XIV INTRODUCTION. 



ated. It might form a part of the phm to push out 

 supplies previously to the distance of a hundred miles, 

 to be taken up on the way, so as to commence the 

 journey comparatively light ; and as the intention 

 would be to complete the enterprise in the* course of 

 tlie month of May, before any disruption of the ice or 

 any material softening of the surface had taken place, 

 similar supplies might be sent out to the same dis- 

 tance to meet the party on their return." — I. c. pp. 

 313-314. 



The last scientific voyage made to Spitzbergen was 

 that of the French naval officer, Captain Gaimard. 

 A portion only of the narrative of this voyage has 

 been published. Among the plates are some striking 

 views of the scenery and illustrations of the natural 

 history. The celebrated Danish zoologist, Kroyer, 

 seems to have been on this expedition, so that when 

 completed, a fuller account than has yet been pub- 

 lished of the animal and vegetable productions, may 

 be expected, as well as of the geological structure of 

 the parts of the island which they visited. In the 

 list of animals appended to this edition of Martens', 

 are included such as have been described by Kroyer 

 in his " Naturhistorisk Tidskrift", as found for the 

 first time by the French expedition in the bays of 

 this Arctic land. 



The reader who wishes to know the history of 

 Arctic discovery in Spitzbergen, must consult Dr. 

 Forster's learned work on the History of the Voyages 

 and Discoveries made in the North, the two excellent 

 works of the late Sir John Barrow, and Captain 

 Bcechey's narrative, already alluded to. It is to be 



