TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 743 



SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3. 

 The Section did not meet. 



MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5. 



The following Papers were read : — ■ 



1. On tJie Progress of Arctic BesearcJi since the Foundation of the British 

 Association. By Clements E. Makkham, C.B., F.B.S. 



The author, having pointed out that Martm Frohisher, Marmaduke, James Cook, 

 Scoresby, and other noted Arctic explorers were Yorkshiremen, passed on to say 

 that in 1831 the Asiatic coasts withm the frigid zone had abeady heen delineated 

 by the Russians. But on the American side only portions had been traced by 

 Franklin, Back, Richardson, and Beechey. Much difficult work had to be done 

 before the complete outline of Arctic America coidd be laid down. The western 

 and northern shores of Spitzbergen had long been known, Ross had rediscovered 

 Baffin's Bay and so vindicated the fame of that gallant old navigator, and Parry 

 had pressed westward for 300 miles to Melville Island, on a meridian far to the 

 north of the American continent. Lastly, the Rosses were engaged in the dis- 

 covery of Boothia and King WiUiam Island. Not only was the whole vast region 

 to the north of 82° entirely unknown, but also extensive tracts to the southward 

 of that parallel, especially between Parry's westward track and the American 

 coast. The period covered by the labours of the British Association, and of its 

 contemporary the Royal Geographical Society, has been a period of great though 

 fitful activity in the work of filling up these blanks and of increasing our Arctic 

 knowledge. In the present century, the north-west and north-east passages have 

 been sought in order that scientific knowledge might be extended, that the rela- 

 tions between land and sea over a vast area might be understood, together with the 

 numerous other interesting facts connected with a previously unknown region. 

 Increase of knowledge is the great object of Ai'ctic discovery; an object than which 

 none can be more useful, none more praiseworthy ; and when once the attempt to 

 secure it has been commenced, our efforts ought never to be relaxed until the great 

 end in view is fully attained. After tracing Arctic discovery from 1830 to 1854 

 and dwelling particularly on the Franklin search expeditions, Mr. Markham said 

 the latter performed an enormous amount of valuable scientific work, adding 

 materially to the sum of human knowledge, in addition to the performance of 

 the humane mission on which they were primarily employed. The ample 

 experience which was then acquired established the true methods for future 

 polar search, which are now formulated into three Arctic Canons. The first is 

 that, for satisfactory and complete results, an expedition must pass at least one 

 winter in the ice in order to obtain a complete series of observations. The second is 

 that full results as regards geology, zoology, botany, and geography can only be 

 secured by the despatch of extended sledge-travelling parties. The third is that 

 to reach an advanced position within the unknown area, it is necessary to follow a 

 coast-line, trending northwards, with a westerly aspect. These three canons are 

 equally important, but the last rule is that which has the most interest to the 

 geographical inquirer. The experience of three centuries has tauglit us that inevit- 

 able faihu'e and probable disaster are the consequences of pushing into the ice-floes 

 away from land, while a successful advance is secured by keeping to a coast-line. 

 Fiu-ther, it is held that the best prospect of success is alforded by advancing along 

 a coast trending northwards, with a westerly aspect. Sucli coast-lines usually 

 have channels of open water along tliem, during some part of the navigable season. 

 This fact in physical geography is ably discussed by Sir Edwary Parry in his re- 



