2 INTRODUCTION. 



this occasion that expression was first given to the idea 

 of another expedition to this inhospitable region. Pre- 

 liminary conferences took place between Dr. Petermann, 

 Captain Koldewey, Dr. Breusing, and Messrs. Meier and 

 Rosenthal, the result of which was that the despatch of 

 a new expedition became only a question of ways and 

 means. The " Rough sketch of a plan for the German 

 Arctic Expedition of 1869," with maps, from Dr. Peter- 

 mann, was not long wanting. According to his sug- 

 gestion, the expedition was to consist of two parts, 

 so as to endeavour to solve two problems at the same 

 time. A steamer was to land on East Greenland, and 

 taking it as the basis of the mnter operations, should 

 try to penetrate into the heart of the Polar region ; a 

 second steamer should, at any point between Greenland 

 and Nova Zerabla, strive to reach the highest latitude 

 possible. For the carrying out of this plan two steamers 

 were considered necessary. But the preparations soon 

 reached a critical point. It was with but small re- 

 sults for his trouble that Koldewey, whose enthusiasm 

 and self-sacrifice in the cause became daily more appa- 

 rent, strove to keep up the interest in it by repeated 

 consultations in influential quarters. Dr. Petermann 

 then decided that, in order to render the carrying out of 

 the exploration practicable that year, he would, with 

 the money still in hand from the first expedition, com- 

 mission the building of a steamer, the dimensions of 

 which should both meet the requirements of an Arctic 

 voyage, and keep within the compass of their straitened 

 means. It became necessary for the promoters to drop 

 one part of Dr. Petermann's original plan, and confine 

 themselves either to exploring the Central Arctic region, 



