422 GEOGRAPHIC CONQUESTS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 



THE ARCTICS. 



Throe long-souglit mnhitions inspired the cti'orts of the Arctic 

 explorers of tlie nineteenth century — first, to discovei- u Nortliwest 

 Passage to India; second, to discover a Northeast Passage, and, third, 

 to reach the North Pole. 



The first two objects were attained. McClure, in 1850-1853, forced 

 a painful passage from Bering Strait to P^urope, and nearly thirty 

 years later Baron Nordenskjold, the Swedish scientist, succeeded in 

 reaching the Pacific Ocean by following the Asiatic coast. Neither of 

 these routes have 3'et proved of practical value to the world. With 

 the development, however, of northern Siberia, in vicAV of the possi- 

 bility of the route l)eing ke])f open by vessels of the type of the ice- 



FiG. 3. — Arctic Regions iis ktidwii in isiio. 



l)reaking Ycr>ii(il\ the Northeast l*assage ma}' become a route of some 

 traffic in lumber, furs, etc. 



The North Pole remains still unconcpiered, though it is not so remote. 

 Hall, Lockwood, Nansen, and A])ruzzi have each gone farther than his 

 predecessor, until only 3 degrees and 27 minutes have to be overcome. 



In 1800 the Arctic coast of North America was undetermined. 

 Mackenzie, in 1T89, had descended to the mouth of the river which 

 bears his name, and some 3'ears before him, in 1771, Hearne had 

 descended the Coppermine to its mouth. Both reported an open sea 

 to the north. On the Asiatic coast, the outlets of the Lena, Yenisei, 

 and Obi were known, the Bear Islands had been visited, and Nova 

 Zembla discovered centuries before. 



