19 
even made collections ou tlie Greenland side, but the American side was first visited 
during the expedition of Kane in 1853—55 {apart from Sheeard 08born's landing 
on Cone Island in Jones Sound 1851). Formally, indeed, also Kane was engaged 
in the search after the missing expedition, but he conducted his exploration to a 
quarter, where it was hardly possible to look for any traces of it In other respects 
also the expedition of Kane cnn hardly be reckoned as well planned or led, but 
nevertheless it gave rather important results and, moreover, it gave rise to a whole 
series of explorations which liave contributed extensively to our knowledge not only 
about the northernmost part of the Archipelago and northwestern Greenland, where 
Kane's principal field of work lay, but to the solving of niany questions about the 
Arctic Regions in general. 
In 1861 Dr. I. I. Hayes, who had, as a member of Kane's expedition, first 
visited Ellesmereland and noted and collected plants there, again visited tlie same 
regions and made collections, but to the extension o! geograpliical knowledge he 
contributed very httle compared to his next successor, C. F. Hall, who transferred 
the limit of the known coast of Greenland as well as on the opposite side far to 
the north, without, however, procuring any information to speak of beside the mere 
coastlines up to the 82" parallel. The success of Hall in reaching far northward 
nmy, however, doubtless be looked upon as the cause for the English Government 
to send out an arctic expedition again. This stood under the conmiand of Captain 
G. S. Näkes, who left England in 1875 with two ships and succeeded in placing 
one of them in winterquarters on the north coast of Ellesmere (Grinnell) Land in 
the same year, while the other was stationed in Lady Franklin Bay on the east 
coast. P'rom these starting points geographical exploration was extended far about, 
and some members of the expedition, especially Mr. Ha et, Captain (now Colonel) 
Feilden, Dr. Moss, and Dr. Coppingee, materially contributed to the botany, zoology, 
and geology of northern Ellesmereland. As I have elsewhere (Flora EUesra.) discus- 
sed their publications in detail, I shall not enter upon them here, but refer to my 
paper which forms up to date the niost complete treatment of the E^llesmereland flora. 
In 1877 a very curious expedition started from the United States. It was 
commanded by Captain Howgate, and Mr. L. Kumlien had the doubtful advantage 
of being its naturahst. As stated by him in an introduction to a series of papers 
(Contrib. Nat. Hist.) the expedition had three different objects, viz., to collect mate- 
rials and engage Eskimos for an intended colony in Lady FrankUu Bay, to make 
scientific observations, and to be a whaling cruise. It appears from Kumlien 's 
expressions, that is was the whahng which profited the most from this singular 
arrangemeut, and the expedition seems to have been one of those, where the scientific 
work has been executed in spite of the arrangenients of the leader, not with his 
support. At winterquarters in Anarnitung Cumberland Gulf, and at other places 
