386 Arctic and Antarctic Exploration [part i 
we see the nursery of a Nelson, a Riou, a Nias, a Sherard 
Osborn, and such men as Sabine, Beechey, and Foster. 
The expeditions in search of Sir John Franklin and 
his gallant companions raised Arctic work to the highest 
plane it has yet attained. The motive was the highest 
that has ever actuated polar or any other discovery, 
the cause of humanity. Very extensive discoveries were 
made and the art of sledge travelling with men was 
Drought nearly to perfection. 
After the completion of the Franklin search and the 
return of the Nares expedition, Americans, Norwegians, 
Swedes, and Austro-Hungarians stepped in. The best 
of the American Arctic leaders were Greeley and De 
Long, although their expeditions ended in misfortune, 
for they were instructed officers, with a strong feeling 
of responsibility and of the obligations of duty. The 
work they did was well done and reliable. The expeditions 
of Nordenskiold and Nansen stand by themselves owing 
to the personality of those leaders. The Swede was a 
man of high scientific and literary attainments, the 
Norwegian alike a man of action and a profound student, 
an unusual combination. He is endowed with rare 
gifts. His ideas almost amounted to prescience, and he 
was equally sagacious in working them out to practical 
conclusions. He drew back the veil which had concealed 
the Arctic secret. Although the English occupy the first 
place in Arctic discovery, yet it was begun and was com- 
pleted by Scandinavians — by Erik the Red and Fridtjof 
Nansen. 
In the history of mankind since the Christian era, 
the annals of Arctic discovery occupy a very glorious 
place. They run like a bright silver thread through 
the darker tales of war and crime, for the most part 
showing the nobler side of the qualities of our race. 
