Spitsbergen: Notes to Accompany Map Author(s): Gunnar Isachsen Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Mar., 1915), pp. 237-242 Published by: geographicalj Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1779799 Accessed: 27-06-2016 07:26 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Wiley, The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Geographical Journal This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 07:26:42 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms SPITSBERGEN: NOTES TO ACCOMPANY MAP. 237 either to invade the Punjab or to meet an attack from that point, had perforce to utilize the neck of the hour-glass. It is thus apparent why all the great battles, which so often decided the fate of India, were fought at or in the neighbourhood of Panipat, the outpost of Delhi, and the sole gateway through which an outsider could obtain an entry into India proper ; it is also explained why the capital of almost every empire ruling India was situated at Delhi, where it could guard the key to its domains. The British, by means of canals and rail? ways, so widened the neck during the last century that the hour-glass is not now so apparent, but Delhi has again become the capital, and thus impresses upon us her former geographical importance and her historical fame. SPITSBERGEN: NOTES TO ACCOMPANY MAP.* By GUNNAR ISACHSEN. The map is compiled from the following sources: For the stretch of coast from Loweness to Grey Hoek, Isachsen's map on the scale of 1:200,000 (in the press). In this map is included the Isachsen Mission map, on 1:100,000, from 1906 and 1907,f and a few details from Bruce's map of Prince Charles foreland, 1909, and from Staxrud-Hoel's map of the coast south of Cape Linne, 1913 (not yet published). The stretch of coast from Verlegen Hoek along Hinlopen strait, and southward along Stor-fjord to South cape, to and including Horn sound, as well as the west side of North-East Land, is taken from De Geer's map of 1900. J King Karl Land? and Hvitoy island || are taken from Nathorst, as also the map of Bear island,^ vanMijen bay,** Kecherche, and van Keulen bays.ff The map of the coast between Horn sound and Bell sound, the * Map, p. 272. f ' Resultats des campagnes scientifiques accomplies . par Albert Ier, Prince souverain de Monaco,' Fasc. XL., Part L, par Gunnar Isachsen. Monaco, 1912. X Gr. De Geer, ' Om Gradmatningsnatets framforande ofver sodre och mellersta Spetsbergen,' scale 1:1,000,000. Stockholm, Ymer, Arg. 20, 1900. ? C. J. 0. Kjellstrom och A. Hamberg, c Karta ofver Kung Karl's Land uppr'attad under 1898 ars svenska Polarexpedition,'scale 1: 200,000. Stockholm, Ymer, Arg. 19, 1899. I! A. G. Nathorst, ' Tva Somrar i Norra Ishafvet,' I. Map on 1:500,000. Stock? holm, 1900. f[ C. J. 0. Kjellstrom och A. Hamberg, ' Karta ofver Beeren Eiland uppmatt under 1898 ars svenska Polarexpedition,' scale 1 :100,000. Stockholm, Ymer, Arg. 19, 1899. ** C. J. O. Kjellstrom, * Karta ofver Van Mijen Bay och Bell Sound uppr'attad under 1898 ars svenska Polarexpedition,' scale 1: 200,000. Stockholm, Ymer, Arg. 21, 1901. ft ' Karte der Baie Recherche und van Keulen Bay auf Spitsbergen w'ahrend der von A. G. Nathorst geleiteten schwedischen Polarexpedition 1898, photogrammetrisch aufgenommen/ scale 1:100,000. Stockholm, Yet. Ak. Handl, Bd. 39, No. 6, 1905. This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 07:26:42 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 238 SPITSBERGEN: NOTES TO ACCOMPANY MAP. Wijde fjord and the rest of North-East Land, Barents and Edge islands, is based chiefly on the Admiralty chart No. 2751 (1911), and the Reichs- Marine-Amt chart No. 155 (1911). The eastern branch of the Ice fjord from and including Skans bay to Coles bay is taken from De Geer.* Ekroll harbour, on Edge island, is laid off according to Martin H. Ekroll's special map of his wintering-place, 1894-95. Scale 1:25,000. This map is not yet published, but will be included in the new edition of Isachsen's charts. The mean variation of the compass at the east end of the base-line on Foreland plain on June 30 and July 16, 1910, was 12'6? W.; in Virgo bay on August 21, 1910, 13*5? W.; and at Sabine point on August 22, 1910, 13'2? W.-f The magnetic variation is probably decreasing 10'-15' annually, and is, according to the Reichs-Marine-Amt chart (1911), along a line Bear island?Cape Barkham (Barents island)?Cape Irminger (North-East Land), about 1|? W., and along a line Dun islands?Cape Thordsen?Verlegen Hoek about 6|e W. in 191'4. The greatest difference between high and low water is about 1J metre (5 feet). The harbour time is about one hour.J With regard to the names on the map, the sites of mountains are indicated by a point and the name; the direction and extension of valleys and glaciers, where it has been possible, are explained by the direction and length of the names. With regard to the selection and the form of the names, reference must be made to the map; it would lead too far here to discuss the intricate and difficult nomenclature of Spits- bergen. In order to give an idea of the heights and depths, some figures are given on the map (feet and fathoms). As will be seen, the highest mountains on West Spitsbergen are to be found in the Chydenii range, where Mount Newton and Mount Poincare attain a height of 5676 and 5446 feet. Then we have Mount Eidsvoll on Haakon VII. Land, with a height of 4750 feet, and Mount Hornsundtind on Sydkap Land, 4690 feet. Shallows close to the water-line are marked with a cross on the sea. Tourist steamers must not, even in waters where soundings have been taken, neglect to use great caution, and more " especially in regions where the geological structure is irregular." J A good arrangement for the prevention of accidents, as some Norwegian tourist steamers do, to go two together. Since the sketch-map of van Keulen (c. 1710) the charts have often shown a sand bank or an island, sometimes two, in Stor- fjord, and although a depth of at least 50 metres (27 fathoms) has been * G. De Geer, ' The Coal Region of Central Spitsbergen,' with a map on 1:300,000? Stockholm, Ymer, Arg. 32, 1912. f A. Alexander, ' Observations Astronomiques faites par l'ExpeMition Isachsen,' Kristiania, Vid. Selsk. Skr., I., No. 12, 1912, p. 4. X G. Isachsen, * The Hydrographic Observations of the Isachsen Spitsbergen Expedition, 1909-1910,' Kristiania, Vid. Selsk. Skr.,1., No. 14, 1912, p. 6. This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 07:26:42 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms SPITSBERGEN: NOTES TO ACCOMPANY MAP. 239 sounded at the place where these shallows should be situated, it is not impossible that this bank " may sometimes be rediscovered at another place, and it is, at all events, better to have vague warnings than none at all." * On the charts a shallow in 3 fathoms of water is shown at the entrance to Ice f jord; this shallow is, however, laid off too far north, as it is situ? ated on a line with Mount Vardeborg and the mountains at Cape Delta. North ward of Spitsbergen the bottom drops evenly towards the deep Polar sea. Southwards the Spitsbergen group of islands is connected with Bear island by the comparatively shallow Spitsbergen bank. While the soundings between this bank and Norway do not exceed 500 metres (275 fathoms), the depths of the Greenland sea are considerably greater. Geographically, Spitsbergen may therefore be considered as connected with Norway. On comparing the modern map of Spitsbergen with earlier maps, it will be seen that the shape of the archipelago has of recent years under- gone great changes. These changes are especially noticeable on the stretch of coast between Bell sound and the north coast. Nordenskiold Land has been surveyed, and Oscar II. Land has got its natural limits to the north, Haakon VII. Land to the east, and Albert I. peninsula to the south. Very few countries have a more interesting history of exploration than Spitsbergen. Of course it is out of the question to go into this matter in the present article; only I want to deal on this occasion with a single little locality, viz. the present Hamburger bay, whose history has just been fully investigated. Hamburger bay was first marked by Giles and Rep on their. map (c. 1710). Sir Martin Conway writes in his book, 'No Man's Land' (Cambridge, 1906, pp. 353, 354), " North of it (Hamburger bay) is a smaller bay not marked on any modern chart except the French chart No. 929. Vrolicq occupied the bay in 1633, and it is named on his map (1634) Port Louis or Eefuge francois.