260 General Notes. [March, 



The southern edge of this belt was exceptionally low down along 

 the north coast of Norway, while the northern edge nearly reached 

 the south point of Spitzbergen. The southern pack-edge showed 

 little alteration during May and June, but gave way rapidly when 

 it fairly began to melt — about the beginning of July — as the ice 

 was on the whole of no great thickness. The climatic conditions 

 north and south of the belt seems to have differed considerably ^ 

 during the winter. In the north of Norway heavy falls of snow 

 were unusually frequent, while north of the belt the fall was 

 comparatively slight. So early as the end of June the winter snow 

 had in great measure disappeared even from the highlands of 

 Spitzbergen and Novaya Zemlya, while in the northern part of 

 Norway it lay thickly, down to the very water's edge. On arriv- 

 ing at Spitzbergen the walrus hunters also found vegetation unu- 

 sually far advanced. Thus since large masses of ice were blown 

 southward during the winter of 1 880-1, it is highly probable that 

 the Polar regions were fairly free from ice early in the summer, 

 while the autumn must have offered exceptionally favorable con- 

 ditions for an advance to the northward or north-eastward. This 

 supposition is strongly confirmed by reports from the walrus 

 grounds northward of Spitzbergen. With regard to the Kara 

 Sea, it seems that it was not accessible from the westward till 

 about the beginning of August. But while a heavy, solid pack 

 extended northward from the Kara Strait along the east coast of 

 Novaya Zemlya, the eastern part of the Kara Sea was certainly 

 free from ice by the beginning of August, and very probably by 

 the middle of July. In August and September, therefore, vessels 

 from Europe could undoubtedly have reached the mouth of the 

 Yenisei." 



It is probable the Eira took advantage of the disappearance of 

 the ice in August, as mentioned above, to make her way to Franz 

 Josef Land. 



Lieutenant Berry, of the Rodgcrs, found the sea becoming 

 deeper as he sailed to the north-eastward from Wrangell Island. 

 His observations off Herald Island indicate that there is no regu- 

 lar current flowing to the north-west, as previously supposed. 

 No perceptible current was noticed at low and high water — the 

 only movement being caused by the tidal action. 



The expedition sent out by the Danish Government last sum- 

 mer to Greenland, has returned home. It proceeded to the 

 southernmost part of Greenland and succeeded in circumnavi- 

 gating the large islands on the southern coast and in determining 

 the exact position of Cape Farewell. Investigations were con- 

 ducted on the mainland from the Tasermint Fjord on the west 

 coast to the Lindenows Fjord on the east coast. 



There are high mountains and enormous glaciers on the west 

 side. The eastern section is of lower elevation, and covered with 



