Page:Report of the Second Norwegian Arctic Expedition in the "Fram," 1898-1902 (volume 3).djvu/63

 4 n. G. sumo [ Be. not Eer‘aAM

at Cape llold with Hope. south of which the great ljord district begins, stroll-hing to the south side of Scoresby Sound (about latc 70°) and showing a climate and other natural conditions that make it little apt in with North-VVestern Greenland. I shall not how voter further upon the question about the possibilitiPS oi distin-

tu be drawn into rompa

gnishiug phyto-geographical subdirions of this coast-land. but will only nmntion that when in the following pages, I speak of North-Eastern Greenland. I draw the southern boundary at Cape Dalton in 69"25', wtwre the comparatively well-examined area of Scoresby Sound ends and a roust-streuh with many great glaciers begins.

0[ these (littert-nt parts of Greenland. the first mentioned is hy far the best surveyed in botanical as well as in other respects. The Danish rolonization. now of nearly two hundred years' standing. has made it more easily accessible, many of the officials of the colonies have materially contributed to our knowledgr about it. and the Danish Govern— ment has encouraged and supported the scientific exploration of its

rolnniul dislr

in many ways. so as to make that district the best known ol all the arctir lands. 'l‘hr' other parts of the rountry have been explored only by casual expeditions. many ol them even lacking members qualitied [or careful and reliable scientific work; long stretches

ol the roast have ni-ver been \ ted. at least not during the favorable

season and therefore they still lorm a veritable terra illt. gnita so far

as their natural conditions are concerned. This also is the case with North-Western Greenland. notwithstaml-

ing the many expeditions that have visited at least ‘ume parts of it. I am now going to give a skutrh ot the nature ol this region. so far as it may be compiled from the works oi the dilterent explorers; but tirst I Will give a historical summary oi the expeditions which have rontrihuted to our present knowledge about Greenland north of Mels ville Bay.

The first European who sighted the land north of that wide hay 13", who in 1610 navigated up through the great inland son now healing his name. Alter pn‘sing Melville Bay by the

was W ILLIA .\1 BA tv

"middlo passage" as the “bid have since termed it. he entered the

nrlli unlor" “'ltit'i) led him up to Smith Sound. His northernmost

I l .m i. u- quilo out nr .-....~i.1.rn.n.m the my prolrlcinatic voyages «run- lirst

to tlu-Ir lowing mod n.» nrth mm" but they cmuinly did not I...“ smut. Maui, and Ihmr dimmin- wm- at all events lost.