354 



GEOGRAPHICAL PROGRESS AND DISCOVERY. 



of the longer axis of the island is east-north- 

 east. It is entirely composed of volcanic 

 mountain formations, of the later volcanic pe- 

 riods apparently, and so of later origin than 

 Iceland and the' Faroe Isles. It is formed by 

 two parts joined by a strip of narrower and 

 lower hind, two miles broad in its narrowest 

 part, while the greatest breadth at the two 

 ends is respectively 9|- and eight miles. The 

 whole area is about 158 square miles. In the 

 middle of the northern and greater part is 

 the Beerenberg, an extinct volcano, 4,325 feet 

 high. On the north and east sides the moun- 

 tain reaches to the sea and forms steep shores, 

 975 feet in height ; on the sides are indenta- 

 tions in which the glaciers form. The south- 

 ern end of the island is a table-land 975 feet 

 high, extending to the sea on the south and 

 southeast, but toward the northwest declining 

 to an elevation of not over 825 feet. The 

 highest eminence is not over 625 feet. The 

 lower middle portion of the island is formed of 

 lava and full of volcanic craters. Many cliffs 

 rise around the coasts of the island, the re- 

 maining portions of broken lava-streams. There 

 is no harbor of any sort on the coast. The 

 position of Jan Mayen is in the East Greenland 

 polar current; below 10 or 20 fathoms the 

 water is cold as ice the whole year long. In 

 the spring of the year the water is free of ice 

 up to the island, which is at that season often 

 passed by on its west side by seal-hunters. 

 The summer is cold. The flora is very meager, 

 only about a dozen phanerogamous plants be- 

 ing found; but in summer large portions of 

 the land are covered with a mantle of moss, 

 which offers a beautiful contrast 1o the red 

 and brown tints of the mountains. The north- 

 ern part of the island is covered with eternal 

 snow to the height of 2,275 feet, and only the 

 perpendicular precipices of the Beerenberg are 

 free from snow ; the base of the mountain is 

 buried under a vast sheet of snow, from which 

 emerge enormous glaciers, nine of which reach 

 down to the sea. The southern end of Jan 

 Mayen appears to lie below the snow-line, 

 although great snow-patches are found in sum- 

 mer here also in the depressions. 



A new island was discovered in the Polar 

 Sea in lat. 77 55', Ion. 81 E., directly north of 

 the Yenisei River, by E. Johannsen, an arctic 

 navigator and walrus-hunter, on September 3, 

 1878. It is a flat island about ten miles long, 

 whose highest point is 100 feet above the sea. 

 He gave it the name of Ensomhaden (Loneli- 

 ness). It was poor in vegetation, but much 

 frequented by birds. There was no snow 

 upon it. The sea was free of ice except to the 

 southeast, where drift-ice was observed. From 

 types of animal life found on the island it is 

 probable that its west shore is bathed by the 

 Gulf Stream. On the north there is a strong 

 current drifting to the southeast. The island 

 lies due east of Franz Joseph Land, and may 

 be an outlying island of the same archipelago. 



The Swedish Arctic Expedition of 1878 was 



the most extensive enterprise yet undertaken 

 by the capable and indefatigable Professor 

 Nordenskjold. Its design was to explore the 

 North Polar Sea over the whole expanse, from 

 the mouth of the Yenisei eastward as far as 

 Behring Strait. This region has never been 

 explore/1 or entered by a proper sea-going ves- 

 sel, and nothing is known of it except from 

 short voyages along portions of the coast in 

 craft too small and fragile to venture out at 

 sea. It stretches over 90 degrees of longitude. 

 The scientific results of explorations in these 

 regions will be of the first importance, bringing 

 to light the types of animal and vegetable life 



S reserved from the glacial period which exist 

 i the seas north of Siberia, clearing up im- 

 portant geological problems, and enlarging our 

 knowledge of the geographical distribution of 

 animals, contributing valuable additions to the 

 knowledge of the meteorological phenomena 

 and terrestrial magnetism, and supplementing 

 with possibly important information what is 

 known on ocean circulation. The additions to 

 the knowledge of topographical geography, the 

 possible discovery of unknown lands, the study 

 of the existing fauna and flora of the regions 

 passed through, and of their ethnology, and of 

 the movements and phenomena of the polar ice, 

 will prove of equal importance. The commer- 

 cial value of the expedition, by discovering 

 new routes or natural resources, might also be 

 of much value. The discovery of the famous 

 northwest passage, which it was the highest 

 ambition of the early explorers to find, from 

 John Cabot down to Captain Cook, and in 

 whose quest the most heroic eflforts of the 

 Cabots, Frobisher, Davis, Henry Hudson, Baf- 

 fin, Bylot, and Behring, among other famous 

 mariners, were wasted, would not now be 

 looked upon as of much commercial value; 

 although the access to northern Siberia through 

 Behring Strait would doubtless prove of some 

 utility. The execution of this great explora- 

 tive undertaking is largely due to the Gothen- 

 burg merchant Oscar Dickson, who had largely 

 assisted Professor Nordenskjold in carrying 

 out his former sagacious and successful en- 

 terprises, and who furnished $60,000, of the 

 $100,000 expended in fitting out the expe- 

 dition of 1878. The Yega, a stanch steam 

 whaler, of great steam power, built at Bremen, 

 made of teak, and a ship perfectly adapted for 

 such service, was bought for $40,000, and 

 altered and equipped at Carlscrona with ev- 

 ery appliance for ventilation and health. The 

 fullest equipment for sledging excursions, in 

 which method of exploration Nordenskjold 

 had already had much experience, was taken 

 along, including, besides lime-juice, plenty of 

 sauerkraut and the antiscorbutic berries of 

 Norway to ward off scurvy. The Lena, an 

 iron-clad steamer of 100 tons, Captain Johan- 

 neson, belonging to M. Siberiakof, accompanied 

 the Vega as far as the mouth of the Lena River. 

 She was laden with merchandise for Yakootsk, 

 but was intended to take the place of the Vega 



