IV NOTES BY THE EDITOR 



so materially to reduce the cost of outfit. Before the last of August it 

 should push up Smith's Sound to the ice-belt, with the intention of win- 

 tering as u igh as the 80th parallel, if possible. Smith's Sound, fortunately 

 for this route, runs diagonally to the course of the general current 

 thus operating to keep Grinnell's Land free of floating ice. Under this 

 western shore it might be possible to work the steam-tender through 

 the leads left by the southward drifting ice, even into the heart of the 

 Polar Sea. But this was a doubtful reliance on which they would not 

 too much depend. It would be necessary by three or four journeys 

 with the dog-sledges to make depots of provision as high in Grinnel's 

 Land as on the 82d parallel. This was perfectly feasible ; each dog 

 could be depended on to carry seventy pounds weight, thirty-two miles 

 a day, on a ration of thirteen ounces of pemmican. In April, the party 

 should leave the vessel, the men conveying the boats upon sledges until 

 (and the inference was that it would be by the middle of May) the ice- 

 belt had been crossed and the open sea reached. Dogs could not drag the 

 boats they were not competent to the conveyance of any such dead 

 weight. But experience had shown that over the smooth ice, as this 

 was likely to be, men could easily walk sixteen miles a day, dragging 

 on sledges a weight of one hundred and ten pounds for each. To avoid 

 the incumbrance of so much canvas, they would take no tents, but rely 

 for shelter upon the snow-house, which could be constructed in an hour, 

 and which was better than the tent for protection. Furs and carbo- 

 naceous food must be their reliance for warmth. While travelling, the 

 pemmican (dried meat and tallow, of which four pounds is equal to 

 fourteen pounds of green meat) must be the sole reliance as food. The 

 Doctor believed that the climate was eminently a wholesome one. The 

 danger from cold and scurvy had been greatly lessened by the experi- 

 ence of the last few years. Dr. Kane sailed too early to avail himself 

 of the wonderful advantages now furnished in the concentrated fresh 

 meats and vegetables, for protecting from and curing scurvy. 



At the conclusion of Dr. Hayes's address, a resolution was adopted, 

 referring the matter to a committee of seven, with instructions to report 

 on the expediency of uniting with Dr. Hayes in his efforts to fit out an 

 expedition. 



The Twenty-eighth Annual Meeting of the British Association for 

 the Advancement of Science, was held at Leeds, September 22 26, 

 Professor Owen in the chair. The attendance was good, and the papers 

 of more than ordinary interest. 



The meeting for 1859 was appointed to be held in Aberdeen, Prince 

 Albert being the President elect. 



The annual report of the Council stated, that since the discussion at 

 the last meeting at Dublin, relative to the formation of a " Catalogue 

 of the philosophical papers contained in the various scientific transac- 

 tions and journals of all countries," this important work has been 

 commenced under the auspices and at the expense of the Royal 



