286 Scientific Results of 



Appendix E. 



MEMORANDUM FOR THE ARCTIC COMMITTEE 



OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY. 



June, 1873. 



^§^' HE Arctic Committee of the Royal Geographical 

 Society submitted to the committee appointed by 

 the Council of the Royal Society to confer with 



them, the following memorandum on the subject of a renewal 

 of Arctic exploration. 



General Scientific Results. — The results of scientific im- 

 portance to be derived from an examination of the immense 

 unknown area round the North Pole are as numerous as the 

 region to be explored is extensive. It may be shown that no 

 such extent of unknown area, in any part of the world, ever 

 faded to yield results of practical as well as of purely 

 scientific value ; and it may safely be urged that, as it is 

 mathematically certain that the area exists, it is impossible 

 that its examination can fail to add largely to the sum of 

 human knowledge. Further, it is necessary to bear in mind 

 that the polar area is, in many most important respects, of an 

 altogether special character, affording exclusive opportunities 

 for observing the condition of the earth's surface, and the 

 physical phenomena there to be seen, under certain extreme 

 and singular circumstances, which are due to the relation of 

 this area to the position of the axis of revolution of the 

 terrestrial spheroid, and which have to be considered not only 

 with reference to the present time, but to the earth's past 

 history. It may be, therefore, received as certain that dis- 

 coveries will be made in all branches of science, the exact 

 nature of which cannot be anticipated. But there are also 



