April 9, 1903] 



NA TURE 



537 



dulum vibrating seconds in different latitudes." 

 Sabine's experiences in Spitsbergen led him to conclude 

 that that country, and that alone in the Arctic regions, 

 owing to its exceptionally mild climate for so high a 

 latitude, was suited for the actual measurement of a 

 meridian-arc of any valuable length. Accordingly he 

 wrote a memorandum advocating the undertaking, 

 which will be found in the Quarterly Journal of Science 

 and the Arts for 1S26 (pp. 101-S). Nothing was done 

 in the matter, but the proposition was not lost sight of. 

 When the Swedes, in and after 1858, made their re- 

 markable series of scientific expeditions to Spitsbergen, 

 they set before themselves as one of their objects a pre- 

 liminary survey and the choice of stations for an arc- 

 measurement, and as long as Sabine lived they kept 

 him informed of their interest in his proposal. 1 The 



The observations are now being reduced, and the result 

 will probably be published in 1904. 



The southern extremity of the arc is Mount Keilhau, 

 near the South Cape; the northern is Little Table Is- 

 land (Fig. 1). The difference in latitude between the two 

 is 4 10'. The Russians undertook the southern and 

 easier part of the arc, from Mount Keilhau to Thumb 

 Point, at the south end of the Hinloopen Strait. The 

 Swedes took the northern, part. Both nations estab- 

 lished winter stations — the Russians in Horn Sound, on 

 the site of the old whaling station of the London Mus- 

 covy Company ; the Swedes in Treurenberg Bay, close 

 to the harbour, where Parry's station was established in 

 1827. Horn Sound is always easily accessible. Treuren- 

 berg Bay is not accessible at all in many seasons. The 

 Swedes had bad luck in this respect, and the best part 



Fig. 2. — Whales Point, where the Russian base was measured. 



detailed proposal, with a map of the net, was published 

 by Duner and Nordenskiold in a paper presented to the 

 Swedish Academy on September 27, 1S66. 2 



It was hoped for a long time that England would 

 join Sweden in carrying out this work, but nothing was 

 ever done, and the years passed. At length, all hope 

 of English cooperation being abandoned, the Swedes 

 turned to Russia, and, in or about 1897, an agreement 

 was come to by the two Governments for a series of 

 joint expeditions to perform the measurement. The 

 work was actually begun in 1898, and concluded in 1902. 



1 Vide Dr. Otto Ton-ell's letter to General Sabine, December 12, 1863, in 

 Proc. Roy. Soc, xiii pp. 83, 84 ; and Capt. Skogman's letter to the same, 

 November 21, 1864, announcing the completion of the preliminary survey, 

 in Proc. Roy. Soc. xiii. pp. 551-553. 



- K. S. Vet. Akad. Handl. Bd. 6, No. 8. 



no. 1745, vol. 67] 



of two seasons had to be wasted in painful efforts to 

 reach their base station. 



The year 1898 was devoted to a preliminary expedi- 

 tion by the Swedes. The Russians began work in 1899, 

 and spent the following winter at Horn Sound. They 

 likewise devoted the summer seasons of 1900 and 1901 

 to their share of the work. The Swedes were not able 

 to finish in 1901, so they returned for one more long and 

 arduous season in 1902, by which the whole under- 

 taking was finally carried to a successful issue. M. A. 

 Hansky's articles only describe the Russian expedi- 

 tions. They are admirably illustrated by photographs, 

 but, unfortunately, it is not always stated what is the 

 exact subject of the view. Thus, Fig. 1 is entitled 

 " Montagnes et Glacier au Spitzberg," a ridiculous 

 title for any scientific journal to accept. I believe the view 



