PREFACE. 



J. he Report, of which this is the first volume, will, in a series of 

 treatises, give the scientific results of the Second Norwegian Arctic 

 Expedition in the 'Fram' 1898—1902, under the command of Capt. Otto 



SVERDRUP. 



For this Expedition the Norwegian Government lent the above-men- 

 tioned vessel, which is specially constructed for and adapted to Arctic 

 exploring, and which, on the First Expedition 1893 — 1896 under the 

 leadership of Fridtjof Nansen, proved to possess such excellent qualities. 



The Storthing granted the sum of 20 000 Kroner for requisite repairs 

 to the ship and for alterations that were found necessary in her super- 

 structure. 



All other expenses, reaching an aggregate sum of 216 250 Kroner, 

 were generously defrayed by three gentlemen interested in Arctic explo- 

 ration, viz: Consul Axel Heiberg and the brothers, Messrs Amund and 

 Ellef Ringnes, brewers of this city; the same three men, whose generous 

 support rendered possible the first Arctic expedition in the 'Fram'. 



Among the members of the Expedition worthy of special notice are 

 those that have procured the scientific material that will be dealt with 

 in this Report, viz : Lieut, (now Captain) Victor Baumann, R. N. (second 

 in command), Lieut, (now Captain of Cavalry) Gunnar Isachsen (geo- 

 grapher and cartographer), Mr. Per Schei, assistant in the Mineralogical 

 Institute, Christiania (geologist and palaeontologist), Mr. Herman Georg 

 Simmons of the Lund University (botanist) and Mr. Edward Bay, of the 

 Copenhagen University (zoologist). 



As will appear from the various treatises, several of these scientists 

 took part in other investigations than those appertaining to their special 

 branches. f) 



On 24'^ June 189|'^ the Expedition left Christiania, and already in 

 August the same year were able to commence the scientific exploration 



