INTRODUCTION. 
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Dickson, the Gothenburg merchant; Baron F. W. voN Otter, 
Councillor of State and Minister of Marine, well known for his 
voyages in the Arctic waters in 1868 and 1871 ; Docent F. K. 
Xjellman, Dr. A. Stuxberg, the former a member of the expedi¬ 
tion which wintered at Mussel Bay in 1872-73, and of that which 
reached the Yenisej in 1875, the latter, of the Yenisej Expedi¬ 
tions of 1875 and 1876; and Docents Hjalmar Theel and A. N. 
Lundstrom, both members of the Yenisej Expedition of 1875. 
After dinner the programme of the contemplated voyage was 
laid before the meeting, almost in the form in which it after¬ 
wards appeared in print in several languages. There then arose 
a lively discussion, in the course of which reasons were advanced 
for, and against the practicability of the plan. In particular the 
question concerning the state of the ice and the marine currents 
at Cape Chelyuskin gave occasion to an exhaustive discussion. 
It ended by His Majesty first of all declaring himself convinced 
of the practicability of the plan of the voyage, and prepared 
not only as king, but also as a private individual, to give sub¬ 
stantial support to the enterprise. Dr. Oscar Dickson shared 
His Majesty’s views, and promised to contribute to the not in¬ 
considerable expenditure, which the new voyage of exploration 
would render necessary. This is the sixth expedition to the 
high north, the expenses of which have been defrayed to 
a greater or less extent by Dr. O. Dickson.^ He became 
the banker of the Vega Expedition, inasmuch as to a con¬ 
siderable extent he advanced the necessary funds, but after 
our return the expenses were equally divided between His 
Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, Dr. Dickson, and 
Mr. Sibiriakoff. 
I very soon had the satisfaction of appointing, as superin¬ 
tendents of the botanical and zoological work of the expedition 
in this new Polar voyage, my old and tried friends from previous 
^ The expeditions to Spitzbergen in 1868, to Greenland in 1870, to 
Spitzbergen in 1872-73, and to the Yenisej in 1875 and 1876. 
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