58 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



land. Hudson sighted this coast in 1607, in about latitude 73 north, 

 and, according to the old Dutch chart of Gerrit van Keulen, as high 

 latitudes were attained during the course of the seventeenth century 

 as have ever since been reached in this direction. In 1654 Gale Hamke 

 found land in 7430', in 1670 Lambert touched 7830'. So difficult 

 is the East Greenland coast of approach, however, and so little was 

 known about it in the early years of last century, that the famous 

 whaler, Captain William Scoresby, son of him whose northing off the 

 coast of Spitzbergen we have already recorded, may well be said to 

 have advanced a stage towards the Pole in this direction when in 1822 

 he surveyed and charted the coast comprised between latitude 73 30' 

 north and latitude 75 north. In the following year Captain Claver- 

 ing, assisting Captain Edward Sabine, in his great pendulum work, 

 reached Shannon Island in 75 12' north, and saw the coast stretching 

 as far as the 76th parallel. No higher northing was made until the 

 second German North Polar Expedition visited the coast in 1869. 

 After wintering on Pendulum Island, Koldewey and Payer followed 

 the shore northwards in sledges, and in April, 1870, reached the extreme 

 northing along the East Greenland coast if we except that with which 

 Lambert is credited on the old Dutch chart of 77 01'. The stretch 

 of coast between this and Peary's furthest on the north coast of Green- 

 land still remains uncharted, though both Peary and Sverdrup pro- 

 fessed to have its survey in view as one of their objects. None of these 

 latitudes can compare with those attained by way of the Spitzbergen 

 and Franz Josef Land routes. Indeed, the only route which may 

 be said to rival these latter in the facilities it affords for approach- 

 ing the Pole is that which runs between the west coast of Green- 

 land and the vast land masses lying to the north of North 

 America. In this direction the first stages of the long journey towards 

 the Pole were covered by the expeditions which began to be despatched 

 towards the close of the fifteenth century in search of a Northwest 

 passage. 



Leaving out of account the two uncertain records connected with 

 the names of the two Cabots, as well as the unfortunate enterprise of 

 Frobisher, we come to the brave John Davis, who made a great stride 

 northwards. After twice barely crossing the Arctic circle, in 1585 and 

 1586, he set out a third time, in 1587, from Dartmouth. The expedi- 

 tion comprised three small vessels, the two larger of which were left 

 near Gilbert Sound, while Davis pushed ahead in the third, a mere 

 pinnace. On June 24 he reached 67 40' N. latitude, and saw many 

 whales, and on the 28th attained his highest northing, 72 12', where 

 be found the bold promontory which he named Cape Hope Sanderson. 

 Hudson, of course, was far to the south of this in Hudson Bay, and it 

 was reserved for William Baffin to reach what was, for more than two 



