Reviews — The Arctic Manual. 615 



greatest chances of success in the effort to reach the Pole was by 

 the long, narrow, area of water which bounds the Western Coast of 

 Greenland, known as Smith's Sound. 



The President and Council of the Eoyal Society were informed 

 by a letter from the Secretary of the Admiralty, dated 4th Dec. 

 1874, that it was their Lordships' intention to despatch an expedi- 

 tion, in the spring of 1875, to endeavour to reach the North Pole, 

 and to explore the coast of Greenland and adjacent lands, and were 

 invited to offer any suggestions which "might appear to them 

 desirable in regard to carrying out the scientific conduct of the 

 voyage." The result of this appeal is the volume of some 800 

 pages to which we purpose calling attention. 



It is divided into two separate and distinct sections : (1) Instruc- 

 tions for future Observations, compiled under the direction of a 

 Committee of the Eoyal Society ; and (2) A Manual of Scientific 

 Eesults already obtained in previous Arctic Expeditions, edited by 

 Professor T. Eupert Jones, F.E.S. (who himself prepared the part 

 relating to Zoology, Botany, Geology, and Mineralogy), and assisted 

 by Professor W. G. Adams, F.E.S., who compiled the part relating 

 to Physics. 



Both sections are prepared with exceeding care ; and the second 

 part, or " Manual," contains the most complete and perfect collection 

 of the most important information extant on the scientific researches 

 in the Arctic Seas. 



The first section, which is further subdivided into two parts, deals 

 first with Astronomy, Terrestrial Magnetism, Meteorology, Atmo- 

 spheric Electricity, Optics, etc., and secondly with Zoology, Botany, 

 Geology, and Mineralogy; but it must be understood that this 

 section of the book is designed solely to point out what information 

 is required, and also the best means of obtaining it. Thus the early 

 sections refer chiefly to the methods of obtaining local mean time 

 and so on from eclipses, the necessity for repeated and accurate 

 tidal observations, as well as the detection of the cosmical dust 

 found frequently in the snow of northern regions, and which, being 

 composed of iron and nickel, points to a meteoric or non-terrestrial 

 origin. 



The declination, inclination, and intensity of the earth's terrestrial 

 magnetism, whereby the "knowledge of the distribution of the 

 magnetic force over the earth's surface " may be determined, may 

 lead to valuable results, contributing towards the perfection of our 

 knowledge of terrestrial magnetism. The instruments requisite 

 for these determinations, as well as the order in which observations 

 should be made, are hence referred to, and the importance of this 

 subject, as dealing with compass variations and the consequent 

 security of iron shipping, needs no comment. 



In fact, the whole of the first section deals rather with suggestions 

 than with known facts, and details the manipulation of instruments 

 for Meteorological and Atmospheric, Electrical as well as Optical 

 and Spectroscopic observations, providing also technical maps bear- 

 ing on some of the subjects. 



