•2U3 
tho Dutch stating that their discoveries have been foi-cstallcd, Avlieu 
the niaterial allowed to go to England was only intended for private 
examination, I will not refer farther to the subject on this occasion. 
In the same year, Captain IMarkham and Sir Itenry Gore Booth^ 
in a small cutter, the ‘ Isbjorn,’ reached 78" 7' X., on the 47th 
meridian of longitude, where they were stopped by an ice-pack, 
which Captain Markham believes could have been penetrated by a 
properly fortified steamer. The re.sults of this voyage have just 
been published by him, and I beg to lay on the table a few notes on 
the birds met witli, which I drew up for tho work. 
^ Tho coin])arativo success of the little sailing vessels, ‘Anilem 
Barents ’ and ‘ Isbjurn,’ no doubt had groat influence in inducimr 
that veteran ice-navigator, Mv. Leigh-Smith, to undertake the 
voyage this past summer which has been attended by such 
wonderful success. Beaching Fmnz-Josef Land, in the steam 
yacht ‘Eira,’ on the 14th August, he explored the coast to the 
westward as far as 45" E. and 80" 20' X., and sighted land from that 
point about 40 miles X.AV. It has been announced that Mr. Lci"h- 
bmith^will read a paper before the Boyal Geographical Society mi 
tfio 1/th prox., giving an account of his discoveries, which I am 
sure we shall all look forward to with great interest.* 
I regret that I should have been obliged to enter into these 
clirono ogical and geographical details, but without doing so, it 
won d have been difficult for me to make any excuse for the paucity 
o the information which I have to offer you this evening; but 
M hen the immense difficulties in reaching Franz-Josef Land are 
considered, and the obstacles attending research in the polar 
regions are borne in view, we must be thankful for the smallest 
scraps which tend to increase our ac.juaintance with the subject. 
It IS greatly to be regretted that the ‘Eim’ was not accompanied 
>y some person who would have devoted himself more especiallv 
to collecting and observing, but I am indebted to Dr. Xeale the 
surgeon of the vessel, for some very interesting information, and a 
small collection, some specimens of which I have brought with me 
tins eveniiifr. 
Of tlic Ro>aI Geopaphical Society for .March, ISSl (vol. iii. pp. 128-145“ 
Mr Leigh-Snuth Iia.s since received the Patrons’ Gold Medal of the Royal 
Geographical Society for his Arctic discoveries. [Ed.] ^ 
r 
