F. GEOGRAPHY. 



119 



northeast, so as to reach the northernmost cape of Asia, as 

 well as the islands of New Siberia. In returning, the most 

 northern portions of the main land of Asia are to be visited, 

 and as many landings made as possible, especially near the 

 mouths of the Obi and Jenesei. Physical observations are 

 to be made on an extended scale, and large collections of ob- 

 jects of natural history gathered. Even should only a por- 

 tion of this plan be carried out, such as the exploration of 

 the region about the mouths of the Obi and Jenesei, much 

 will have been accomplished, but it is not improbable that 

 the entire programme will be completed. 



The expedition left Bremen on the 25th of June, and pro- 

 ceeded first to Tonsberg, and then to TromsO, from which 

 point the latest advices, dated July 21, were transmitted. 

 The expedition was to continue its voyage on the 23d of 

 July, since which time no letters have been received. 17 (7, 

 1871,335. 



NEWS FEOil THE HIGH NORTH. 



We are in receipt of a circular letter from Dr. Petermann, 

 the eminent geographer of Gotha, containing more detailed 

 information in regard to the polar discoveries lately referred 

 to by the daily papers in the form of a brief telegram. It 

 will be remembered that in recent articles we have given an 

 account, among other arctic expeditions, of one under the di- 

 rection of* Messrs. Payer and Weyprecht, on the vessel called 

 the Ice Bear, which sailed from Tromso, in Norway, during 

 the past summer. The expedition returned to Tromso on the 

 3d of October, and dispatched a telegram to Dr. Petermann, 

 stating that in September they had found an open polar sea 

 between 42 and 60 east longitude from Greenwich, and that 

 they had followed this as far as the 79th degree of north lat- 

 itude and 43d of east longitude. Without giving any reason 

 for not proceeding farther, they state that their route was 

 probably much the most favorable one for reaching, the pole, 

 connecting, as they imagined it to do, with the open polar 

 sea north of Siberia, and toward the east. 



An unintelligible portion of the dispatch of these gentle- 

 men was supposed to intimate that King Charles Land, east 

 of Spitzbergen and near Gillis Land, extended south to 77 

 12'. Dr. Petermann considers this information as of the ut- 



