8 INTRODUCTION. 



addressed to the Berlin Committee, thus defined its 

 position with regard to the carrying out of the expe- 

 dition : — " After a lengthy conference between the sea- 

 faring men belonging to our committee, and the 

 whale fishermen of the Weser-fleet, and others of the 

 profession, we have decided that our direct influence 

 must be directed and confined to the way and manner of 

 carrying out the following points : — To keep in view that 

 the ships shall be as good as possible, and to care- 

 fully see to the supply of provisions and coal. Every 

 other nautical question coming under our consideration 

 we have laid, and will continue to lay before the com- 

 mander of the expedition, and thoroughly enter into it 

 with him, still, however, not considering it our business to 

 interfere." A larger ship than the " Greenland" having 

 been proposed, and this proposal approved of by Captain 

 Koldewey, as well as by Captain Hegemann, who, being 

 familiar with the Arctic waters, was to take the command 

 of the second ship, it was agreed to. Amongst other 

 reasons advanced for this was, that besides the thirty 

 tons of coal required for heating in winter, the Germania 

 could at the utmost only carry forty tons for feeding 

 the engines. On this head alone the choice of a larger 

 ship was desirable — namely, that the expedition was to 

 be supplied with provisions for a longer time than was 

 originally intended. The pending question as to pro- 

 curing a larger ship instead of the " Greenland " was 

 solved at a sitting of the Bremen Committee on the 8th 

 of May, at which Dr. Petermann, Director W. v. Freeden 

 from Hamburg, and three other scientific men interested 

 in the expedition, were present — viz., that a number of 

 Bremen merchants should be security for the purchase- 



