15(l Th< Ann rial II (rinhx/isf. J^eiitt-inber, ISitl 
small water-courses uear the two coasts, I may say positivelv that there 
are no rivers at any time of the year on that part of the inland ice over 
which we passed. 
* * * At no great distance from the east coast the surface of dry 
snow begins, on which the sun has no other effect than to form a thin 
crust of ice. The whole of the surface of the interior is precisely the 
same, * * 
Of moraine dcliris or erratic l)locks we met with none upon the ice 
with the exception of the last little slope when we left it for good on 
the western side, or no more than a hundred yards from the extreme 
edge. * * * ' 
* * * Some of the tomjieratures wliich we experienced were far 
lower than the established meteorological laws could have led us to 
expect. * * * * The temperature on certain nights, September 12 
and 14, probabl}' fell, according to the calculations of Professor Mohn, 
to — 45"^ Cent. (—49" Fahr.), while the mean temperature of certain daj's, 
September 11-16, when we were about in the middle of the country, or 
a little to the west of the highest ridge, varied from — 80*^ Cent, to— 34" 
Cent. (—22° to— 29" Fahr.). This is at least 20" Cent. ( 36" Fahr.) lower 
than anyone would have been justitied in expecting, if he had based his 
calculations on accepted laws, taking for his data elevation above and 
distance from the sea, as well as the mean temperature of the neighbor- 
ing coasts. 
* * * In the forty days which we spent on the ice there were six- 
teen of either snow or rain. On four days only did we have rain, when 
we were weather-bound in the tent near the east coast, and on one day 
near the west coast we had hail; on the rest it was always snow, which 
in the interior took the form of fine ' frost snow,' or needles of ice. This 
fell almost daily out of a half-transparent mist, through which we could 
often see the sun, together with halos and mock-suns. 
Though the ice-sheet of (Ireenhiiul has formerly Itccn more 
extended and deeper tluui now. as is shown In' glaciation of the 
rock surface liigh up on the sides of the fjords, it has probably 
during several centuries been on the increase. There can be little 
doubt that the climate at i)resent is prevailingly colder than dur- 
ing the prosperous period of the Norse colonies between iMMI and 
oOit years ago. By its increasing accumulation, therefore, we 
may account for the contrast between the (Jreenland ice. which 
has so little -englacial and superglacial drift, even near its edge, 
and the partially drift-buried Malaspina glacier at the foot of the 
Mt. St. Elias range ( A.M. (JEor.odisT. vol. vii. j)[». :!:!. 141): for 
there, according to Russell, the ice has probably been on the 
wane during the past odd or l.ddd years and at jjresent is some- 
what rapidly receding. 
Neither Pearv nor Nansen is willing t(» rest on laurels alreadv 
