184 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VII., No. 160 



announcements of the scientific work of the ex- 

 pedition. There is no attempt at fine writing, even 

 in those chapters which refer to most thrilling in- 

 cidents : but throughout the volume may be traced 

 the hand of a calm, observing, fair-minded, and 

 unostentatious lover of the truth. 



In thinking of the results of the Lady Franklin 

 Bay expedition, the popular applause will com- 

 monly be given to the bravery of Lockwood and 

 Brainard, who in May, 1882, attained the highest 

 latitude yet reached by man (83° 23.8' north 1 ). 

 Lockwood, unfortunately, died before the rescue 

 of the expedition. Brainard came home, and, 

 after eight years' service in the ranks, remains 

 a sergeant, when his record would have gained 

 him a commission at once in any other service in 

 the world. 



Another important reconnaissance was accom- 

 plished by Lockwood in a prolonged tour across 

 Grinnell Land, where a remarkable series of fertile 

 valleys was found, in which herds of musk-oxen 

 pasture. Over a hundred of these animals were 

 killed, and two hundred others were seen. The 

 glaciers of Grinnell Land are extraordinary. On 

 the shores of Lake Hazen, Greely discovered what 

 he believes to have been the most northerly per- 

 manent habitation of man that is known, though 

 the inhabitants thereof have vanished. 



The physical observations proposed by the Ham- 

 burg polar conference were maintained from July 

 1, 1881, until June 21, 1884, — forty hours before 

 the rescue of the survivors. Observations as to 

 atmospheric pressure, temperature, and dew-point ; 

 direction and force of the wind ; quantity, kind, 

 and movement of clouds ; the aurora, and the 

 state of the weather, — were made hourly after 

 Fort Conger was reached. Of the magnetometer 

 (by which the declination of the magnetic needle 

 was noted) there were ten hourly readings, 

 except on the 1st and 15th of every month, when 

 the readings were much more frequent. The 

 magnetic inclination or dip was also observed, but 

 the instrument was so poor that the value of the 

 record is seriously impaired. Tidal observations, 

 which promise to be of much value, were like- 

 wise made. Great pains were taken to secure 

 accurate observations of the pendulum as a con- 

 tribution to geodesy. Air samples were secured, 

 but abandoned on the retreat. The velocity of 

 sound at low temperatures was noted. Each day 

 there were 526 recorded observations, — 264 mag- 

 netic, 234 meteorological, and 28 tidal. Careful 

 memoranda were made upon the diet of the mem- 

 bers of the party, and upon all the circumstances 

 which tended to keep up their health; and the 

 chapter on hygiene and routine is by no means 

 ] Markham's highest point in 1876 was 83° 20' 20". 



the least important in the volumes. Geological, 

 paleontological, zoological, botanical, and ethno- 

 logical facts were noted whenever there was op- 

 portunity to collect such information. On all 

 these points the appendixes are very full. 



It only remains for us to add that these volumes 

 are printed in a most attractive manner, and that 

 the illustrations and maps are abundant and satis- 

 factory. In all respects the book is a credit to the 

 author and the publishers. We purposely avoid 

 here all comment on the cause of the sad failure 

 to relieve at the appointed time the party, and all 

 questions in respect to the imperfections of the 

 outfit. There was a sad lack of thorough atten- 

 tion to some details, — a lack which has greatly 

 impaired the satisfaction with which the expedi- 

 tion would otherwise have been regarded. But 

 Greely and his brave comrades have borne their 

 part nobly, and we trust that a grateful republic 

 will ponder the words with which these volumes 

 close, and act, through congress, before it is too 

 late. 



"No man of the party has received promotion, 

 except such temporary advancement as my per- 

 sonal urging could secure. Two men, with broken 

 health, have adventured their private fortunes ; and 

 one, a most self-sacrificing, soldierly, temperate, 

 and loyal man, lies, as these lines are penned, 

 helpless in a city hospital, aided by private charity, 

 his pension not even awarded. Even the meagre 

 allowances originally promised for arctic service 

 have not been fully paid, and the widows of the 

 dead are generally as yet unrecognized. 



" Our great country in these days asks not in 

 vain for its sons to venture their lives for any idea 

 which may subserve its interests or enhance its 

 greatness. I trust that posterity may never mourn 

 the decadence of that indomitable American spirit 

 which in this generation fought out to the bitter 

 end its great civil war, and made it seem an easy 

 thing in time of peace to penetrate the heart 

 of Africa, to perish in the Lena Delta, to die at 

 Sabine, or to attain the farthest north."' 



LONDON LETTER. 



All friends of scientific education, as well ;is a 

 wider circle, hail with the greatest satisfaction the 

 appointment of Sir Lyon Playfair, the present 

 president of the British association for the ad- 

 vancement of science, to the post which is practi- 

 cally minister of education under Mr. Gladstone's 

 government, which has just been constituted. 

 For many years Sir Lyon Playfair was chain nan 

 of committees of the house of commons, and at 

 one time he held the position of postm aster-gen- 

 eral in a former government. It is often re- 



