88 Prof. 0. Heer on the last Discoveries 



II. Swedish Expedition. 



There is perhaps no country in Europe in which natural 

 history has been studied with so much care as Sweden. The 

 naturalists of that country have extended their investigations 

 far beyond their own territories, and within the last few years 

 in particular they have pushed them as far as Spitzbergen, 

 which, with Greenland, constitutes the most northern land 

 that we know. It is this that gives it a special interest. The 

 expedition organized in 1868 is the fourth within eleven years 

 that has started from Sweden for Spitzbergen with a scienti- 

 fic object*. Prof. Nordenskiold, of Stockholm, has taken part 

 in all these expeditions ; and it was he that was intrusted 

 with the conduct of the last, concurrently with Capt. d'Otters. 

 The Government placed at the disposal of the explorers an 

 iron ship, with its equipment and provisions ; the Academy 

 furnished them with scientific instruments ; and, in consequence 

 of an appeal from the Count d'Ehrensvgerd, the necessary 

 funds were promptly subscribed at Gothenburg by private in- 

 dividuals. Nor was there any deficiency of intellectual re- 

 sources ; for eight naturalists had offered their assistance — 



* The first expedition was organized in 1857 by Prof. OttoTorell and at 

 his own expense. Accompanied by MM. Nordenskiold and Queenerstedt, 

 M. Torell, in the course of two months and a half, traversed and studied 

 the whole western coast of Spitzbergen. M. Torell had already visited 

 Iceland for the purpose of studying its glaciers. In 1859 he pursued his 

 researches upon glaciers in Greenland, whence he brought back rich col- 

 lections, among which were some fossil plants, which I had the opportu- 

 nity of examining. The Swedish Government and Chamber of Repre- 

 sentatives highly appreciated the noble zeal of M. Torell, and granted a 

 considerable sum (52,000 francs) for a new expedition, the object of which 

 was to examine the natural history of Spitzbergen and the sea surrounding 

 it from all points of view. The travellers were also to endeavour to reach 

 the fixed polar ice, in order to make their way thence towards the pole by 

 means of sledges drawn by dogs. In this way, in 1861, a second and very 

 important expedition was organized, which, besides the subsidies from 

 the state, received other assistance from Prince Oscar, from the Academy 

 of Sciences, and from several private individuals. It was placed under 

 the direction of M. Torell. Notwithstanding many unforeseen obstacles 

 (the ship having been long imprisoned by the ice in the Bay of Treuren- 

 berg), Spitzbergen was carefully explored, and considerable collections in 

 all departments of natural history were brought back from it. The voyage 

 towards the pole could not be undertaken, on account of the bad state of 

 the ice. The third expedition went to Spitzbergen in 1864, under the 

 conduct of M. Nordenskiold. Its principal object was to ascertain whe- 

 ther it was possible to measure a degree of the meridian there ; with this 

 object the astronomer Duner accompanied it. But it likewise added con- 

 siderably to our knowledge of the geology of this archipelago. All these 

 important expeditions were undertaken by the Swedes in consequence of 

 the impulse given, in 1837, by Prof. Lov^n, of Stockholm, who went to 

 Spitzbergen in a vessel bound on the walrus-fishery. 



