LINXEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 59 



plished monarch in Eui'ope, he was more than once called upon to 

 arbitrate in international disputes. His knowledge of languages 

 (he spoke at least seven fluently) enabled him not ouly to translate 

 classic works from English, French, German, Spanish, and Latin, 

 but to write poems in other languages than Swedish. 



Into the political history of Scandinavia during the late King's 

 reign, it is not our province to enter; but it may be recorded that 

 the severance of the jVorwegiau people from his dominion ^as a 

 deep and lasting grief. It was to the King's own exertions that 

 a peaceful separation was effected, and a fratricidal and doubtful 

 var was avoided. 



At our centenary celebration, 24th May, 1SS8, His Majesty was 

 elected b}'' acclamation one of our Honorary Members, whose 

 numbers, never large, had been suffered to lapse since the death of 

 H.M.Leopold, King of the Belgians, on the 10th December, ISOo, 

 and was revived eighteen months earlier, in 1886, when His Majesty 

 Edward YIL, then the Prince of Wales, accepted the distinction. 

 King Oscar's signature to the Roll and Charter Book was affixed 

 on his visit to our shores in 1889, when the President and Senior 

 Secretary were received by the Swedish monarch in special 

 audience. 



In the interview just mentioned. His 3Iajesty disclaimed all 

 knowledge of biology, but the services rendered to science, particu- 

 larly geographical science, mainly from the King's own generosity, 

 Avere large and continued practically during the whole of his reign, 

 and even before it. "Whilst he was still Duke of Ostergotland and 

 Crown Prince, he contributed handsomely to Torell's great expe- 

 dition to Spitsbergen in 1861, and Xordenskiold's expeditions to 

 the same country in 1864, 1868, and 1872-73. 



The King's extreme interest in these matters became fully 

 manifest as regards the ' Yega ' expedition of 1878-80, for as 

 Baron Xordenskiold himself stated. His Majesty, himself trained 

 in the navy, discussed the details of the voyage and gave his 

 hearty approval and support, followed later by the bestowal of the 

 Yega medals. 



Later expeditions which received the same royal support, were 

 two Swedish expeditions in 1882 to Spitsbei'gen, one conducted 

 by our latest elected Foreign Member, Prof. A. Gr. Nathorst, on a 

 geological quest, the other by Ekholm, for meteorological pui-poses, 

 which wintered in the north. The next year Xordenskiold's 

 Greenland expedition took place ; in 1890 there were several 

 north polar expeditions ; Xansen's voyage in the ' Fram ' in 

 1893-96 was largely supported by the King of Norway ; financial 

 support was also accorded to Andree's attempt to reach the Xorth 

 Pole by balloon, in 1897 ; and Count De Geer's Isfjord investi- 

 gation, shortly before, received practical support from the King. 

 Dr. Xathorst again visited Spitsbergen and Kung Karls Land in 

 1898, and Andree in 1899 went to Greenland. The Swedish- 

 Russian measurement of a meridian in Spitsbergen in 1898 was 

 favoured, not only by the King, but by the then Crown Prince, 



