4 INTRODUCTION. 



called for unliesitating confidence." The scientific sta:ff 

 liad already been partly chosen. To awaken interest in 

 this new undertaking, no tronble was thought too great 

 either by Dr. Petermann or Captain Koldewey, the latter 

 undertaking circuits through Germany and delivering 

 lectures in several places, which were sometimes followed 

 by profitable results, and sometimes gave expectation of 

 the same. At the same time he circulated a confident, 

 independent, and well drawn up pamphlet, giving the 

 nautical view of the question, in one respect differing 

 slightly from Dr. Petermann' s original plan, namely, that 

 it' the coast of East Greenland was not reached until the 

 middle of August, then the eastern coast of Spitzbergen 

 and GiJlisland should be the object of investigation. 

 These explanations found their way into the daily press, 

 exciting great interest. Dr. Petermann, though not quite 

 agreeing with Koldewey's proceedings, acted with great 

 zeal in trying to bring the undertaking to a successful 

 issue. At his suggestion Dr. Bastian in Berlin, and 

 Professor Arendts in Munich, formed committees for 

 receiving subscriptions. The Berlin Committee was 

 chosen from members of the Berlin Geographical Society, 

 amongst whom were renowned representatives of science, 

 who published on the 3rd of April an energetic appeal 

 for subscriptions. In this appeal attention was particu- 

 larly drawn to the scientific and great national impor- 

 tance of the undertaking. Berlin, as the metropolis 

 of the North German Confederation, the centre of 

 her national efforts, was called upon, now that an 

 important object for knowledge and action offered 

 itself, to issue the first appeal. The sum still wanting 

 was certain to be soon made up; and if Berlin with 



