ARCTIC REGIONS-AERIAL EXPLORATIONS. 185 



With such a configuration the ice-wall should reach Spitz- 

 bergen and stretch across to Nova Zembla; but, instead of 

 this, we have there such an open stretch of arctic water, 

 that in the summer of 176 Captain Kjelsen, of Tromso, 

 sailed in a whaler to lat. 81 30' without sighting ice. He 

 was then but 510 geographical miles from the Pole, with 

 open sea right away to his north horizon, and nobody can 

 say how much farther. 



These problems may all be solved by the proposed expedi- 

 tion. The men are ready and willing; one volunteer has 

 even promised 1000Z. on condition that he shall be allowed 

 to have a seat in one of the balloons. All that is wanted 

 are the necessary funds, and the amount required is but a 

 small fraction of what is annually expended at our race- 

 courses upon villainous concoctions of carbonic acid and 

 methylated cider bearing the name of " champagne." 



Arrangements are being made to start next May, but in 

 the meantime many preliminary experiments are required. 

 One of these, concerning which I have been boring Com- 

 mander Chefne and the committee, is a thorough and 

 practical trial of the staying properties of hydrogen gas 

 when confined in given silken or other fabrics saturated 

 with given varnishes. We are still ignorant on this funda- 

 mental point. We know something about coal-gas, but 

 little or nothing of the hydrogen, such as may be used in 

 the foregoing expedition. Its exosmosis, as proved by 

 Graham, depends upon its adhesion to the surface of the 

 substance confining it. Every gas has its own speciality in 

 this respect, and a membrane that confines a hydrocarbon 

 like coal-gas may be very unsuitable for pure hydrogen, or 

 vice versd. Hydrogen passes through hard steel, carbonic 

 oxide through red-hot iron plates, and so on with other 

 gases. They are guilty of most improbable proceedings in 

 the matter of penetrating apparently impenetrable sub- 

 stances. 



The safety of the aeronaufs and the success of the aerial 

 exploration primarily depends upon the length of time that 

 the balloons can be kept afloat in the air. 



A sort of humanitarian cry ha sbeen raised against this 

 expedition, on the ground that unnaturally good people 



