 of basalt extends to the coast, the samples VN^hich have been 

 taken in the immediate neighbourhood of these, consist either 

 exclusively or for the most part of these rocks. Somewhat 

 farther away from the coast, however, they will be mixed up 

 with a larger proportion of rocks derived from regions farther 

 north. Beside these two chief ingredients, there are also vari- 

 ous sedimentary .rocks such as sandstones and slates, which 

 are very plentiful in this part of Greenland. They however have 

 not the same significance in the samples as the above men- 

 tioned rocks, as they are nowhere found in great tracts just 

 near the coast, and on that account will always be largely 

 mixed with other ingredients before reaching the sea. More- 

 over we are only able to determine sandstones and slates 

 among the coarsest ingredients of the samples, and on this 

 account a closer determination will always be somewhat un- 

 satisfactory. 



') A. G. Nathorst : Bidrag til nordôstra Grönlands Geologi. Geol. Foren. 

 Forh. Stockholm Vol. 23, 1001, p. 27.3. Here and several other places 

 reference is made to: 



Die zweite deutsche Nordpolarfahrt in den Jahren 1869 und 1870 unter 

 Führung des Kapitän Karl KoldeweyVol.il, Leipzig 1871, III, Geo- 

 logi p. 471. 



Den østgrønlandske E.xpedition udfort i Aarene 1891—92 under Ledelse 

 af C.Ryder. Part III, :,. E.Bay: Geologi. Medd. om Grønl. XIX, I89Ü, 

 p. Wh. 



