president's address. 
149 
depdts are to be established from Franz-Josef Land towards the 
North Pole, which should constitute well- stocked larders for the 
travellers as they return. Seven men, each of special skill or 
scientific attainments, accompany Mr. Jackson on this well found 
expedition. 
The latest news of it which has reached me is to the 
effect that, towards the end of August, the Windward was 
seen by the captain of the walrus-sloop Betsy in latitude 75° 45' 
N., and longitude 44° E., "steaming in the direction of Franz- 
• J osef Land without let or hindrance, the ice being in this locality 
brashy and rotten, the Windward actually steaming up a lead of 
which no termination northward was visible."* 
A somewhat no v^el proposal, which is likely to lead to the actual 
fitting out of an expedition to carry it into execution, comes from 
the famous Arctic explorer Julius V. Payer. He proposes to send 
an artistic expedition to paint the North Pole.f 
The expression to " paint the town red " is a familiar one, but 
Payer does not propose to do anything so frivolous. No attempt 
has ever yet been made to do justice to the beauties of Arctic 
scenery, of which he gives a glowing account in the article just 
referred to. He proposes to take, on a 400 ton ship, two land- 
scape painters, an animal painter, and a photographer. Movable 
glass studios lighted by electricity supplied by benzine or petroleum 
motors are to be provided, and oils which remain liquid at very 
low temperatures may be used instead of water colours. Cape 
Franklin, at the entrance of the little-explored Kaiser-Franz-Josef 
Fiord in East Greenland may be selected as the first camping- 
ground. It is proposed that the expedition should start in June, 
1896. 
Antarctic Exploration. 
Just now Dr. John Murray, of Challenger renown, has strongly 
stirred the hearts of the English people to fit out an expedition 
to the South Pole on somewhat similar lines to the great exploring 
* The Geogr. Journ. Feb. 1895, Vol. v. No. 2, p. 173. 
+ The Geogr. Journ. Feb. 1895, Vol. v. No. 2, pp. 106-112. 
