natural conditions are known, to be more related to the adjacent islands, among 
which it protrudes, than to the Continent, from whieh it is even at present nearly 
separated by a chain of lakes on the narrow Boothian Isthmus. On the other side 
of Committee Bay - Prince Regents Inlet we find Baffin Land and the Melville 
Peninsula, separated from the maiidand by series of lakes on the Rae Isthmns in 
the same maimer as Boothia. Even if I do not think of reekoning them without 
reserve to the Archipelago, still I feel justified in including — under separate 
headings - in the following the little that is hitherto known, from a botanical 
point of view, about those tivo peninsulas. On the other hand I do not look upon 
Southhampton Island and the other smaller islands in the mouth of Hudson Bay 
as belonging to the Archipelago, even if I have thought best to make up floralists 
for them. 
Turning to the islands north of the previousiy mentioned borderline, we tind 
Prmce Patrick and Melville Islands forming a group, well defined by Bvam Martin 
Strait and Prince Gustaf Adolf Sea. The eastern islands indeed, are not so easily 
separated, but still I think it may be right to look upon North Oevon, Ellesmere- 
land, and Heiberg Land, as forming one division, and Bathurst, Cornwallis, King 
Christian, North Cornwall, and Ringues Islands, as another. In the following we 
shall see, how to a certain degree, these geographical dividing lines also detine 
areas of important difference respecting the geological nature of the ground. Before 
I try to give a summary of the geology of our area, I may, however, point out 
that the different islands generally show a very irregular outline. If we look upon 
the whole Archipelago as staiiding on a submerged plateau, then straits and channels 
will form the deepest valleys, from these branch out smaller ones, forming the 
many fjords, intersecting the coastlines, and above sealevel the land is again, mostly 
at least, cut up by valleys of different depth. Generally the surface thus becomes 
very rugged, in some regions, built up of rocks of a different kind, we may, 
Imwevpr r^.M «,ith large tablelands. The interiör of most islands is still verv Httle 
tvhich 
egretted, as doubtless an exploration of them 
would bring to light many interesting facts. From a botanical 
especially the interiör of the larger islands may be presumed to hide^many impor- 
tant features. When Gbeely undertook the exploration of the interiör of "^northern 
EUesmereland, he was well repaid by the discovery of a large lake (Hazen) sur- 
rounded by a countiy rich in vegetation - about which we know next to nothing 
— and game, and with traces of former habitation. Bell'8 voyage to the interiör 
of Baffin Land corroborated the Eskimo-narratives about the existence of very 
considerable lakes, and doubtless this country has a rich flora also, but nothing is 
known about it. The northern portion of the same land is even now known, and 
very imperfectly too, only as far as the coast is concerned, and most parts of the 
interiör of P:ilesmereland, Victoria Land. and other larger islands are entirely 
ve know in respect to botany is generally nothing but the flora 
vegetation of the coast, and we know well enough by experience, that those 
imknown. 
