INTRODUCTION. 23 



undertaking was spread over the whole of Germany by 

 thousands of circulars, and even among the Germans in 

 foreign towns and in Transatlantic lands ; the sum- 

 mons being a printed communication entitled, — " The 

 Despatch of the Second German Arctic Expedition." 

 And, lastly, by the generous coming forward of an 

 eminent German publisher, Mr. George Westermann, 

 in Brunswick, the entire public was provided with a 

 pamphlet containing some excellent wood engravings 

 drawn to scale, entitled, " The Second German Arctic 

 Expedition : Ofl&cial Communication of the Bremen 

 Committee," in which more distinct information was given 

 as to the aim, means, and importance of the undertaking. 

 This agitation, which kept alive the interest in it, was 

 followed by the best results. Donations ^ poured in 

 from all sides from Germans in foreign lands, even from 

 Honolulu and Tahiti, South America, the East Indies, 

 and China. 



The debts incurred by the expedition were paid off, 

 and even after its return new and pressing expenses 

 were met. The Bremen Committee were also freed from 

 the insurance money of the Hansa, and some of Captain 

 Koldewey's men had extra wages given to them. 



Whether and to what extent the Second German Arctic 

 Expedition fulfilled the promised expectations, what and 

 how much it was allowed to perform and to attain, with 

 a full and true report of the same, is the task and aim of 

 the work now before us. 



* The list of subsci'iptions is published in the Geographische Mit- 

 theilungen by Dr. Petermann. 



