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A nalyses df B ooks, 233 
unimportant part which England has latterly taken in the task of 
geographical discovery. That such is the case is true. Even 
within the boundaries of the British Empire, and in regions im- 
mediately contiguous, there is very much still unknown, and we, 
with our unequalled facilities and with the most urgent motives 
for exertion, are not doing what might fairly be expedted. Still 
we can scarcely sympathise with Capt. Markham’s especial pre- 
dilection for the Polar regions. It seems to us that, for instance, 
a thorough exploration of New Guinea would be more valuable 
to Science than the most minute survey of the unknown regions 
around both poles ! The geology of these latter lands is gene- 
rally masked under snow and ice, and their biological features 
are very scanty. 
The cruise of the Isbjcern was primarily of a sporting cha- 
racter, Sir H. Gore Booth, who invited the author to accompany 
him, being intent on walrus-shooting on the coasts of Novaya 
Zemlya. Leaving England by the mail-steamer Tasso, for 
Trondjem, they embarked in the Norwegian mail-boat Lofoten, 
which plies between the latter town and Tromso. Here difficulty 
arose on account of a dog belonging to Sir H. G. Booth, and 
which, according to the Norwegian protectionist system, was 
contraband. Though its owner had no intention of landing it 
on Norwegian soil at all, it could not be taken on board the 
Lofoten , but had to be left at Trondjem until certain formalities 
had been completed, and was then taken northwards in another 
steamer, secured by a chain to a bolt in the deck, and with the 
official seal of the Customs on its collar. We have heard of a 
yet stranger case : — An Anglo- Norwegian firm, who carry on the 
manufacture of fish-manure in the Loffoden Islands, sent over a 
cargo of potatoes for the use of their workmen there. It was 
found, however, that the roots could not be landed even on pay- 
ment of duty. The ship’s crew had to eat the potatoes on board, 
and an official came every day to see and to certify that the 
parings were duly destroyed by fire ! 
In Novaya Zemlya the travellers found during the brief sum- 
mer a somewhat luxuriant vegetation, including a beautiful purple 
saxifrage, a bright yellow poppy, and the forget-me-not. The 
birds of this hyperborean region are, of course, chiefly sea-fowl. 
The author states that a couple of glaucous gulls endeavoured to 
warn a seal which Sir H. G. Booth was quietly approaching with 
murderous intent, and as it took no heed of their screams they 
at last alighted on the ice, walked up to the seal, and pecked 
him, when he at once dived down into the water. Foggy wea- 
ther, the explorers found, accompanied high winds, whether from 
the south-west or north-east, and bright clear weather almost 
invariably ensued in a dead calm. The reindeer in Novaya 
Zemlya, which are by no means scarce, seem to subsist during 
the winter on the fat they accumulate during the summer. The 
common account of their sweeping away the snow in order to 
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