Od. 2 1, 1875I 



NATURE 



539 



ocular and the small plane mirror round the axis of the 

 tube by a very simple process. The reason of this arrange- 

 ment is to facilitate the use of the large iron winding 

 staircase. This enormous metallic structure is moved by 

 special machinery on two circular iron rails. It is always 

 placed on the same side of the tube as the counterpoise, 

 which would render observations impossible if the'ocular 

 and seeker were not rotated round the axis of the tube. 

 The height of the iron staircase is about twelve metres, 

 and its weight six tons. The observations are made in 

 open air, and when the weather is propitious the cabin 

 protecting the apparatus is removed by machinery. It is 

 an iron casement (weight twelve tons), moveable on rails. 

 In less than a quarter of an hour the telescope can be 

 directed on any object, however minute. 



The clock is finished, but not adjusted. The machinery 

 for moving in right ascension is finished and works ad- 

 mirably. The handle and screws for minute motions in 

 declination are finished and working most nicely. So 

 does the gear for connecting and disconnecting the tube 

 with the clock. 



The cost of the reflector is 8,000/. It was built in six 

 years, but the work was interrupted several times, first by 

 the dismissal of M. Leverrier, secondly by the war and 

 the Commune. 



M. Leverrier is justly proud of having completed the 

 large refractor, to which a very few details only are 

 wanting — the adjustment of the clock, the handles for 

 slight equatorial motions, and the machinery for large 

 declination motions. He asked M. Wallon to give orders 

 for the construction of the large refractor, and it was 

 granted at once. A sum of 8,000/. has been already voted 

 by the National Assembly for that purpose. It will be 

 seventeen metres in length, and the construction will be 

 completed in three years, if the work is not interrupted 

 by any political or other commotion. 



LIEUT. WEYPRECHT ON ARCTIC EXPLORA- 

 TION 

 WE have already (vol. xii. p. 460) referred to Lieut. 

 Weyprecht's paper on the Principles of Arctic 

 Exploration, read at the German Scientific and Medical 

 Association. A full report of the paper has now come to 

 hand. Lieut. Weyprecht rightly maintains that the polar 

 regions offer, in certain important respects, greater advan- 

 tages than any other part of the globe for the observations of 

 natural phenomena— magnetism, the aurora, meteorology, 

 geology, zoology, and botany. He shows that hitherto 

 immense sums have been spent and much hardship suf- 

 fered for the mere purpose of extending geographical and 

 topographical knowledge, while strictly scientific observa- 

 tions were regarded as holding only a secondary place. 

 While admitting the importance of geographical discover}', 

 he maintains that the main purpose of future Arctic expe- 

 ditions should be the extension of our knowledge of the 

 various natural phenomena which may be studied with 

 so great advantage in these regions. 



After showing in some detail the kind of observations 

 which would yield valuable results, Lieut. Weyprecht lays 

 down the following general propositions : — i. Arctic 

 exploration is of the highest importance to a knowledge 

 of the laws of nature. 2. Geographical discovery in these 

 regions is of superior importance only in so far as it 

 extends the field for scientific investigation in its strict 

 sense. 3. Minute Arctic topography is of secondary 

 importance. 4. The geographical pole has for science 

 no greater significance than any other point in high lati- 

 tude. 5. Observation-stations are to be selected without 

 reference to the latitude, on account of the advantages 

 they offer for the investigation of the phenomena to be 

 studied. 6. Interrupted series of observations have only a 

 relative value. 



Suppose that stations were established at Novaya 



Zemlya, 76° ; Spitzbergen, 80° ; West or East Greenland, 

 76°-8o'' ; N. America east of Behring Strait, 70" ; Siberia 

 at the mouth of the Laia, 70°, there would thus be a 

 girdle of observatories around the entire Arctic region. 

 A station in the neighbourhood of the centre of magnetic 

 intensity is much to be desired. By means of the stations 

 already existing in the neighbourhood of the polar circle, 

 a connection would be established with our own region. 

 The cost of one geographical exploring expedition would 

 supply the means of keeping up these stations for a year. 

 The object of these expeditions would be, with similar 

 instruments and according to similar instructions, to 

 record simultaneous observations as far as possible 

 throughout a year. In the first line would be placed the 

 various branches of Physics and Meteorology, as also 

 Botany, Zoology, and Geology ; and first in the second 

 line, detailed geographical exploration. Were it possible 

 to establish stations for simultaneous observation in the 

 Antarctic regions, results of much higher value might be 

 expected. Were the cost of these yearly expeditions 

 divided among various countries, it would fall very lightly 

 upon each. 



While we think the curiosity of a healthy kind which 

 seeks to know the configuration of the entire surface of 

 our globe, we are sure every man of science will admit 

 the value of Lieut. Weyprecht's propositions. There has, 

 without doubt, been hitherto too much weight attached to 

 merely reaching a high latitude, and too Httle provision 

 made for strictly scientific observation. Lieut. Wey- 

 precht's suggestions deserve the serious consideration of 

 all civilised countries ; were they adopted as a ground for 

 action, a new era in polar exploration would be begun, 

 and results of far higher value than any hitherto obtained 

 might with certainty be expected. 



NOTES 



It is rather difappoinling that Capt. Young's Arctic Expedi- 

 tion in the Pandora, which arrived at Portsmouth on Saturday, 

 should have returned home prematurely without accomplishing 

 any part of the work for which it was organised — the discovery 

 of additional Franklin relics and the complete navigation of the 

 North-west Passage. Under the circumstances, however, Capt. 

 Young has adopted the wisest possible course . Better that the ex- 

 pedition should spend a comfortable winter at home, and set out 

 early next year to renew the attempt in which they have just been 

 bafHed. Disco was re.iched on August 7, Upernivik on the 13th, 

 and Cape York on the i6th, after a splendid passage through 

 the much-dreaded Melville Bay. Carey Islands were visited to 

 deposit letters for the Alert and Discovery and to obtain a 

 despatch from Capt. Nares, as previously agreed on. The 

 despatch, however, was not discovered till the return voyage. 

 From Carey Islands the Pandora proceeded up Lancaster Sound 

 to Beechey Island, which was reached on the 26th. Here Capt. 

 Young inspected " Northumberland House," which was built as 

 a storehouse by the North Star (Capt. Saunders) in 1850. It 

 was found that the house had been broken into by bears, and 

 many of the stores damaged, but those in casks and barrels had 

 sustained scarcely any injury. The yacht Mary and two life- 

 boats left by Sir John Ross were in such good condition that, 

 with a few repairs, they could still be made seaworthy. After 

 putting the stores in order, Capt. Young proceeded up Peel 

 Strait '"or the purpose of reaching King William Land. After 

 considerable manoeuvring with the ice, and some difliculties 

 arising from the uselessness of the compasses so near the mag- 

 netic pole, La Roquette Island, near Bellot Strait, was reached 

 on August 30. The ground thus far gone over was pretty well 

 known from the explorations of previous expeditions, and Capt. 

 Young was close to his former encampments when travelling from 

 the Fox in 1859. But now an impenetrable pack of ice across the 

 channel barred all further progress, and after vainly trying to find a 



