GEOGRAPHIC NOTES 413 



at red heat during the whole of the first niglit there were 17 degrees of frost 

 inside, and even the men's boots were frozen. After the first terrible night, 

 however, they succeeded in keeping tolerably warm and comfortable. The 

 tent was quite high, 18 feet, but as winter passed the roof bent more and more 

 under tlie weight of snow and ice until it sometimes seemed as if it must yield 

 to the strain. 



In the early spring the exploring parties commenced work. Four expedi- 

 tions were sent out. The firststarled northward to establish depots of supplies 

 at regular intervals for the main party which was to follow. They w'ere suc- 

 cessful and returned after an absence of a few days. The second party, con- 

 sisting of a Norwegian machinist and two Italians, never returned. These 

 three men were the only ones lost during the year. Tlie third expedition was 

 gone 24 days, and the fourth 104 days. It was this fourth exiiedition which 

 reached latitude 86° ?>?/. 



The Duke of Abruzzi had originally hoped to lead the advance, but the loss 

 of two fingers fi'om the frost compelled him to remain by the ship when the 

 main party started, February 28, 1900. Their first attempt to advance was 

 checked by violent storms, which drove them back to shelter. A few days 

 later, ^Nlarch 11, they again started, the party including Captain Cagni, who is 

 known in America as one of the companions of the Duke of Abruzzi in lii.s 

 ascent of Mt St Elias ; M. Cueders, two Alpine climbers, and one other Italian. 

 On their way northward they visited a hut built by Dr Nansen in Franz Josef 

 Land. Cairns were built by them to commemorate the three men who had 

 I)erlshed. On gaining latitude 86° 33^, satisfied with having advanced 21 miles 

 further than Nansen, Captain Cagni turned back and reached his ship the third 

 week in June. By patience and hard work the Slelln Polare had been patched 

 up and rendered seaworthy by the time the ice l)roke up sufficiently to allow 

 them to escape. It is too soon to learn the scientific results of the year of ex- 

 l)loration, l)ut apparently these were quite satisfactory. 



A cablegram from London states that Dr Nansen and the Duke of Abruzzi 

 have formed a partnership and will soon undertake a joint expedition to the 

 North Pole. 



GEOGRAPHIC NOTES 



Dh Matiguon, the physician of the French legation at Pekin, has published 

 a book entitled SnperMition, Crime, and Afixeri/ in China, which contains a fund 

 of facts about the lowest strata of Chinese society. Me estimates that there 

 are in Pekin one hundred tliousand beggars, one-sixth of the population of 

 the city. Tliey are all members of one society, with a perfect organization. 

 Their president, by election, is called the King of I5eggars, and has abso- 

 lute authority over all, even to life and death, nor does the government 

 ever question his power over all beggars. The cliicf beggar divides the 

 city into set^tions, which are assigned to different sui)-chicfs. Each leader 

 sees that liis section is carefully exploited, and at nightfall hands his receipts 

 to the common treasury. The shops are graded, and each nnist pay a i)ropor- 

 tionate tax. If the shopkeeper refuses to grant the extortion, the beggar 



