CmCUM.POLAR STATIONS. gl 



number of governments. The United States readily acqui- 

 esced in the scheme. March 3, 1881, Congress made an 

 appropriation for the fitting out of two expeditions — one to 

 establish a station at Point Barrow on the northern coast of 

 Alaska — the other at Lady Franklin Bay in Smith's Sound. 

 The Point Barrow station was successfully established under 

 the command of Lieut. Rae. He remained two years and 

 carried out instructions to the letter. He returned safely to 

 San Francisco in August, 1883, and was commended for his 

 very successful work. 



In July, 1881, the Polar Conference held its third meeting 

 at St. Petersburg and reported the requisite number of sta- 

 tions as secured. 



It was decided that the observations at all the circum-Polar 

 stations should begin as soon after August 1, 1882, as possi- 

 ble and that they should be continued until September in the 

 following year. 



The stations were finally resolved upon as follows : 



United States — at Lady Franklin Bay, also Point Barrow. 



Denmark — at Godthaub, in Greenland. 



Germany — at Cumberland Sound, west side Davis' Strait and South 

 Georgia Islands, 



England — at Fort Rae, near Great Slave Lake. 



Russia — at Mouth of Lena River, and Nova Zembla. 



Holland — at Dickson's Haven, near Mouth of Yenesei River. 



Norway — at Bossekop. 



Sweden — at Spitzbergen. 



Austria — at Jan Mayen Island. 



France — at Cape Horn. 



Finland — at Sodankyla. 



At this important meeting, a very elaborate programme for 

 work at each of the above stations was agreed upon. The 

 programme included meteorological and magnetic observa- 

 tions to be made every hour during the whole period, and on 

 the 1st and 15th of each month, observations were to be made 

 every 20 seconds at a certain hour at all of the stations. All 

 of the observations and calculations were finally to be pub- 



