Ix GENERAL SUMMAKY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



and in a lecture extra of the New York Tribune published in 

 September last. 



Ordeei)-sea explorations on the Pacific coast, those of most 

 interest were prosecuted under the direction of the Coast 

 Survey and the Navy Department. Mr. William II. Dall, in 

 charge of the Coast Survey vessel the Yukon, was engaged 

 in surveying the westernmost of the Aleutian Islands and 

 their approaches, with special reference to the question of a 

 deep-sea cable between the United States and Japan ; and at 

 the same time some interesting facts were collected in regard 

 to the physical condition of the sea bottom, which will be 

 found detailed on page 246. 



The exploration on the part of the United States Navy was 

 conducted on board the steamer Tascarora, under Command- 

 er Belknap, and resulted in obtaining sections of several im- 

 portant lines of soundings. Specimens of the sea bottom 

 collected by the Tuscarora^ and forwarded to the Bureau of 

 Navigation, have been transmitted by Commodore Ammers 

 to the National Museum for investigation. 



Of late years the vmknown regions about the north pole 

 have occupied much attention on the part of geographers, 

 whose interest lias been greatly intensified by the wonderful 

 experiences of the Polaris and her party, Avhich prove that 

 the " proper gateway to the pole," as maintained by Mr. 

 Clements R. Markham, of London, and other British authori- 

 ties, is by way of Smith's Sound, or along the track of the 

 Polaris; although others, as Captain T. C.Wells, still insist 

 that the Spitzbergen seas offer superior advantages. Al- 

 though our knowledge of this region rests almost exclusively 

 upon the discoveries of America, Great Britain manifests a 

 laudable inclination to enter the field ; and it is quite prob- 

 able that early in 18*74 an expedition, either public or private, 

 will be sent out from England to Smith's Sound. A move- 

 ment lookinc: toward securins: uovernment aid has been com- 

 raenced by the Royal Geographical and the Royal Societies 

 of London ; and although, w^hen approached on the subject in 

 ISYO, the British authorities decided that the Challenger ex- 

 pedition was all that could be undertaken at that time, it is 

 Jioped that a polar exploration will be authorized for 1874. 



The history of arctic exploration as actually prosecuted 

 during the year 1873 contains several very interesting chap- 



