ch. xxxn] Franz Josef Land and its Explorers 293 
The great trouble was the slushy condition of the snow 
and the frequent snowstorms. This first journey estab- 
lished the fact that the western half of Franz Josef Land 
was not one land but an archipelago, and that a channel 
passed up to a wide northern sea. Two hundred and 
seventy miles of new coast line were discovered. In the 
second season Jackson had the great pleasure of rescuing 
Nansen and Johansen from their perilous, indeed almost 
hopeless position. In the third season a longer journey 
was undertaken, part of it over the glacier of the western 
island. Only one pony had survived; this died on the 
journey, and the deaths of dogs reduced the number 
to five. Again the snow was soft and slushy, and the 
snowstorms so frequent that during the whole journey 
of 55 days only thirteen were fine. At its conclusion 
they had explored 250 miles in a direct line, probably 
travelling nearly 500 — a very remarkable journey. The 
results were important. The western islands of the 
group were discovered and explored, the most western 
point was ascertained, and its distance from Spitsbergen 
found to be 250 miles. After three winters the Windward 
brought the Jackson expedition safely back to England 
in September 1887. 
We owe our knowledge of the extremely interesting 
Franz Josef group chiefly to the labours of Payer, Leigh 
Smith, and Jackson. Nansen discovered the furthest 
portion north, and the group has been used as a base 
to attempt journeys to the Pole. Cagni, Wellman, and 
Captain Fiala of the Ziegler Expedition (1903-1906) 
have also added to our information, the latter by a 
careful survey and map. We can now take a general 
view of the results of these discoveries. 
The Franz Josef group of over fifty large and small 
islands extends for 270 miles from west to east between 
the meridians of 42 0 and 64° E. and for 140 miles from 
south to north between 79 0 50' and 82 0 5' N. The group 
rises from the same submarine plateau as Spitsbergen, 
forming part of the same system, though the land mass is 
further to the north than that of Spitsbergen. The 
northern coast of the North-east Land of Spitsbergen just 
crosses the 80th parallel, while only a few small islets of 
the Franz Josef group are to the south of it. 
