516 PORTO RICO OR PUERTO RICO? 



sledge travel. On the 16th, although the temperature of the sea 

 water at the surface was 28° F., that of the air rose to 28° F. ; 

 fell again to — 9° F. hy the 20th ; the young ice measured from 

 seven to nine inches in thickness, and on the 22d we set out for 

 Cape Tegetthoff, arriving there on the night of October 30. The 

 lowest temperature experienced on. this journey was 17° F., on 

 the 27th, and much thick weather prevailed. The young ice was 

 frequently not over two inches thick; it had apparently been 

 broken up a few days prior to our journey, and in the subse- 

 quent freezing the surface had become much broken, thus mak- 

 ing travel in the gathering darkness of the long Arctic night ex- 

 ceedingly difficult. 



On reaching the base station regular observations were made 

 until the arrival of the relief steamer Capella, July 27, 1899. 



During my absence in the field, as above described, and a 

 second time for a period of 35 days — April 26 to May 30, 1899 — 

 in the eastern part of Franz Josef Land, observations were 

 zealous^ made by Dr Ho fin a and Mr Harlan. In addition to 

 the data already noted, the occurrence of sunshine, miscella- 

 neous phenomena, and auroral displays were duly recorded and 

 described. Of the last-mentioned, there were- obtained at least 

 140 entries or descriptions of displays occurring on 83 different 

 elates. During m} r second absence in the field, a series of ob- 

 servations of temperatures, atmospheric pressure, clouds, and 

 estimated wind velocities were obtained for comparison with the 

 regular observations at headquarters. 



PORTO RICO OR PUERTO RICO ? 



The editorial foot-note to my article on Porto Rico (p. 112) seems to 

 render it desirable for me to state my reasons for spelling the name of 

 the island in accordance with " the form commonly in use in England and 

 the United States." They are as follows : 



1. The U. S. Board on Geographic Names is not necessarily a final 

 authority on the orthography of geographic names ; its membership does 

 not embrace lexicographers or linguists, and its chief duty is merely to 

 simplify and unify custom in geographic nomenclature for administrative 

 convenience. 



2. The decision of the Board in favor of the spelling " Puerto Rico " was 

 made several years ago, when the island was foreign territory, and when 

 the name was not in frequent use in the official records and literature of 

 the United States, and whatever may have been the merits of the de- 

 cision at that time, it is now obsolete, as shown by official usage. The 



