1872.] 



On the Temperature of the Arctic Sea. 



91 



III. " Observations on the Temperature of the Arctic Sea in 

 the neighbourhood of Spitzbergen." By John C. Wells, 

 Capt. R.N. Communicated by Dr. Carpenter, F.R.S. Re- 

 ceived November 28, 1872. 



"While almost every other nation is making its effort to promote scien- 

 tific discoveries in the high latitudes of the north, England remains 

 inactive. 



My object in addressing the following remarks to the Royal Society is 

 to bring to its notice the voyages of the ' Samson ' yacht, and to direct 

 attention to some points on the temperature of the Arctic Sea, to which 

 access is obtained through the broadest gateway to the north, i. e. that 

 between Greenland and Norway, the portal of which is guarded by 

 Spitzbergen. In the western portion, along the coast of Greenland, it is 

 more or less blocked with ice, and the water is cold. In the eastern part, 

 in the vicinity of Spitzbergen, there is warm water and an open sea at 

 certain seasons of the year as far north as 81°, and in some years one or 

 two degrees further. Nearly all the discoveries in these regions have 

 been made by persons engaged in commercial enterprise ; so that, even 

 when favourable opportunities offered, their interests restrained them from 

 taking advantage of the same. 



In 1871 Mr. B. Leigh Smith made a cruise in his schooner yacht ' Samson,' 

 and reached 81° 24' N., with an open sea before him, comparatively free 

 from ice. The pack-ice was drifting southwards, and the water at the sur- 

 face was 33° F., while at 300 fathoms it was 42° F. This fact was ob- 

 served by Capt. Scoresby in lat. 78° N., O'-IO W., surface 32° F., and at a 

 depth of 760 fathoms 38° F. In 1872 a second cruise was undertaken, 

 in which I had the pleasure of accompanying Mr. Smith. On this occa- 

 sion the sea was crowded with ice, and the ship was beset. The ice had 

 evidently required more than one year for its formation ; its surface was 

 covered with opaque snow, and was generally flat, and in no case rose 

 higher than the gangway of the little schooner. 



Owing to the floes presenting a comparatively smooth surface, with a 

 total absence of icebergs, we were led to form the opinion that no land 

 can exist in the vicinity immediately north of Spitzbergen, as the southerly 

 drift would be sure to bring down floating bergs, which are always formed 

 in the valleys of northern land. 



On this occasion observation with the Miller-Casella thermometer 

 confirmed the result of the previous year, viz. gradual increase of tempe- 

 rature at great depth. On July 12th, when in 80° 17' N., and when the 

 vessel was fixed in the ice, the temperature gradually increased to 64° F. 

 at a depth of 600 fathoms. These facts indicate the southward flow of 

 a vast body of warm water. It cannot be said that the heat is derived 

 from the Grulf-stream, because nowhere in its course, even in such lati- 



