On an upheaval of land near Novai Zembla

Abstract

During the past summer the Norwegians, among other explorations in the Arctic Sea, had discovered to the north of Novai Zembla a group of low islands, which, on account of the presence of tropical fruits washed on them by the Gulf Stream, had been named the ‶Gulf Stream Islands.″ The two largest of them had been named the Hellwalds and Brown’s Islands. But the most curious fact above them was, that less than 300 years ago the Dutch took soundings in 100 feet on this very spot, so that within that period these low sandy islands, scattered with boulders, had been raised above the sea, showing an elevation of land since the year 1592 of more than a 100 feet. It was said that the sea around Spitzbergen was shoaling, and that on that account the Right whale of commerce (<i>Balæna mysticetus</i>) was no longer a member of the Spitzbergen fauna, though at one time killed in enormous numbers in every bay. In the course of some verbal remarks on the subject of the rise and fall of northern lands, Dr Brown took occasion to doubt that north of lat. 72° the west coast of Greenland was sinking. He considered that there was every proof that the whole coast, from Cape Farewell to Smith’s Sound, was gradually being depressed. In reference to some remarks made at a former meeting of the Society, he might mention that, if we were not yet perfectly acquainted with the nature of the glacial remains in Britain from a study of the great Greenland ice, it was not because geologists were not intimately enough acquainted with the nature of the ‶ice cap″ in that country. During the last few years no fewer than four parties of naturalists—Swedish, Danish, and English—had visited Greenland, and given the result of their observations to the world; and one of the most eminent of Danish geologists—Dr Rink—had resided no less than twenty-one years in the country. If, therefore, we are not yet fully able to explain the nature of the glacial remains in Britain from the analogies of Greenland ice, it was not for want either of knowledge or perseverance. All that could be learned had been learned, as the Greenland residents had already borne witness to. Mr W. T. Black exhibited a number of beautiful photographs of Mount Vesuvius as it appeared during the eruption in 1872. The following Gentlemen were elected Fellows of the Society: Robert Etheridge, junior, F.G.S., of the Geological Survey of Scotland, Edinburgh. W. T. Black, 2 George Square.