446 PROFESSOR HEER ON THE EOSSIL FLORA OF NORTH GREENLAND. 
morning of the 20th of August he arrived at Ritenbenk with Mr. Brown, and with a 
number of natives who were engaged as workmen. I quote from Mr. Whymper’s Re- 
port, presented to the British Association at Norwich*', the portions which relate to the 
Geology of the district. 
“We started [from Ritenbenk] at 10.30 p.m., and our course soon took us into the 
midst of the Tossukatek ice-stream, a great assemblage of icebergs large and small, 
which were given off from a glacier whose summit we could just see on the horizon. 
This ice-stream was remarkable for the enormous number of icebergs it contained, and 
was also notable for the small amount of moraine matter upon them. Really large 
blocks of rock we did not see, and those of a yard in diameter were rare ; but there was 
abundance of small stones, of grit, and of sand upon the bergs. There is no doubt that 
beneath the course of the Tossukatek ice-stream, as below all others ■j 1 , there are conglome- 
rate strata hr course of formation, which cannot now be seen, but which may possibly 
be presented to the view of future travellers. 
“ Shortly after passing through this ice-stream we arrived at the small settlement of 
Sakkak J. This place stands by the water's edge at the entrance of a great valley run- 
ning into the heart of the Noursoak peninsula. A considerable river that flows down 
this valley falls into the sea a little to the north of the settlement, and appears to form 
the boundary line of the granite districts which we were just quitting, and the trap 
formation upon which we were just entering. 
“ A solitary Danish man lives at this place, and has done so for twenty-four years. 
He says that the glaciers which can be seen from his house, both on the Noursoak 
peninsula and upon Disco Island, are steadily increasing ; so much so that their progress 
can be noted every year. This statement coincides with the observation of Sir C. 
Giesecke nearly sixty years ago. The latter says§, speaking of the route To Umenak, 
‘formerly they drove generally over Gamle Ritenbenk ||, but for several years the Toad 
has become impassable in consequence of the ‘ iceblink’ by which the whole continent 
there is covered. The same will take place with the new road at present in use.’ The 
glaciers to the south were, however, as far as I observed them, decidedly shrinking. 
* This Report was accidentally omitted from the volume of British Association Report for 1868. It will 
appear in that for 1869. 
t “ On the voyage up Davis’ Straits we were becalmed off Rifkol, a noted landmark, and anchored on some 
banks in eighteen fathoms. These hanks have certainly been greatly increased, if not originated, by the depo- 
sition of matter from the icebergs of the Jakobshavn ice-stream. At the time we were anchored a number of 
small bergs were aground upon them, breaking up and revolving all around. We took the opportunity to put 
down the dredge, and although we only worked from the ship side, and consequently over a very limited 
amount of bottom, we brought up in two or three hauls fragments of granite, gneiss (some with garnets), 
syenite, quartz, hornblende, greenstone, and mica-slate. The sounding-lead showed a fine sand bottom, and 
the anchor flukes brought fetid mud. 
J “ The word Sakkak means, according to Giesecke, ( sunside,’ i. e. southerly aspect. 
§ “ Giesecke’s MS. Journal, year 1811. 
|| “ The Danish name for the settlement of Sakkak. 
“ The term is used ’in Greenland to'signify a glacier. 
