1 6 Chapter I. 



land, I considered, did not extend further than the most 

 northerly known point of its west coast. "It is not \ 

 probable that Franz Josef Land reaches to the Pole ; 

 from all we can learn it forms a group of islands separated 

 from each other by deep sounds, and it appears im- 

 probable that any large continuous track of land is to be 

 found there. 



" Some people are perhaps of opinion that one ought 

 to defer the examination of regions like those around the 

 Pole, beset, as they are, with so many difficulties, till 

 new means of transport have been discovered. I have 

 heard it intimated that one fine day we shall be able to 

 reach the Pole by a balloon, and that it is only waste of 

 time to seek to get there before that day comes. It need 

 scarcely be shown that this line of reasoning is untenable. 

 Even if one could really suppose that in the near or 

 distant future this frequently mooted idea of travelling to 

 the Pole in an air-ship would be realised, such an expe- 

 dition, however interesting it might be in certain respects, 

 would be far from yielding the scientific results of 

 expeditions carried out in the manner here indicated. 

 Scientific results of importance in all branches of 

 research can be attained only by persistent observations 

 during a lengthened sojourn in these regions ; while those 

 of a balloon expedition cannot but be of a transitory 

 nature. 



'We must, then, endeavour to ascertain if there are 

 not other routes and I believe there are. I believe 



