SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



137 



JACKSON HARMSWORTH ARCTIC 

 EXPEDITION. 



A rR. FREDERICK G. JACKSON, who left 

 England on nth Jul}', 1S94, in charge of 

 the Jackson - Harmsworth expedition to the 

 northern polar regions returned to the Thames 

 on September 3rd. There accompanied him home 

 on the steam-yacht " Windward," Lieutenant 

 Armitage, R.N.R., who was the astronomer of the 

 expedition ; Dr. Kottlitz, medical officer, Mr. W. 

 S. Bruce, the zoologist, and Messrs. Heywood and 

 Wilton. The " Windward " left Franz Josef Land 

 on August 6th, and had experienced rough weather 

 most of the voyage. It is interesting to note that 

 no member of the party had suffered from any 

 illness during their prolonged stay in those ice- 

 bound lands. 



The energies of the explorers have been given to 

 exploring Franz Josef I-and, which they appear to 

 have exhaustively accomplished. 



The winter of 1S96-1S97. which was less severe 

 than usual, was passed very happily, many scien- 

 tific observations and researches fully occupying 

 the party. Active work commenced on March i6th, 

 when Messrs. Jackson and Armitage went with 

 sledges, dogs and a pony round the north of 

 Franz Joseph Land and defined its contour. They 

 encountered very bad weather— mist, rain, gales and 

 -ind a temperature of -)0 degrees below zero- 

 The pony and most of the dogs died from exhaus- 

 tion. Many important geographical discoveries 

 were, however, made. The energy necessary to 

 make that journey as successful as it turned out 

 must have been remarkable, for everything that 

 well could occur was against its accomplishment. 

 The northern coasts of the great island were sur- 

 veyed sufficiently to be mapped correctly Where 

 ■inent was formerly supposed to exisi Mr 

 Jackson has found numerous islands and sea. 

 • mountains appear on our present maps 

 are hummo< I . of ice-packs with an open sea to 

 rthward It is probably the most northern 

 open water in the world; he named it Queen 

 -ea. 

 The v.icntifi': d erii ill be published at a 



'rite, and are Mated to be Important 'I hej 

 embra ludy of the magnetic and 



■ ■ alto geoli 

 ilogU al ' oll« tiom Thi ecrel 

 of the good health of the parly may be rammed up 

 in Mr Jackson's excellent arraii 1 fully 



occup for a sufficient numl 



day. in addition lo close attention to 

 bodUj ■ 1 bey had pli nty 



!. havinj; I. 



mot family, of •■. Iii< h Mr. [ 



■hot do tens than 1,400 la«l autumn foi il" 

 »npfily. At ilv lime of oblali birds, 



Mr. Jackson set free nineteen looms and twenty-two 

 kittiwakes, with a copper label attached to each 

 marked with the letter J. These birds may be 

 found on our northern coasts or elsewhere in 

 North-East Europe, and should be recorded, with 

 date and place of observation. 



The lowest temperature during last winter was 

 forty-eight degrees below zero (Fahr.), which is 

 not nearly so low as occurs every winter in North- 

 Central Asia or America. 



Mr. Jackson was induced to join Mr. Harmsworth 

 in the expedition with the hope of reaching the 

 Pole. He based his opinions on the maps of the 

 day. Now, however, he believes that to reach the 

 Pole may be possible, but the enormous diffi- 

 culties render its discovery by way of Franz Josef 

 Land very doubtful. He has shown that large 

 tracts of land marked on maps have no existence, 

 and others are more or less mythical. Among 

 the latter may be classed Petermannland and King 

 Oscar Land. Neither does there exist evidence of 

 any land north of the islands off Franz Josef Land. 

 Gillis Land will have to disappear from our maps, 

 as its existence is found to be a mistake ; its site 

 is occupied by open sea. 



The grip of the fascination for Arctic explora- 

 tion has, as is usual with like explorers, got 

 a firm hold of Mr. Jackson, who contemplates 

 another expedition. 



THE NATURALISTS' DIRECTORY. 



A ;T AY I be allowed to appeal to your readers for 

 some assistance towards making the 1898 

 edition of the " Naturalists' Directory " of more 

 value and assistance to naturalists than the pre- 

 ceding editions have been. What I particularly 

 desire is that the secretaries 6f the numerous local 

 natural history societies and field clubs throughout 

 the British Islands should send me lists of the 

 officers for 1898, with the secretaries' addresses, 

 particulars of meetings, etc. failing the secre- 

 taries, perhaps a member of the society would see 

 to this information being sent, as 1 have previously 

 appealed to the secretaries without any great 

 result. I should also be grateful to editors of 

 foreign magazines devote. I to natural science who 



vould end mi- a copy of 1 licir magazine, to enable 

 me to include it in the lisl of periodicals, with 

 proper particulars, the list in the Directory being 

 at present rather imperfeel in respect to foreign 

 11 '/mi". Finally, 1 may mention thai British 

 ■ Ign I udents ol natural history who wi ih 

 iheir names inserted can obtain a prosper m. from 

 the publisher (Mi Upcotl Gill, London), bj 

 applying on a po iti ard with addn is. 



II KlRKH SWANN. 



r'., // ' " Sift 'II ntlon n 



1 , ■ . ilurali$t Director) 



' I 



