800 REPORT—1899. 
expeditions of Lieutenant Peary, of Professor Nathorst, of Captain Sverdrup, and 
of the Duke of Abbruzzi, which are now in progress, may be expected to yield 
much new information about the condition of the Arctic Ocean. Mr. Wellman has 
just returned from the north of Franz Josef Land, with observations of considerable 
interest. 
Some of the scientific results obtained by the expeditions in the Danish steamer 
Ingolf have lately been published, and these, along with the results of the joint 
work pursued for many years by the Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians, may ulti- 
mately have great economic value from their direct bearing on Fishery problems, 
and on weather forecasting over long periods of time. 
Largely through the influence of Professor Otto Pettersson an International 
Conference assembled at Stogkholm a few months ago, for the purpose of 
deliberating as to a programme of conjoint scientific work in the North Sea and 
northern parts of the Atlantic, with special reference to the economic aspect of 
sea-fisheries. A programme was successfully drawn up, and an organisation 
suggested for carrying it into effect; these proposals are now under the considera- 
tion of the several States. The Norwegian Government has voted a large sum of 
money for building a special vessel to conduct marine investigations of the nature 
recommended by this conference. It is to be hoped the other North Sea Powers 
may soon follow this excellent example. 
The various marine stations and laboratories for scientific research in all parts 
of the world furnish each year much new knowledge concerning the ocean. 
Among our own people the excellent work carried on by the Marine Biological 
Association, the Irish Fisheries Department, the Scottish Fishery Board, the 
Lancashire Fisheries Committee, the Cape and Canadian Fisheries Departments, is 
well worthy of recognition and continued support. Mr. George Murray, Mr. 
H. N. Dickson, Professor Cleve, Professor Otto Pettersson, Mr. Robert Irvine, and 
others have, with the assistance of the officers of the Mercantile Marine, accumu- 
lated in recent years a vast amount of information regarding the distribution of 
temperature and salinity, as well as of the planktonic organisms at the surface of 
the ocean. The papers by Mr. H. C. Russell on the icebergs and currents of the 
Great Southern Ocean, and of Mr. F. W. Walker on the density of the water in 
the Southern Hemisphere, show that the Australian colonies are taking a practical 
interest in oceanographical problems. 
Proposed Antarctic Explorations. 
The great event of the year, from a geographical point of view, is the 
progress that has been made towards the realisation of a scheme for the 
thorough scientific exploration in the near future of the whole South Polar region. 
The British and German Governments have voted or guaranteed large sums of 
money to assist in promoting this object, and princely donations have likewise been 
received from private individuals, in this connection the action of Mr. L. W. 
Longstaff in making a gift of 25,000/., and of Mr, A. C. Harmsworth in promising 
5,0002., being beyond all praise. 
There is an earnest desire among the scientific men of Britain and Germany 
that there should be some sort of co-operation with regard to the scientific work 
of the two expeditions, and that these should both sai] in 1901, so that the invalu- 
able gain attaching to simultaneous observations may be secured. Beyond this 
nothing has, as yet, been definitely settled. The members of the Association will 
presently have an opportunity of expressing their opinions as to what should be 
attempted by the British Expedition, how the work in connection with it should 
be arranged, and how the various researches in view can best be carried to a 
successful issue. 
I have long taken a deep interest in Antarctic exploration, because such explo- 
ration must necessarily deal largely with oceanographical problems, and also 
because I have had the privilege of studying the conditions of the ocean within 
both the Arctic and Antarctic circles. In the year 1886 I published an article on 
the subject of Antarctic Exploration in the ‘Scottish Geographical Magazine.’ 
This article led to an interesting interview, especially whep viewed in the light of 
