636 The Way to the Pole, and some [November, 
east, in about 20° W. long. Gr., a peninsular or long island 
extension reaching 3 0 52' farther north to 86° 58', at its 
northern end, with a bend west, turning part of the return 
current to the east of Greenland. To the west of this mole, 
protecting Smith Sound, [pack-ice periodically settles, and 
is cleared out again in years of particular high water 
(nutation). 
“ If a vessel coming from the West wintered in or to the 
north of the Gulf of Chatanga, and then followed the great 
current as soon as the real ice-driving begins its motion 
north, about the end of June, she might — keeping to the 
course described — perhaps navigate past the Pole and return 
along the east of Greenland, or, crossing the still water, 
arrive at Behring Strait, or get to Smith Sound ; and if the 
vessel had there to be abandoned, the Expedition might 
possibly get back by land ; the undertaking to be confined to 
the shortest time possible, and to be carried out by a combina- 
tion of governments and private promoters taking an interest 
in a scheme whose scientific results hardly compensate the 
sacrifices incurred. 
“The ice-driving will be in full swing round the Siberian 
peninsula at the end of June, but the larger mass of ice will 
only float off several weeks later (Von Middendorf found the 
mean temperature of the Bogonida, a small river of the 
Siberian peninsula, +io°6 / (in August). Would it, then, 
be better to work on at once amidst the ice in June, or to 
lose the best time and wait till the end of July ? 
“ The vessel keeping to the eastern side of the current, 
taking advantage of its theoretically presumable bend, 
ought rather to avoid than seek the bordering islands ; for 
the objecft of Arctic adventures ought not to be the discovery 
of a few more patches of land, but the insight into the con- 
figuration and oceanic circulation of the Polar regions.” 
In the January number (1884) of the “Journal” may be 
found what I said in “ On some Properties of the Earth ” 
(1880) about the south and middle parts ot Greenland and 
their interior ; but also about the still unknown north-east 
and the north-west, and Grinnelland, about the Archipelago, 
and about the open sea of Dr. Kane; it is confirmed by 
Lieut. Greeley’s reports. 
And I shall have again to quote from “ On some Pro- 
perties ” in speaking of Lieut. Greeley’s continuous careful 
observation, for which he sees, however, no explanation, that 
the tides, which “ at their most northern settlement flowed 
from the north,” averaged 3 0 F. below freezing-point, equal 
