744 REPOET — 1881. 



marks at the conclusion of the narrative of his third voyage. He had observed 

 that the eastern coast of any land trending north and south was more encumbered 

 with ice than shores having an opposite aspect. The east coasts of Greenland, 

 Spitzbergen, and Novaya Zemlya are more or less blocked with ice throughout the 

 summer, while navigation along the western coasts may annually be performed 

 without difficulty. The west side of Fox's Channel, along Melville Peninsula, is 

 loaded with ice, but there is little or no ice on the east side. In Prince Regent's 

 Inlet ice always clings to the western shore of the channel, while the opposite 

 shore is comparatively free from it. In Behring Strait the same fact has been 

 observed. On the American side the water is comparatively warmer, and is navig- 

 able every summer to Point Barrow, while the Asiatic side is usually blocked with 

 ice. A general motion of the sea towards the west causes the ice to set in that direc- 

 tion, when not impelled l)y contrary winds or local currents ; and Sir Edward 

 Parry suggested that this constant westerly motion was connected witli the motion 

 of the earth on its axis. Mr. Markham went on to review the expeditions made, 

 and the work achieved between 1858 and 1876, and proceeded : We find that in 

 every particular the results of the Arctic Expedition of 1875-76 justified the antici- 

 pations based upon former knowledge and experience. The examination of that por- 

 tion of the previously unknown area which could be reached by the Smith Sound 

 route was satisfactory, and completed the work in that direction. Consequently 

 those reasons for continuing polar discovery which led to the despatcli of the last ex- 

 pedition are now as strong as they ever were. Since the return of Sir George Nares 

 in 1876, the greatest northern achievement has been the voyage of Professor Nor- 

 denskjijld along the north-east passage. The gi-eat Swedish explorer liad prepared 

 for this enterprise by the most exhaustive study of the subject in all its bearings, 

 and by two voyages of reconnaissance, so that lie may almost be said to ha'\e 

 commanded success. The results of the voyage of the Ver/a are most valuable, as 

 confirming and piecing together all previous work, and establishing the broad facts 

 bearing on the hydrography of the Siberian Arctic Sea. Passing all this briefly 

 in review, we have before us the results of Arctic enterprise during the period 

 which embraces the labours of the British Association. In 18-31 there were only 

 unconnected and isolated discoveries in various directions. Now there is some 

 approach to generalisation, to a comprehension of the geography of the Arctic 

 regions, so far as discovery has extended, as a whole. This is the great result. 

 We must study the means of reaching another coast-line trending northwards into 

 tlie unknown region, with a western aspect. Looliing round the circle which 

 divides the unknown from the known, we find another such land in the Franz-.Josef 

 Land discovered by Payer and Weyprecht, There was an apparent difficulty in 

 reaching this land because its most southern shore is in 80° N., almost as far north 

 as the most northern part of Spitzbergen, and an ice-laden sea intervenes between 

 the open water and the first base of operations. But this ice-laden sea is known 

 to be navigable in August and September. This was proved by Payer in 1871, by 

 the Dutch Expedition in 1878, by Captain Markham in 1879, and l)y Mr. Leigh 

 Smith in 1880, when he reached Franz-Josef Land in a steamer, made important 

 discoveries along it in August, and ascertained that the furthest western land he 

 saw trended north and west. Mr. Leigh Smith has again sailed this year in the 

 same steamer, still further to demonstrate that a base of operations on Franz-Josef 

 Land may generally be reached, in an ordinary season. From this base a steamer 

 may advance northwards along the west coast, and all experience leads to tlie 

 belief that so long as that coast trends in a northerly direction, a steamer may, in 

 most seasons, succeed in making her way along it. A vast field of discovery will 

 thus be opened, promising all the valuable results that have ever been anticipated 

 from polar research. By this route we have the prospect of the attainment of a 

 very high northern latitude for winter quarters, the exploration of an unknown 

 and peculiarly interesting region by means of sledges, and security for a safe 

 retreat. 



