PREFACE 



'T^HE object of the following pages is to describe the Polar World in its 

 principal natural features, to point out the influence of its long winter- 

 night and fleeting summer on the development of vegetable and animal ex- 

 istence, and finall|(^to picture man waging the battle of life against the dread- 

 ful climate of the high latitudes of our globe either as the inhabitant of 

 their gloomy solitudes, or as the bold investigator of their mysteries. 



The table of contents shows the great variety of interesting subjects em- 

 braced within a comparatively narrow compass ; and as my constant aim has 

 been to convey solid instruction under an entertaining form, I venture to 

 hope that the public will grant this new work the favorable reception given 

 to my previous writings. 



G. Hartwig. 



NOTE BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR. 



"T HAVE made no alterations in the text of Dr. Hartwig's book beyond 

 -^ changing the orthography of a few geographical and ethnological terms 

 so that they shall conform to the mode of representation usual in our maps 

 and books of travel. For example, I substitute Mud ZemUa for " Novaya 

 Zemla," and Samdiedes for "Samojedes." Here and there throughout the 

 work I have added a sentence or a paragraph. ' The two chapters on 

 " Alaska " and " The Innuits " have been supplied by me ; and for them 

 Dr. Hartwig is in no way responsible. 



The Illustrations have been wholly selected and arranged by me. I found 

 at my disposal an immense number of illustrations which seemed to me bet- 

 ter to elucidate the text than those introduced by Dr. Hartwig. In the List 

 of Illustrations the names of the authors to whom I am indebted are sup- 



