INTRODUCTION. 9 



vessel, to assure ourselves that all its parts were in complete 

 order, to make the alterations in rig, &c., which the altered 

 requirements would render necessary, and finally to arrange 

 the vessel, so that it might house a scientific staff, which, 

 together with the officers, numbered nine persons. This work 

 was done at the Karlskrona naval dockyard, under the direction 

 of Captain Palander. At the same time attention was given 

 to the scientific equipment, principally in Stockholm, where a 

 large number of instruments for physical, astronomical, and 

 geological researches was obtained from the Royal Academy 

 of Sciences. 



The dietary during the expedition was fixed upon, partly 

 on the ground of our experience from the wintering of 1872- 

 73, partly under the guidance of a special opinion given with 

 reference to the subject by the distinguished physician who 

 took part in that expedition. Dr. A. Envall. Preserved pro- 

 visions,^ butter, flour, &c., were purchased, part at Karlskrona, 

 part in Stockholm and Copenhagen ; a portion of peramican 

 was prepared in Stockholm by Z. Wikstrom ; another portion 

 was purchased in England ; fresh ripe potatoes ^ were procured 

 from the Mediterranean, a large quantity of cranberry juice 

 from Finland ; preserved cloudben'ies and clothes of reindeer 

 skins, &c., from Norway, through our agent Ebeltoft, and so on 

 — in a word, nothingf was neo^lected to make the vessel as well 

 equipped as possible for the attainment of the great object 

 in view. 



What this was may be seen from the following 



PLAN OF THE EXPEDITION, 



PRESENTED TO HIS MAJKSTY THE KING OF SWEDEN AND 

 NORWAY, Jull/ 1877. 



The exploring expeditions, which, during the recent decades, 

 have gone out from Sweden towards the north, have long ago 

 acquired a truly national importance, through the lively interest 

 that has been taken in them everywhere, beyond, as well as 

 within, the fatherland ; through the considerable sums of money 

 that have been spent on them by the State, and above all by 

 private persons ; through the practical school they have formed 

 for more than thirty Swedish naturalists ; through the important 



^ Tlie preserved provisions were purchased part from Z. Wikstrom of 

 Stock liol 111, part from J. D. Beauvois of Copenliagen. 



- The potatoes were to be delivered at Gotlienburg on the 1st July. In 

 order to keep, they had to be newly taken up and yet rijje. They were 

 therefore procured from the south through Air. Carl W. Boman of Stock- 

 holm. Of these, certainly one of the best of all anti-scorbutics, we had 

 still some remaining on our arrival at Japan. 



