406 Alf Trolle. 



was a good deal of screw-ice, which had not yet broken up, and also 

 along the east side of Hovgaards Island. No open water was 

 observed here but heavy banks of fog were noticed out over the sea, 

 which indicated its presence. 



At the end of October 1907 G. Thostrup observed, that open 

 water again went close in to Mallemukfjæld. 



It thus seems, as if there was a tendency to the formation of 

 openings on the stretch from Greenland N. E. Runding on to Malle- 

 mukfjæld, and, in my opinion, the reason for this is, that the 

 southgoing Polar Current is contracted or hemmed in at the pas- 

 sage by N. E. Runding, as there are probably currents here both 

 from the N. W. and N. E. 



South of N. E. Runding the main current takes the direction 

 towards Shannon Isl., that is, out from the land and the main por- 

 tion of the pack-ice follows with it. Then, eddies and whirlpools 

 are probably formed in under the land, and the part of the drift-ice 

 which comes in here is probably set in irregular movement, therefore, 

 and becomes greatly compressed and screwed. As it is a compara- 

 tively small part of the drift-ice, however, which comes in here, there 

 is a tendency to the formation of openings. 



3. S. E. of Shannon Island and E. of Bass Rock. 



In December 1906 it was observed on a sledge journey to Shannon 

 and Pendulum Isis., that there was open water south of Sabine Isl. 

 as also in the eastern part of Freeden Bugt on Shannon and a water- 

 sky was noticed to the S. E. of Shannon Isl. 



On a sledge-journey to Shannon Isl. and Bass Rock in January 

 1908 open water was observed from Bass Rock (ca. 10 m. above 

 the sea). The opening went ca. 2 km. east of this and as far to 

 the south-east as one could see. Dense fogs were often present 

 over the sea towards the N. E. and S. E. Further, open water 

 observed in the eastern part of Freedeii Bugt and water-sky east of 

 Shannon Isl. 



These openings were not found only on one day, like those off 

 Maroussia after a storm, but they were observed daily during all the 

 time the sledges were in that district (ca. 10 days) and at the same 

 time the pack-ice lay dense and immovable off Oresund. 



Thus, there seems to be a tendency to the formation of openings 

 S. E. of Shannon Isl. and south of Sabine Isl.; and this condition is 

 also mentioned by the Germania Expedition, which overwintered 

 there. 



The reason for this, in my opinion, is to be sought for in 

 the current conditions; as already mentioned the main part of 

 the south-going Polar Current, after passing N. E. Runding, only 



