INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS FOR THE YEAR 1871. xxv 



The Geographical inquiry during the year has been large- 

 ly directed to the north polar region, and the well-appoint- 

 ed American expedition under Captain Hall may be consid- 

 ered as taking the lead in point of prominence. Accompa- 

 nied by Dr. Bessels, of Heidelberg, an experienced arctic ex- 

 plorer, as the chief of the scientific branch of the expedition, 

 Captain Hall left the United States in July last provided with 

 every appliance that could be thought of for facilitating the 

 object of his mission. The latest advices from Greenland 

 showed that the whole party was in good spirits and emu- 

 lous to solve the problem of polar search. The autumn of 

 1872 will probably bring us word as to the actual results. 



Another important expedition, in its indications of future 

 successes, was that of the Ice-JBear, under Messrs. Payer and 

 Weyprecht. These gentlemen, in a small vessel of only sixty 

 tons, succeeded in penetrating to a high northern latitude, 

 and in finding a sea free from ice as far as the eye could reach. 

 They were apparently only prevented from sailing many de- 

 grees farther north from the apprehension of ice packing be- 

 hind them and barring their return. 



Other expeditions of less moment, in the regions to the 

 north of Europe and'Asia, have added a variety of informa- 

 tion to that already possessed, and have furnished data for 

 selecting the plans and routes of several great national expe- 

 ditions that will doubtless start early in the coming summer 

 one of them German, and another Russian. 



Much has been added to our previous knowledge of vari- 

 ous portions of Asia and Africa, although in the latter coun- 

 try the principal interest has centred in regard to the actual 

 condition of Dr. Livingstone. The partial efforts to deter- 

 mine his whereabouts, and to extend any needed assistance 

 to him, are to be supplemented by a more extended move- 

 ment now in progress in Great Britain. The movements of 

 Sir Samuel Baker in his exploration of the Nile are watched 

 with great interest, on account of the enormous scale of his 

 labors, prosecuted under the direct patronage of the authori- 

 ties of Egypt. Reports of progress from Dr. Schweinfurth 

 and Dr. Xachtigal are presented in Petermann's Mittheilun- 

 <xen. The rush of visitors to the diamond fields of South 

 Africa has also tended greatly to extend our knowledge of 

 the geography and geology of that part of the world. The 



