Year: 1875

fore that time always been employed by Polar expedi-
tions Before setting out on the main expedition il
was therefore, necessary 70 90 70 Greenland to buy
dogs and TO study their employment as draught ami
mails


IN 1870.


with this end In view went, in 1870, with small
expedition 10 the Danish colonies Of Greenland but
returned with the conviction that dogs would not well
answer the purpose; in the first place, because It
was impossible to get a sufficient number from one
two colonies and the dogs had been collected from
several different settlements II would have been mpos
sble TO exclude the very Infectious and fatal diseases
which peculiar the dogs Of that country, and
which, when once introduced would have soon spread
through the whole pack; and, secondly because dog
cannot transport food for itself for than sixty
days, which makes 1t impossible employ dogs for
long distance in sledgcs where there is no chance for
them Of hunting the journey This negative result
OF the Greenland expedition was richly counterbal-
anccd by It's important scientific results Of which space
viii only permit me 10 mention


TRIP THE INLAND


or Greenland undertaken by celebrated bot
anist, Dr. Berggren, which nrst gave us real idea,
founded actual observation, Of the aspect or
globe during the glacial period During this trip the
immense crevices with which the ice was intersected
SO frightened Esqumaux followers that they soon
left US and obliged US TO continue journey alone


The discovery OF


LARGE NUMBER or FOSSIL PLANTS
OF great Importance for the knowledge OF the old c
mates during the different geological periods OF the
globe, showing that for example during the upper
cretaceous age, figs magnolias and other subtropcal
plants abounded in these now lcebound regions,
which, at yet earlier period Qower creaceousl
covered by totally different tropical vegetation OF
brought BY Sweden is also OF great and special
interest for knowledge OF the fossil fora of the United
States


SEVERAL LARGE MRTEoRrrEs WERE DISCOVERED
at ovifak, on Disco, the largest of which weighs
so 900 pounds and surpasses the celebrated
PaIlas mcteorte St Petersburg 1t is the largest
of cosmc iron yet found on tho earth, but with
the then at my command it was impossible TO
bring these metortes to Sweden.


IN 1871.


II accordingly necessary to send for this pur
pose new expedition Greenland consisting OF two
ships, which, under the command of Baron Won
Otter and numerous scientific STAFF started for
Greenland in the following year usa) The brilliant
manner in which Baron Won Otter executed the diff
ncut task of transporting these meteorites is well
known as well as the lively controversy in the
scientific world about their origin which took
place their arrival in Europe At present most
Of the celebrated notabltes OF this branch Of science
Daubre wohler and others-seem to agree that the
oyiak iron is a real though FOSSIL meteorite which
has falen during the Miocene period.
GREENLAND LAPIASD


At the same time that went to Greenland 10 study
/ the employment OF dogs for sledge journeys Mr..
Dickson sought information in Lapand as to the con-
venence using reindeer for the purpose and the
information which he obtained proved that these latter
were much preferable to dogs Accordingly forty fine
reindeer were bought for our expedition in Lap
land. and we're transported to Mussel Bay, the
north OF spzbergcn, where large wooden house with
three observatorics built in latitude 70 deg SO
min north II then was and probably stl is the
northern house in the world, and that account
named by US ''Pohem, {" or 'the Polar home"
A SCIENTISTS MEMORY nosoRED.
Polhem was a great Swedish engineer Of the last
century, and the principal steamer Of expedition
also bore this


PASSING THE WINTER


In this house we passed the winter of 1s72-73 with
the intention Of commencing our journey toward the
Pole in the spring.


/ MsPoRrUNEs HEAVY VARIOUS


But our expedition was followed by crowd Of mis-
fortunes Three lays after the reindeer had been
landed they ned into the interior OF the country and
we're never again, excepting which returned
wounded BY a Polar bear. The day before the ships
which had transported the house. provisions reindeer,
&c, to PoIhem we're to return violent storm from
the northwest filled harbor with large pieces of ice
The ships we're beset in the ce accordingly the crews
could not return to Europe and instead of having
twenty-five men in our winter colony we had sixty
seven This was the unfortunate, as there was
not enough food for many; that we had to reduce
the raons to two-thrds-a reduction which, in these
regions Is generally very dangerous TO the health


The same year seventeen Norwegian fishermen were
shut up at degrees 2O miles, south Of US in
a deserted house built bya Swedish manure tguano)
company on the west coast OF sptzborgcn. Although
this house was well provided with provisions the Polar
climate the long winter night and want OF exercise
proved fatal them and they all died Of the scurvy.


The same iato overlook two other fishermen, who
we're obliged to winter in tent OF old sails Grey
hook, on the western side OF Wide Bay. Thanks TO
discipline and continual exercise we on the contrary,
although obliged to live reduced rations did not
lose a single person by this illness


On the 10th OF January We had storm 50 violent