190 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



ly an accurate hydro-graphic survey of the Obi and the 

 Yenisei. 



This new trade route, it' the anticipations be borne out 

 by experience, will be of immense value, the region abound- 

 ing in fish and furs as well as in agricultural and mineral 

 wealth, while the population need great quantities of the 

 productions of Western Europe, heretofore carried overland. 



In the Geographische Blatter of the Bremen Geographical 

 Society, a sketch of Professor NordenskjCld's proposed voy- 

 age to the Siberian seas is o-iven. 



He intends to sail in July, 1878, in the steamer Vega, com- 

 manded by Captain Palander, a Swedish officer of much arc- 

 tic experience, with a staff of three or four scientific observ- 

 ers, and a crew of thirty naval seamen. The object of the 

 expedition is to force a passage from Nova Zembla east- 

 ward along the coast of Siberia through Behring Strait, the 

 ship proceeding homewards through the Suez Canal. The 

 cost of the expedition will be defrayed principally by the 

 Swedish Government. 



A review of the work done during the last twenty years, 

 in determining the depths of the ocean in various parts of 

 the world, is given in Petermann's Mittheilungen for April 1, 

 1877; special attention being paid to the depths determined 

 in the Pacific Ocean, of which a small chart is given, show- 

 ing the various deep basins, to thirteen of which Dr. Peter- 

 mann has given the names of the ships, commanders of expe- 

 ditions, and eminent scientific men who have been instru- 

 mental in the work. 



A very marked feature of this chart is the uniform north- 

 west and southeast direction of the elevations of the bottom 

 surrounding groups of islands, etc. 



