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NA TURE 



Sei'Tember 5, 1901 



worked at the opening up of the Yenisei and the Siberian 

 seas, which culminated in his ever-memorable voyage, 

 accomplishing the North-east Passage in 1S78-79. 

 The voyage of the Vega is still fresh in the minds of all. 

 Leaving Tromso on July 21, she rounded East Cape on 

 July 18, 1879, less than twelve months afterwards. The 

 Vega found the Kara Sea free ; and since that sea was 

 so favourable, a considerable time was spent on dredging, 

 sounding, and other scientific observations, including the 

 re-mapping of the coast-line between Yenisei and Cape 

 Sterlegof. Ice and bad weather detained him at Tainia 

 Bay, but on August 19, the Vega rounded the northern- 

 most point of Asia, Cape Chelyuskin. Ne.xt day the 

 Vega was further north, namely, 77° 45' N., which proved 

 to be the most northerly point reached. At the Lena 

 Delta, the Lena, which accompanied the Vega so far, 

 turned southward up the river, and Nordenskjold con- 

 tinued his voyage toward Bering Strait. On September 

 12, progress was stopped at the "North Cape" of Cook, 

 where he turned back to Bering Straits in 177S, and 

 Nordenskjold was forced to winter ofif Pitlekai in 67° 07' 

 N., 123° E. Systematic scientific observations were 

 carried on during the whole winter, spring, and following 

 summer, till on July 19 they were released, and two days 

 later rounded the eastern e.xtremity of Asia with flying 

 colours. On September 2, 1879, Nordenskjold dropped 

 anchor at Yokoharr.a, whence the whole civilised world 

 received the news that this man had accomplished what had 

 so often been attempted during three centuries. For this 

 brilliant e.xploit, Nordenskjold was awarded a magnificent 

 reception throughout Europe, and many honours were 

 showered upon him, including his elevation to the rank 

 of Baron in the Swedish Peerage. It is from the com- 

 plete and striking success of this expedition that 

 Nordenskjold became popularly world-renowned. 



In 1883 he undertook a second expedition to Green- 

 land, penetrating further into the interior than any other 

 explorer. 



His success rested on the solid basis of his scientific 

 instinct and training, and of his indomitable will and 

 ■courage. It is to him that we owe the first real efforts 

 at undertaking scientific research in the Polar regions, 

 especially from the geological and mineralogical aspects. 

 His researches outside the Polar regions were also im- 

 portant. He discovered uranium in many varieties of 

 coal, and he showed that fresh water could be obtained 

 anywhere in Scandinavia at a depth of 100 feet through the 

 Archffian rocks. This has been proved in 400 cases to be 

 correct, and has been of great advantage to pilots, fisher- 

 men, lighthouse keepers, &c., living on small islands 

 without water, and also for many factories. He remained 

 a politician all his life. On account of refusing to 

 suppress his opinions in this direction, he was rejected 

 in 1867 as a candidate for the chair of mineralogy and 

 geology in Helsingfors University, although he was 

 unanimously recommended. As the son of a Swedish 

 nobleman, he sat and voted in the Swedish House of 

 Nobles ; but, although so intimately associated with 

 Sweden for the greater part of his life, he always referred 

 to Finland as his " dear Fatherland." In his latter 

 days he interested himself in South Polar exploration, and 

 it must have been pleasing to him to know that his 

 nephew was about to lead an expedition to the Antarctic 

 regions. W. S. Bruce. 



NOTES. 



The appointment of the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis 

 was announced in Tuesday's Gazette. The Commission is com- 

 posed of Sir Michael Foster, K.C.B., F.R.S., Prof. G. S. Wood- 

 head, Prof. S. H. C. Martin, Prof. J. McFadyean, and Prof. 

 R. W. Boyce. It is appointed to inquire and report with 

 respect to tuberculosis: — (i) Whether the disease in animals 

 NO. 1662, VOL. 64] 



and man is one and the same ; (2) whether animals and man 

 can be reciprocally infected with it; and (3) under what con- 

 ditions, if at all, the transmission of the disease from animals to 

 man takes place, and what are the circumstances favourable 

 or unfavoural)le to such transmission. 



The International Engineering Congress was opened at 

 Glasgow on Tuesday with an address by the president, Mr. 

 James Mansergh, F.R.S. Referring to the value of the work 

 of settling standard sections of important constructive materials, 

 Mr. Mansergh remarked that this matter had been taken in 

 hand by a joint committee of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 

 the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Institution of Naval 

 Architects, and the Iron and Steel Institute. Sir Benjamin 

 Baker, with a specially-selected sub-committee, had charge of 

 bridge and general building construction ; .Sir John Barry, with 

 similar assistance, of railways ; Mr. Denny, of shipbuilding ; 

 and Sir Douglas Fox, of rolling-stock. In the hands of these 

 eminent engineers the work would be well handled. The address • 

 concluded with brief references to some of the chief subjects to 

 be brought before the various sections of the congress. After 

 the address members of the congress dispersed to the meeting 

 rooms of their sections, where addresses were delivered by the 

 sectional presidents, and papers were read. 



The forty-sixth general meeting of the German Geological 

 Society will be held at Halle on October 4-7. 



We regret to announce that Dr. Charles Meldrum, C.M.G., 

 F.R.S., late Director of the Royal Alfred Observatory, 

 Mauritius, died on August 28 in his 8oth year. 



It is stated that the exhibits of the German chemical indus- 

 try at the Paris Exposition valued at 30,000/. have been pre- 

 sented to the Technological Institute of the University of 

 BerUn. 



The Vienna correspondent of the Times states that the 

 Emperor Francis Joseph has addressed an exceptionally cordial 

 autograph letter to Prof. Edward Suess, the eminent Austrian 

 geologist and politician, on his retirement from the Vienna 

 University. The Emperor expresses his high appreciation of 

 the work done by Prof Suess in science, as an academic teacher, 

 and as a public man, especially in the promotion of sanitary 

 reform. 



A TELEGRAM received by the American Consul at Christiania 

 from the secretary of Mr. Baldwin's American Polar Expedition 

 at Ilammerfest, states that the Norwegian steamship Frithjof, 

 which is one of the vessels employed by Mr. Baldwin, has re- 

 turned to Hammerfest after fitting out and provisioning the 

 expedition in Franz Josef Land. The expedition was landed at 

 Cape Ziegler ; when the Fritlijof sailed from that point the 

 conditions were favourable for pressing northwards, and Mr. 

 Baldwin intended to begin his advance the next day. 



The Australasian Ornithologists' Union has been successfully 

 inaugurated, and the first general meeting will be held at 

 Adelaide in October or November. The objects of the Society 

 are "the advancement and popularisation of the science of 

 ornithology, the protection of useful and ornamental avifauna, 

 and the editing and publication of a magazine or periodical, to 

 be called The Emu, or such magazine or periodical as the 

 Society may from time to time determine upon." Colonel W. V. 

 Legge is the president-elect, and Mr. D. Le Souef, Zoological 

 Gardens, Melbourne, is the honorary secretary. 



In connection with the proposed Pasteur statue for Paris, the 

 Paris correspondent of the Chemist and Druggist states that 

 an attempt is being made to make it a national monument. 

 The idea is that every Frenchman and resident in France should 

 become a subscriber, and amounts from a halfpenny upwards 



