Johnsens Opdagelse af Kong Karl-Land, der saa længe 

 svævede som en Taage for Geografer rie, Tobiesens Iagtta- 

 geiser fra Overvintringer paa Bjørne-Øen og paa Novaja 

 Semlja,. Johansens og Macks Omseiling af Novaja Semlja 

 og Opdagelse af det varme Vand udenfor Obs og Jeniseis 

 Mundinger. Ved disse Resultater har Norge kunnet hævde 

 en Plads som Deltager i de Opdagelser, hvormed en Række 

 af Nationer have bidraget til at sprede Lys over vor 

 Planets nordligste Egne. og denne Plads har været en 

 ærefuld selv ved Siden af de rigere Nationer med deres 

 ganske anderledes vel udrustede offentlige og private Ex- 

 peditioner. 



Imidlertid tro vi. at Udrustningen af en egentlig 

 Nordpol -Expedition. med det Maal at trænge frem i 

 hidtil uudforskede Polar-Egne, ikke bliver vor Sag. Dette 

 maa vi overlade til de rigere Nationer. Men naar der 

 lige udenfor vor Kyst ligger et Hav. der indeslutter Op- , 

 havet til hele vor Existents. og dette Hav hidtil er saa- 

 godtsom ganske ukjendt i dets Naturforhold, da ligger Un- 

 dersøgelsen af, disse os Nordmænd nær og nærmere end 

 nogen anden. 



En videnskabelig Undersøgelse af Havet udenfor 

 Norges Vestkyst er en Opgave, som fra norsk Side visselig 

 skulde kunne udføres med samme Held som de Britiske 

 Expeditioner af samme Art. Den maatte ga;; ud paa at 

 undersøge Havets Dybde, dets Temperatur, dets Vands 

 cbemiske Sammensætning og Gasindhold, dets Strømninger 

 saavel i Overtiaden som i Dybet. Bundens Beskaffenbed 

 og geologiske Formation, dets Vejrforhold, de magnetiske 

 Forhold og særlig dets Dyre- og Planteverden af enhver 

 Art, Som R*esultater af en saadan Undersøgelse kan man 

 vente at erholde Oplysning om alle de Naturforhold, der 

 betinge vort Lands Klima med dets Variationer og fremfor 

 Alt om vore vandrende Fiskearters biologiske Forhold. Af 

 hvilken Interesse saadanne Resultater vilde være for den 

 hele Naturvidenskab. skulle vi ikke her videre udbrede os 

 over: alene de vigtige Resultater, som kunne gjøres Reg- 

 ning paa for vore Fiskerier forekommer det os at være 

 nok athenpege paa for at motivere en saadan Undersøgelses 

 Ønskelighed. Eu til en sstadan Undersøgelse udsendt Ex 

 pedition maatte gaa ud fra den norske Kyst nordenfor Stat 

 som sin Basis, og fra denne af studere Forholdene ud over 

 Bankerne lige til selve [shavsdybet, en Opgave. som den 

 for Dampskibét "Hansteens" Oplodninger lagte Plan ikke 

 tillader dette at udføre, paa samme Tid som -'Hansteens" 

 Arbeider ville bidrage i højeste Grad til at støtte den til 

 Havets Undersøgelse udsendte Eipeditions Arbeider. En 

 anden Tilslutning vilde Hav-Expeditionen have til tie Bri- 

 tiske Expeditioners Arbejde, navnlig til "Porcupine"-Ex- 

 peditionens. Den vikle give denne, der nærmest er at 

 anse for en Pioner-Expedition paa disse Felter, den rigtige 

 Udvidelse og Afrunding i .Retning af Polarhavet og sab- 

 ledes modes med al mulig Sympatbi af de Britiske For- 



first by that enterprising seaman and Tobiesen, and. some 

 years later, by Altmann, Nilsen, and Johnsen, of Kong 

 KaiTs (Wyche) Land. which bad so long rlitted mirage- 

 like before the minds of geographers; Tobiesen"s valuable 

 observations, tåken wben wintering on Beeren-Eiland. .and 

 on Novaja Zemlja; Johansens and Macks circumnavi- 

 gation of Novaja Zemlja. and their discovery of the warm 

 surface-water off the mouths of the Ob aud the Yenisei. 

 The exertions of these Norwegian - mariners have given to 

 their country her full share in the disco veries that have 

 helped to throw light on the most northerly regions of the 

 globe. tbus securing to her an honourable position by the 

 side of wealthier nations, with their numerous Expeditious. 

 either ritted out at the expense of the State or by private 

 immiiicence. 



Meanwbile, a "North-Pole Expedition," having for its 

 object the exploration of unknown Arctic regions, does not.' 

 we conceive, come witbin the scope of Norwegian enter- 

 prise. Such an undertaking must be left to nations hetter 

 able to make the pecuniary sacritice it would entail. But. 

 off our coasts extends a tract of ocean which is the origin 

 and preserver" of our existence as a civilised nation ; and 

 that expanse of sea being as regards its physical conditions 

 well high unknown. on Norway should hrst devolve the labour 

 Oi their solution. 



A scientific exploration of the sea west of Norway niight 

 certainly be accomplished by Norwegians with success equal 

 to that which has attended the like British Expeditions. 

 It would comprise the depfh id' the sea. its temperature, 

 the chemical composition of its water, the currents prevail- 

 ing there. both at the surfa ce and in the depths, the nature 

 and geological formation of the bottom, meteorological and 

 magnetical phenomena, and more especially all forms of 

 animal and vegetable life. The results of such an investi- 

 gation might be expected to throw light upon the physical 

 conditions determiniug our climate. and, above all. upon 

 the biological characteristics of our migratory fishes. What 

 value the acquirement of such information would have for 

 Science generally, we will not dwell upon here; the great 

 advantage which in all probability our .hsheries would reap 

 is' alone sufticient to show the importance of such an 

 undertaking. An Expedition with the object here set forth. 

 would have as its basis the Norwegian coast north of Stat, 

 and from this locality would proceed to in vestigate the banks. 

 exploring tbence down to the deepest parts of the basin, — 

 a scheme that does not come witbin the limits of the plan 

 kid down for the sounding-operations of the Coast Survey 

 with the "Hansteen." the results of which would. however. 

 very materially contribute to facilitate the scientific work 

 of the Expedition. Moreover, a Norwegian Expedition 

 must derive additional importance from its iutimate relation 

 to British Expeditions, and more especially to that des- 

 patcbed with the "Porcupine," since it would furnish the 

 very desirable opportunity id' earrying on and completing 

 in the direction of the Arctic Ocean the work begun by 

 the "Porcupine" Expedition (which bore a true.pioneering 

 character), and hence be met with the warmest sympathy 



