New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-21

q, iss2 Crown octave. PIP. $50. Win hVe s'co'
PORTRAITS numerous maps and llustratio"o'
Second Notice.
Tho oxtcrt variety and value of the scientific
information maSsed In this volume cohlu not We ""0
ouotcly illustrated within the limits OF inc
notice We can only refer in n general way 10 'no
remarkable chapters on animal HE Ill No'"i"
1,,o and fossil treasures in the New Siberian
Islands and TO the passages relating TO the iit VI
trees IN the old world, the prmeNa Siberian ioi'N'
the dora at tho mouth of the leniseJ cape OheIS US
LIN ami Prcobraschenic Island the ice of the Polar
seas refraction and reelection hlos and Inc aurora
The cruStaccans asterids, sponges har-Stars'
gigantic sea-spders and polypes brought to light
NV the dredce aud trawl-net. the frozen insects
which survive the extreme cold of an Arctic winter
the Astronomical Autographed, meteorological
macnetical. geological and botanical work carried
OH at the Vegas winter quarters, the minute oo-
seryations respecting the habits OF Polar mammals
the characteristics of Siberian hora ana rocks ana
the flights of migratory birds. the fate of Stellers
sea-cow. the lack of evidence of any glacial epoch
on the northern coast of Asia, and many "tler
deeply interesting subjects. The following chaTac-
teristic massage may he cited as illustrating the
authors power as deductiVc reasoner and MS
boldneSs and vigOr an original investigator;
For several years back have been Jealous for the
examination OF all substances OF the nature OF aus
which tail 10 the surface OF the eaTth VIII ram vi
snow and have proved that portion 0I them Is oI
coSmic origin. has lnconSidera0le IAN oil HuSt mus
of immense importance for the history OF the UeNci-
opmeut of our globe and we regard H. besides WIN
the intense interest which we inevitably cherish Tor
all that brings an actual experience lEEiIulilS
the material world ueNohd ouI, eIo"' nv ~, -"
habiteC countries of the earth, however. are less
suitable for such investigations as me paricra VI
cO,mic dust falling down here III very nntt" guam
tltv can only with difficulty he dStnGuIsheu lioI
the dust OF civilization, arising from human HNcI
incS from the Oilal Of industry, IRON furnaces anu
o,hit of e
different on the snow and lce-fflts oil the ,lliTH
North, remote from human ha9itatohS ana ne
1racks of steamers. Every foreign grain ol ou>j
can here be easily DISTINGUISHED and removed, ana
1herc Is a strong probability that the oHa OF CIVIL
cation Is here nearly wholly Wanths' ~ - :, -,
evident from this that would hol ne q'Spo>c.4 -
neglect the first opportunity Tor renewed IhFeSI-'-
tons in the direction Indicated, when our IANoluA-
tary rest AT the dTltt-lcc held offered
Immediately after the Vega lay-to. l therefore
went down on the Ice in order 10 see WhetLCi nero
too some snch metallterOus dust, rs had before
found north OF Spitlbcrgcn, was not to be lonnd Oh
the surface oil the Ice. Nothing Of the hlh'l' ho"
ever was to be seen. On the other hand, ileuenant
NorlGulSt observed small yellow specks IN the
snow. which asked HIM to collect ana manu- over
for investigation 10 Dr. kie!lman. For l supposed
that the SpeCks consisted OF dIat0m ooIe AltGI cA
aiming them Or. hJcllman, however "s-.iI'u 'Iat t
they dd not consist of any organic SUBSTANCE nui
OF crvstalilIed grains OF sand. too now examined
them more closely, but unfortunately not untI thc
mnrninr after we had left the ce-leld, and then
found that the supposed oolc consisted OF paIe
yellow crystals not fragments OF crystals without
admiXturC OF fOrcjg n matter. The quantity OF
CRYSTALS Which were obtained from about three
lires OF snow. skinned from the surface 81 the
snow on an area of AZ most ten square metres,
amounted 10 nearly o. gram. ne crystals were
found only near the surface OF the snow, not IN the
deeper layers They were up TO one mm I'D dame
ter bad the appearance shcwn IN the accompany iDS
wondcut and appeared TO belong TO the rhomhc
system, as they had one perfect cleavage ana
for,,rd ,trltrd prIsuS terminated at either end by
1rlucated pyra'nid~. Unfortunately | could not
rake any actual measurements OF them, hechuse
after being kept Tor some time III the air Iney
wcathercd 20 a white non-crystaine powder Ih9N
Law without being sCuSihly dissolved, FOR Il whole
pIrht in the wafer formed hy the melting OF the
snow. On beng heated too, thet tell asuhder mt"
tasteleSS white powder ! he "Hlc PpNu'I' lh'I
was formed by The weatheiimg of the crSst4IS was
analysed after our retnrn-twcniy-one months aiier
the discovery of the cryStaiN-and was l"uhl 10
contain only carbonate Of lime.
The original composition and origin of this sub
stouce ounears To me exceedingly cnigmatical. 1t
was not common carbonate of lime for the crystals
were rnombohedral and did not show the cleavage
OF cacite. Nor can there be question OF us being
auagonIte because this mineral might indeed Iail
asunder " Of ITSELF hut IN that case the newly
formed powder ought to be crystalline. Have the
CRYSTALS originally been new hydrated carbonate
OF lime, fOncd by cINStalil/ng out Oh me sea Ndt'I
in intense cold, and then losing its water al TEN,
peratuTe Of 100 or % above the hcc/lhg point
In such case they ought not L" nave ne'h lo'.ni
ON the surface of tine spoc but lower down on the
surface of the ice. Or have they fallen down IRON
the inter planetary spaces TO the surface Of the
earth and before CrumbllnG down have uad a COM
position differing from terrestrial substances III NE
same way as various chemical compounds found IN
recent times III mtltpIlc StDitS lHc oDN''I y"
the cry stalls III the uppermost layer OF snow anu
their falling asuudcI in the air. tell III favor ~ TINS
view Unfortunately there is now no possibility OF
settling these questions, bnt at all events TINS ans
Covery is "a iurthe. Indictment to those who iraveI
in the High North to collect with extreme care
from SnOw-iicds ivrg far from the ordinary routes
of communications, all foreign substances, thOuEh
apparently OF trl.ln5 Importance
It may appear to many that it is below the dig
riy of science TO concern ones self with so trlilng
m affair aS the fall OF small quantity OF aust.
But this is by no means the case. For estimate
the quantity of the dust that formed on the Ice
north of SpitZbeTgen at from o. TO ml9ran per
square metre, and probably the whole 1aH OF Gust
for the wear far exceeded tie latter hguTe. But a
milligram on every square metre OF the suraCe OF
the earth amounts for the whole globe TO hye num-
trcd million Kilograms say half million tons J!
Such mass collected year by year during the geo
logical ages, of duration probably lncoinprehcu-
slbe by us forms too important a factor to be neg
lected, when the fundamental facts OF the geOiOgl
cal history of our planet are enumerated. con-
tnuatIOn of these Investigations Will perhaps snow
that our globe has increased gradually from small
beginning to the dimensions II now possesses; that
"a con siderable quantity of the constituents OF our
sedimentary strata, especially OF those that have
been deposited IN the open sea far from lana, are
of cOsmc origin and will throw an unexpected
light on the origin of the iTehearhs OF the VOIca-
noes and afford "a simple explanation of the re-
markabe resemblance which Enthusiastically exists
between plutOnic rocks and meteOric stones
The work of the SPECIAL corps of trained Observers
supplemented as it is by the authors researches,
studies aud store of information, gives TO tins vol
ume a permanent scientific value. 1t Is thus a char
acerstic record of the most scientific orderly and
practical scheme of Arctic exploration ever devised.
The Vega did not set out, like the Jeanette, on
any phantom quest steering blinGy toward the
north like the helpless navgators OF the last cen
tnry. Every stage Of the journey had been made
the subioct Of scientific reflection Nothing was
left to chance. SO thorough had been the prelimi-
nary survey that with few exceptions the log-book
verified the original plan of operations submitted to
KIM Oscar. the vessel inding open sea and pass