REPORT OF THE VOYAGE. 



From the foregoing it will be seen, that the years 1895 — 96 were characteristic by the presence 

 of large masses of the polar ice in the seas visited by the expedition, which, as has been seen, pre- 

 vented the exploration of the seas northwest of Iceland. 



Upon the whole, it must be admitted that the expedition has carried through its object, and 

 that valuable collections and results have been brought home. 



THE VESSEL, THE APPARATUSES AND THEIR APPLICATION. 



The vessel. The cruiser Ingolf is an iron vessel built in the Naval Dockyard in 1876, 

 length 188 feet, beam 27 feet, draught of water 12 feet 10 inches, displacement 996 tons, indicated 

 horse power 670; maximum speed 10.5 knots, supply of coals 155 tons; with the common speed of 

 8 knots, generally employed on the voyages, the consumption of coals is 0.3 ton pr. hour. 



By the aforesaid will be seen that the Ingolf. on account of its dimensions, supply of coals, 

 and not very large consumption of coals, was well fit for the expedition; less convenient was it, how- 

 ever, that she was an iron vessel. Certainly it must be admitted, that the object with the expedition 

 was not to make the vessel force her way into the polar ice, but navigation with an iron vessel, near 

 or among polar ice, must be undertaken with greater precaution than with a wooden ship, and time 

 may be lost in consequence of the vessel being obliged to wait or to go out of its way under circum- 

 stances, when such a thing would not have been necessary with a wooden vessel, but as it was, the 

 navy had not any suitable wooden wessel at its disposal for the expedition. 



The large masses of ice the vessel fell in with on both voyages corroborate but too evidently, 

 I am sorry to say, what has been said above. 



As already mentioned, the vessel was during the winter 1894 — 95 fitted out for the forth- 

 coming expedition. No alterations in so far as regards the accomodation and interior fittings of the 

 vessel were made, with exception of a few precautionary measures with the room intented to hold the 

 large store of spirits. — On the forepart of the deck, and aft of the fore-hatch, was placed a trawl- 

 winch for paying out and heaving in of the trawl-wire; a reel for the winding up of this wire, and 

 another reel for the winding up of the thermometer-line. In the superstructure on the starboard side 

 a dark room was arranged for photographic work. 



On the quarter deck a house was built for the naturalists, 26 feet long and 24 feet broad, and 

 divided into two parts by an athwart-ship bulkhead. The foremost part of it was the work-room of 

 the zoologists, and the aftermost part of it was by a longitudinal bulkhead divided into two rooms, 

 one of which was intended for the use of the botanist, and the other for the physicist The roof of 

 the house was surrounded by a low railing to enable it to be used for the stowage of such articles as 

 could not without great difficulty be stoved below deck, or which were to be placed there for drying. 



The Sounding Machine. For soundings was used Sigsbee's machine with a few modifica- 

 tions; a driving belt for inst was not used, but a messenger chain; and, when soundings were taken, 

 the wheel on which the line was wound up was at liberty to revolve round its shaft, with which it was 

 put in connection by means of a sliding coupling box, when it was wanted to heave in on the line. 



