42 



N^ TURE 



L/VVc'. 8, 1 88: 



Kolthoff's collection; and studies of the fauur- of Green- 

 land will also contribute to extend our knowledge of the 

 naturalistic conditions of the Arctic regions, while the 

 careful researches made by Herr Hamberg of the salt- 

 ncss, composition, and temperature of the sea will, I am 

 sure, greatly benefit hydrography. His researches have 

 been effected in Davis Strait and Baffin's Bay ton. the 

 hydrograpbical conditions of which are but little known. 



With regard to the results of my exploration of the 

 inland ice, I may be permitted to say a few words. That 

 we found no ice free land in the interior, or, that it does 

 not exist between 6S'' and 69" lat. in Greenland, is "due 

 directly to the orographical conditions which exi>t in this 

 part of the country, as referred to in my programme 

 of the expedition.' The land has here the form of 

 a round loaf of bread, with sides which gradually and 

 symmetrically slope down to the sea, i.e. exactly the 

 shape which I then pointed out was a necessary condition 

 if the entire country should be covered with a continuous 

 sheet of ice. 



But, thanks to the Lapp:, my expedition is the first 

 which has penetrated into the very heart of the enormous 

 Greenland continent, and which has thus solved a 

 problem of the greatest geographical and scientific im- 1 

 portance. It is the first exploration of the hitherto un- ' 

 known interior of Greenland, the only continent in the 

 world into which man had not penetrated. 



Anew means of locomotion, the " skidor," seems also 

 to have been acquired for the Arctic explorer of the 

 future, which may greatly assist hiai in his work, and 

 enable him to reach places hitherto deemed impossible of 

 approach, but of the use of which the Lapp seems to 

 possess, so to speak, the monopoly. 



A. E. NORDENSKJfiLD 



We are enabled to supplement Baron Nordenskjiild's 

 report by the following account, furnished to us by another 

 menber of the expedition, of the visit paid to the re- 

 markable Igaliko ruins : — 



On .August 24 the Sophia steamed to Igaliko, at the 

 bottom of the fjord of the same name. The object of 

 this visit was to examine the ancient Norse ruins which 

 are found here. Those who thus believe that the 

 "Osterbygd" of Greenland was situated in this part 

 assert that the ruins of Igaliko are nothing more nor less 

 than those of Erik Rode's own mansion " Brattelid." 

 However that may be, the Norseman who selected this 

 spot for his residence acted very wisely. The ruins are 

 situated at the very bottom of the fjord, where the ab- 

 sence or presence of the ocean ice on the coast affects 

 the climate but little. The vegetation in this spot is, in 

 consequence, quite luxuriant. Thus a vaginal plant, 

 Latliynis niaritiniiis, grows here in such abundance that it 

 reminds one of a field of peas, while Ranunculus acris at- 

 tains a height of two feet, and Campanula roiundifolia, the 

 bluebell, along with various grasses, flourish in great pro- 

 fusion. In the pools Menyanthes and Potamogeton thrive, 

 while copses of birch-trees and willows offer excellent 

 fuel. There are also plenty of wild berries. The ruins, 

 the walls of which were formed of enormous blocks of 

 sandstone, lie just below a table-shaped ridge of sand- 

 stone by the side of a crystal brook, copiously encircled 

 by Alchcmilla vulgaris and watercress- The spot is, in 

 fact, one wdiich would fully justify the name given to the 

 country. At the time of our visit about a dozen cows 

 were fed here, whose excellent milk we tasted, while in 

 the beds around the huts of the natives swedes and 

 potatoes grew luxuriantly, the former having attained the 

 size of large apples. It certainly was strange to view this 

 spot, and we naturally asked each other, what has become 

 of the old Norsemen who once peopled it ? It is impos- 

 sible to believe that they were extirpated or conquered by 

 the Esquimaux. It seems far more probable that both 

 * Nature, xol. xxviii. p. 77. 



races have commingled, an assumption further corrobor- 

 ated by the strange circumstmce that Esquimaux are 

 found in this tract who have never been in contact with 

 the Danes, but who nevertheless possess features of pure 

 Norse character. 



THE VIENNA INTERNATIONAL ELECTRIC 

 EXHIBITION 



(From our Vienna Correspondent.) 



THE Scientific Commission having for its purpose the 

 taking of electrical measurements and conducting 

 scientific researches at the Exhibition commenced its 

 work on September 17. By the assembled Austrian and 

 foreign delegates Prol^. Stefan (Vienna) was elected presi- 

 dent, while as vice-presidents were elected Prof. Galilei 

 Ferraris (Turin), Col. J. Florensoff (St. Petersburg), Prof. 

 Hauffe (Vienna), Prof. Kittler 'Darmstadt), Major A. 

 Obermayer (Vienna), Sir William .Siemens (London), 

 Prof. Mascart (Paris), Emil Etfendi Lacoine (Constanti- 

 nople), Prof. E. Gerard (Lidge). The Commission is 

 subdivided into the following eight sections according to 

 the matters to be dealt with : — i. Scientific instruments. 

 2. Motors and general mechanics. 3. Dynamo-electric 

 machines, electric lighting, and transmission of power. 

 4. Electro-chemistry. 5. Telegraphy, telephony, electric 

 bells and clocks. 6. Signalling for railways and military 

 purposes. 7. Electro-therapeutics. 8. Application of 

 electricity relating to arts, industry, and technology. At 

 the third section the measurements are carried out ac- 

 cording to the plans devised for electric measurements 

 by the president of the section, Prof. Kittler, and for 

 photometric measurements by Prof. V^oit (Munich). A 

 control calibration of the instruments used in this section 

 showed their accuracy and precision, as well as the cor- 

 rectness of the hypothesis that the variations of the 

 earth's magnetism during the daily periods of measuring 

 could not exert any important influence on the results of 

 the measurements. When the first trials were made, 

 some disturbances of the delicate instruments arose, the 

 cause being that the iron building of the Rotunda was 

 charged with electricity by the return currents of the 

 dynamo-electric machines. But this difficulty was soon 

 overcome by modifying the arrangements of the conduct- 

 ing wires, and the Commission is now hard at work trying 

 the various electric lamps and machines. The results of 

 these trials when finished will be published by the Com- 

 mission. The series of lectures delivered at the theatre 

 of the Exhibition is still continued, and we had occasion 

 to hear, among others, Mr. Preece (who spoke in Eng- 

 lish), on the recent progress of telegraphy in England, 

 and the Austrian professors Mach, Zenger, Pfaundler, 

 Waltenhofen. The attendance on the part of the public 

 is as large as it was at the Universal Exhibition in the 

 year 1873, the average number of visitors being 15,000 

 daily. 



While in the Bernstein lamps described in our last 

 letter a relatively thick carbon is used, in the Cruto lamps 

 brought to the Exhibition a few days ago a very fine but 

 hollow carbon loop is employed ; it is prepared by a pro- 

 cess similar to that already devised by Mr. Sawyer in the 

 year 1S78 for flashing carbon filaments. A thin platinum 

 wire (1/20 mm. to 1/60 mm. in diameter) is heated, by an 

 electric current passing through it, in a vessel contain- 

 ing the vapour of a hydrocarbon. The hydrocarbon being 

 decomposed in a short time, the platinum wire is covered 

 by a homogeneous layer of deposited pure carbon. The 

 platinum is then removed by volatilising it. The remain- 

 ing hollow carbon filaments thus obtained are very fine 

 and elastic, and show a metallic polish. The Cruto lamps, 

 as well as a series of Lodiguine incandescent lamps, are 

 fed by Gravier's distributers of electricity, the installation 

 of which has been completed during the past week. The 



