The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-06-04

the question was only to obtain remains Of
whales killed In recent years, either by the
natives or by American whalers. But as
The Summer set In aud the snow thswsd
away 30 that the position where the remains
were found could be more closely examined.
IL appeared that at least the major
ity OF the whale bones found
near our winter harbDr were OF
subfossil origin that is. they we're buried
In the layer Of sand where found. several
centuries, ever, back in time. This was
also confirmed by the natives In the neigh
boring villages, who said that no whale,
within the memory Of man, had drifted
ashore on this coast. In view Of this The
question received z, eat access Of interest;
and I resolved. 10 company with DR.. kjsll-
man and necessary force, to make thor
ough search along the adjacent coast for
distance of four or five kilometres.
Upon this stietch of coast we found. be-
sides a quantity Of other bones, thirty
peck bones Of the whale. Iefs' able to four
or Eve d Iffareut varieties, among which tbe
Baiena mystieetus, or Of affinity With that
genus was the most common. We're ruped
with and preserved such quan.iy Of these
as circumstances pei mitted.
Among The many bones OF the whale
which we've found near The winter qdar,e.s
OF the Vega, some claim special attention.
They consisted Of we'll pieseiv we'd back
head Of large Balena nysticstus, together
with some arm bones aud verrebras. These
plain'y had belonged ts The same individual
add tney were sill covered by an enormous
iuduiated flap Of skin, without trace OF
flesh or fat. They were partially frozen,
in fact. to the undertaking sand, and, be
ing loOsened, 1t was seen that on the icy
side there adhered red, almost e. esh, flesh.
At FIRST I certaiols thought We had here
before us the remaIus Of whale recently
stranded, and mado inquiry among the
natives accordingly, but the result seemed
to show that this whaie bad not d,lfted
ashore within o time OF which they had
auy remembrance. 1t is to be regretted
that this head, one of the few which was
not buried 10 The sand (on The beach p but
10 q high sand bank under circumstances
which leaves 1t uncertain whether it had
been worked up from the sea or recently
exposed through the washing away Of the
sand. consider 1t no. improbable that the
whale had beeu buried 10 the sand centuries
ago.
In that case 1t would furnish a new in
stance whereby to show the length Of time
1t takes animal remains to decompose in
frozen condition. (Tbis seems superoea-
tory, the general impression being thaC de-
composition does not take place at all
when the material is frozen.
THE NEITHER DEPrHs.
tits q known fact that within great areas
OF Siberia, even considerably towards the
south, there are found immense strata OF
frozen earth beneath the surface which is.
not witbstauding, covered with the most
luxuriant forest vegetation. These strata
hade been closely examined, particularly
by Won Middendorff, who N his Siberian
Journey has treated on this problem, the
solution of which was the main purpose OF
his journey.
Similar conditions are found In Polar
America, and have been submitted to in
vestiRation by the English Polar explorer,
j. Richardson. As Sibe. IL has at o tim
been covered with continued glacier, and
as 1t cannot be refuted that such frozen
"a Tn t,tu In m a
with vastly colder climates than the region
about which here is question, it would
eem the origin Of this frozen ST: alta, many
undred feet in thickness, must be IN a
high degree enigmatic. Apparently the
phenomenon depends on the coincidence Of
q variety of conditions, hithei TO but supe'-
ficially elucidated. among which the low
anuaal middle temperature plays, perhaps.
q less prominent role than many other
conditions, for instance, the property Of
wafer to remain fluid for time with
temperature far below its own freezing
poiut, and lis capacity depending thereon
to aos' rAct at CO, ;.l,u seasons Of the year,
the heat from the subsrla' un Of earth Iepos-
ing Q; considerable depth from the surface.
Doubtless it will demand continued expe-
rimeuts in the future before geologist. will
End their way clear In regard this phenom-
enon, and IL is OF propoi tiouatels great
moment to pursue the genesis Of similar
formations to the present time.
am led to believe that the suggestions
further oa submit as to the problem, how
frozen marine strata may be formed, even
In our day, and in regions blessed with
warm climates will be Of value to the ex-
plorer.
In my report Of the voyage to the Jenisei
In 1875, said, touching the sea Of Kara
smear the surface Of the ocean, the tenn
perature and the saline properties Of Tvs
waters ID very variable. In series OF
calm days on the Scandinavian coasts, the
warm light, fresh water from the Obs and
Jenisei's mighty river beds spread
without check on the surface of the
ocean and without mixing their waters
with It. II there be no Toe In its vicinity.
the water will have . temperature Of 100
1 Va huu OOC0otou0hy 0uosOs oo "@eoa 80
saline In 30 small degree it can be used for
drinking. When, however, ice approaches
the temperature rapidly sinks to zero and
the same is effected By storm, when
the swell mixes the warm surface water
with the cold water from beneath, conse-
quently tho surface water now becomes sa-
line ana unfit for drinking. fet, in the
Sea Of Kara, the temperature and saline
properties Of the water, even at the depth
of few fathoms remains constant, the
temperature during the warmest summers
day, and probably the coolest winters day,
being between 10 and 80 O.
In another essay upon the same subject,
l direct attention to this singular relation
that the water on the surface Of this sea
(Sea Of Kara) Is often deadly poison 70
the animals that inhabit the bottom, and
that the contents OF bottle filled with water
from the surface will rapidly CONCEAL II
tho bottle be exposed, to the temperature
II