Hill. — Problems of Arctic Exploration. 385 



apparatus has been devised whereby the party will be able 

 to cook their food, the apparatus for this purpose being let 

 down for 15 ft. or more below the basket. The apparatus 

 will be hghted by simply pulling a string, and when the 

 cooking is finished the fire will be put out by the pulling of 

 another string. These precautions are deemed necessary to 

 insure the safety of the expedition. The total weight of the 

 balloon, with occupants, appliances, and food, will be about 

 5 tons. 



One of the most interesting things in connection with the 

 expedition is the letter which has been issued by the Russian 

 Government to the people of North Russia and Siberia 

 directing attention to the possible arrival of a balloon and its 

 occupants. Drawings acccompany the letter, and the people 

 everywhere are enjoined to render every help to the strangers 

 to get out of the basket in safety, " for the air-globe cannot 

 harm even small children." Should the globe be seen the 

 people are to notice the time, the direction of its flight and 

 of the wind. Finally, the people are exhorted not to be 

 frightened by the globe, but to help the men in every way 

 in their descent from the sky to the ground, and they are 

 to do this "for the good and merciful God and the mighty 

 Czar." 



The expedition left Gothenburg in the ship "Virgo," 

 and was to pi-oceed to Tromsoe, in Norway, near latitude 

 70° N., and a few minutes westward of the 20th meridian 

 east of Greenwich. The ship was then to proceed with 

 the party to Spitzbergen, and there the necessary prepara- 

 tions were to be made for the inflation of the balloon. I 

 am sure every one who takes the least interest in science, 

 and especially geographical, geological, and meteorological, 

 must wish the expedition every success ; but, for my own 

 part, I think it must end either in failure or disaster. My 

 reasons for this opinion will appear in the course of this 

 paper. 



One important point in favour of the expedition is the fact 

 that the work will be carried on at the best season of the year 

 in the "land of the midnight sun," as from the time of the 

 arrival of the voyageurs at Spitzbergen, which they were ex- 

 pected to reach about the 20th of June, the sun must appear 

 in the sky at an elevation varying from 33° at meridian to 13° 

 at midnight. This will be of immense advantage in the 

 matter of observation within the area which separates Spitz- 

 bergen from the pole. 



The special difference between former expeditions and that 



headed by Andree is in the means employed to reach the 



desired goal. As far as is known, the Arctic Ocean for the 



greater portion of the year is a mass of ice, and certainly 



25 



