Even in the shallower parts of the Kara Sea the water at the bottom is nearly as salt as in the Atlantic Ocean, and all the year round cooled to a temperature of -2 deg. to -2.7 deg.. The surface-water, on the contrary, is very variable in its composition, sometimes at certain places almost drinkable, and in summer often strongly heated. The remarkable circumstance takes place here that the surface water in consequence of its limited salinity freezes to ice if it be exposed to the temperature which prevails in the salt stratum of water next the bottom, and that it forms a deadly poison for many of the decapoda, worms, mussels, crustacea and asterids which crawl in myriads among the beds of clay or sand at the bottom. At many places the loose nature of the bottom does not permit the existence of any algae, but in the neighbourhood of Beli Ostrov, Johannesen discovered extensive banks covered with "sea-grass" (algae), and from the east coast of Novaya Zemlya Dr. Kjellman in 1875 collected no small number of algae[92], being thereby enabled to take exception to the old erroneous statements as to the nature of the marine flora. He has drawn up for this work a full account of the marine vegetation in the Kara Sea, which will be found further on. [Illustration: ELPIDIA GLACIALIS (THEEL) FROM THE KARA SEA. Magnified three times. A. Belly. B. Back. MANGANIFEROUS IRON-ORE FORMATIONS FROM THE KARA SEA. Half the natural size. ] I shall now return to the account of our passage across this sea. On this subject my journal contains the following notes: _August 2nd._ Still glorious weather--no ice. The _Lena_ appears to wish to get away from the other vessels, and does not observe the flag which was hoisted as the signal agreed upon beforehand that her Captain should come on board, or at least bring his little vessel within hail. The _Fraser_ was therefore sent in pursuit, and succeeded in overtaking her towards night. _August 3rd._ In the morning Captain Johannesen came on board the _Vega_. I gave him orders to take on board Dr. Almquist and Lieutenants Hovgaard and Nordquist, and go with them to Beli Ostrov, where they should have freedom for thirty-six hours to study the people, animals, and plants, as they pleased; the _Lena_ was then, if possible, to pass through the Sound between the island and Yalmal to Port Dickson, where the three other vessels should be found. Almquist, Nordquist, and Hovgaard were already quite in order for the excursion; they went immediately on board the _Lena_, and were soon, thanks to the great power of the engine in proportion to the size of the vessel, far on their way.