INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1875. cxxi 



ed up Peel Strait for the purpose of reaching King Will- 

 iam Land, getting as far as La Roquette Island, near Bellot 

 Strait, on the 30th of August. Here an impenetrable pack 

 of ice across the channel barred all further progress, and, 

 after vainly trying to find a passage, Captain Young pru- 

 dently determined to retreat, which he did on the 3d of 

 September, and, as stated, the Pandora reached home on 

 the 16th of October. 



In point of actual results in arctic research during the 

 year, the expedition of the Proven, under command of Pro- 

 fessor NordenskjOld, has been the most successful, problems 

 having been solved which have baffled inquiry for hundreds 

 of years, and a rich harvest of physical and biological results 

 secured. The Proven, on which the party embarked, left 

 Tromso on the 8th of June, 1875, but was compelled to lie 

 at anchor five days on account of a head-wind. Finally it 

 got under way, and passed North Cape on the 17th, to the 

 southern part of Nova Zembla, where anchor was cast in a 

 bay north of Goose Cape. During the voyage numerous de- 

 terminations of temperature and soundings were taken, and 

 many collections made, promising many new objects to the 

 naturalist. 



From Nova Zembla the Proven proceeded to the Sea 

 of Kara, and on the 26th of July anchored off "Waigat Isl- 

 and. It was not until the 30th that a boat could land on 

 the island, on account of a storm. Here many rare silurian 

 fossils were gathered, very similar to those of Gotland. 

 The party met some of the Samoyedes, who had collected 

 to see the vessel. 



On the 2d of August the Sea of Kara was reached, and 

 found to be completely free of ice ; but, in consequence of 

 the baffling winds, progress toward the middle of the penin- 

 sula, called by the natives Jalmal, which separates the Sea 

 of Kara from the Bay of Obi, was very slow. This delay, 

 however, was utilized in making many collections of ani- 

 mals, among which were several new species. The water 

 at the surface, in consequence of the large rivers emptying 

 in the vicinity, proved to be nearly free from salt, forming a 

 deadly poison for the animals which live in the salt-water 

 at the bottom. Most of these when brought up from the 

 bottom died when placed in water from the surface. 



G 



