GEOGRAPHICAL PROGRESS. 



271 



understanding by ministers of the intellectual dif- 

 ficulties and perplexities of their hearers; Chris- 

 tian service in grappling with the causes of phys- 

 ical and moral degradation; and the choice of 

 such newspapers for reading as took a high moral 

 standard and presented a Christian view of life. 

 It was decided to present the thoughts that had 

 been expressed in an epistle to the notice of the 

 society. In connection with the hearing of the 

 reports of members returned from the war dis- 

 tricts of South Africa, a committee was appointed 

 to visit the quarterly meetings with a view of pre- 

 senting freshly to members their responsibility for 

 upholding the standard of the peaceful nature of 

 Christ's kingdom. The subject of the use of the 

 meeting-houses on Sunday evenings was consid- 

 ered in view of the question whether the Sunday 

 evening services should have the character of quiet 

 " meetings for worship " or should be of the 



nature of mission meetings, with practical ad- 

 dresses of a teaching sort. It was found that dif- 

 ferent methods succeeded in different places, ac- 

 cording to the character of the constituency. A 

 report on the subject was sent down to the con- 

 gregations, which were left to dispose of the mat- 

 ter for themselves. The district meetings were 

 advised, if the education bill should be pressed for- 

 ward, to urge amendments in the direction of 

 religious liberty and popular control. Measures 

 were considered having in view the greater ef- 

 ficiency of the Central Education Board. The 

 subject of the Reform of the Procedure of the 

 Yearly Meetings, which had been referred to a 

 committee in the previous year, was adjourned, 

 for further consideration by it. The formation of 

 a general meeting in Australia was approved of, 

 and a deputation was decided upon to attend it* 

 opening. 





G 



GEOGRAPHICAL PROGRESS. Arctic 

 Regions. No explorer has as yet reached the 

 pole, though some noteworthy results have been 

 achieved by expeditions that returned in 1902. 

 The most successful of these appears to have 

 been that under Capt. Otto Sverdrup, who went 

 out in June, 1898, in Dr. Nansen's ship, the 

 Fram, and returning, reached Stavanger, Norway, 

 Sept. 19, 1902. He discovered what is believed 

 to be the farthest land lying between the Amer- 

 ican continent and the north pole west of 

 Greenland. A great island was found north of 

 the Parry Islands, extending to about 80 north 

 latitude; all north and west of this was an un- 

 broken sea of ice. 



In an article on Arctic Problems, in the Geo- 

 graphical Journal. Sir Clements R. Markham 

 says : " After his [Nansen's] voyage there is no 

 longer any geographical object in going to the 

 north pole, except for the sake of deep-sea sound- 

 ings, for it is merely a point in the polar ocean, 

 the economy of which has been made known by 

 Nansen. The really useful work that i-emained 

 so as to connect the whole western side of the 

 arctic regions is (1) the discovery of the region 

 between the Asiatic coast and Prince Patrick 

 island; (2) the examination of the space from 

 Prince Patrick island to the farthest point 

 reached by Admiral Alclrich during the expedi- 

 tion of 1875; and (3) the completion of the tra- 

 cing of the north coast of Greenland. 



x "The first piece of work is the most difficult, 

 and it may well be that the region in question 

 contains no land and is merely part of the polar 

 ocean. The third would be a great and impor- 

 tant achievement. Capt. Sverdrup intended to 

 attempt it by wintering in a hut on the north 

 coast of Greenland and sending the Fram round 

 to meet him at Cape Bismarck. This is the only 

 way it could be done; but two ships would be 

 safer. Prevented by the unfavorable season 

 in 1899, Capt. Sverdrup fortunately turned 

 his attention to Jones Sound, which led to 

 the completion of the most important remain- 

 ing arctic work of all, namely, the discovery of 

 what w r as hitherto unknown in the wide gap 

 between Prince Patrick island and Aldrich's 

 farthest. 



" The whole of the northern coasts of the 

 Parry Islands was discovered by the naval officers 

 employed on the Franklin searches, from Jones 

 Sound to Prince Patrick island. But, except at 

 the western extreme of these discoveries, the ice 



pressure was not very great, and it was supposed 

 that there must be land farther north. Indeed, 

 at the eastern end Sir E. Belcher sighted land 

 far to the north, which he named North Corn- 

 wall; and from Bathurst island land was sighted 

 to the north and named Findlay. Aldrich's far- 

 thest is some 250 miles to the north of Belcher's- 

 discoveries. The great arctic work to be done, 

 by way of Jones Sound, was to decide these ques- 

 tions, to discover the western side of Ellesmere 

 Land, and to discover the land, if it existed, to 

 the north of the Parry Islands. In this way our 

 knowledge of the long line of coasts facing the 

 frozen ocean on the west side of the arctic regions 

 would be made complete. 



" This great work has been done by Capt. 

 Sverdrup and his gallant companions during four 

 traveling seasons, entailing four arctic winters, 

 and it has been done thoroughly. They have 

 discovered the western side of Ellesmere island 

 and its intricate system of fiords, as well as 3 

 large islands west of Ellesmere island; they have 

 explored the northern coast of North Devon; they 

 have connected Belcher's work with the coasts 

 of Jones Sound ; they have reached a point 

 within 60 miles of Aldrich's farthest; and they 

 have discovered that land north of the Parry 

 Islands the existence of which was conjectured 

 as far west as the longitude of the eastern coast 

 of Melville island. This includes the discovery 

 of the northern sides of North Cornwall and 

 Findlay island. In addition to the main arctic 

 problem which is thus solved, it is likely that 

 the region discovered will be of exceptional inter- 

 est, from the winds and currents, the varying 

 character of the ice, the existence of coal-beds, 

 and the abundance of animal life. A systematic 

 survey has been made of these important discov- 

 eries, checked by astronomical observations." 



Capt. Sverdrup's and Lieut. Isaachsen's expe- 

 ditions together occupied three hundred and sev- 

 enty-two days of actual travel, during which they 

 covered a distance of 3,000 miles and traversed 

 1,500 miles of newly discovered land. Besides 

 these expeditions, other important journeys were 

 undertaken. The expedition consisted of 16 men, 

 6 of whom were men of scientific training, geol- 

 ogy, botany, and zoology being all represented 

 by specialists. Astronomical, magnetic, and other 

 physical observations were provided for. while an 

 officer was to attend to cartographical work. 

 The surgeon was to take charge of meteorology. 

 The principal members of the expedition, besides 



