22 Report of the President 



These plans, however, were waived in favor of the Canadian 

 Government, on learning directly through Premier Borden of 

 the intention of the Government to send out, under the 

 British flag, an expedition to explore its arctic possessions. 



EXPLORATION IN 1913 



A larger field of exploration has been covered than in any- 

 previous year. The total number of exploring parties was 23, 

 the members of which have reached the Arctic and Antarctic 

 Oceans, and many portions of North and South America, as 

 well as of Africa. The results of these expeditions are 

 immediately given to our supporting Members and to the 

 people of the City through the press and through our Museum 

 Journal, as well as through the medium of popular courses of 

 lectures. Their final treatment is in the serious scientific pub- 

 lications of the Museum. It is the policy of the institution to 

 distribute the photographs obtained by these expeditions, and 

 lantern reproductions of them, as widely and liberally as pos- 

 sible, for the greater dissemination of science. 



The Crocker Land Expedition, organized in cooperation 



with the American Geographical Society and the University of 



_ , _ , Illinois, left New York on July 2, 1913. Its 

 Crocker Land , „ ' .. , A u r \. ,, ^ 



. staff, under the leadership of Donald B. 



MacMillan, who was trained by Rear Admiral 



Peary, is composed of a number of exceptionally fine young 



men, representing the States of Maine, Massachusetts, 



Illinois, Missouri, whose energy and enthusiasm will be strong 



factors in the success of the expedition. The expedition is 



thoroughly equipped for work in all branches of science. The 



unfortunate stranding of the " Diana," which was conveying 



the party to their proposed base at Flagler Bay, caused a 



serious delay, and, owing to the unusual ice conditions, the 



substitute ship, the " Erik," was unable to take the expedition 



farther north than Etah, Greenland, where winter quarters 



were established. It is not expected that the failure to reach 



Flagler Bay with the ship will prevent carrying out eventually 



the main purpose of the expedition, namely, the exploration 



of Crocker Land. 



