SOME RECENT GEOGRAPHIC EVENTS 361 



her crew, which consists largely of Norwegians, Avas most care- 

 fully selected. It is expected that the voyage will be completed 

 within two years, but a three-years' supply of provisions has 

 been taken. The Belgica will go first to the east of Grahams 

 Land in George IV sea, and then winter in Australia. The sec- 

 ond year will be devoted to Victoria Land. The steamer is well 

 equipped for scientific investigations as to marine specimens 

 and submarine deposits. 



The Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition to the North Polar Re- 

 gions, which left England on Jul}^ 11, 1894, in the steam-yacht 

 Windward, arrived in the Thames on the 3d of September last, 

 having left Franz Josef Land on August 6. This ex])edition has 

 solved a most interesting geographical problem, having not only 

 determined the northern coastline of Franz Josef Land, hitherto 

 absolutel}^ unknown, but proved, if not the non-existence of 

 Gillis Land, at least the fact that it does not lie in the longitude 

 that has been assigned it. The three years spent in the Polar 

 Regions by this admirably equip})ed expedition (the entire cost of 

 which was borne by Mr A. C. Harmsworth, who has since placed 

 the Windward at the service of Lieutenant Peary) have resulted 

 in many important additions, not merely to our knowledge of 

 Arctic geography, but to various other sciences. 



Lieutenant Peary's most recent expedition to Greenland is of 

 note chiefly on account of the success that has attended his 

 efforts to bring back with him the Cape York meteorite, 45 tons 

 in weight. That this is a genuine meteorite has in certain quarters 

 been called in question, but the consensus of opinion among the 

 most eminent authorities leaves no room for doubt as to its 

 extraterrestrial origin. 



The return of Dr Sven Hedin from his four years' exi)loration 

 of the less-known portions of Central Asia is a notable occurrence. 

 Dr Hedin left Stockholm in October, 1893, returning to that city, 

 his birthplace, on May 10 last. He made many important dis- 

 coveries, among which were two ancient cities, now buried in the 

 sands, whose paintings and sculptures bear witness to a high de- 

 gree of civilization at a remote period of antiquit^^ DrHedin's 

 explorations were made at the ex})ense of the King of Sweden 

 and Norway and a few private individuals. 



The Duke of the Abruzzi (Prince Luigi of Savoy) and his com- 

 panions reached the summit of Mount St P^lias, without accident, 

 on July 31. It took 38 days of hard traveling to reach the foot 

 of the mountain from the point of debarkation, but the actual 



