4 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
expeditions, Docents Dr. Kjellman and Dr. Stuxberg, observers 
so well known in Arctic literature. At a later period, another 
member of the expedition that wintered on Spitzbergen in 
1872-73, Lieutenant (now Captain in the Swedish Navy) L. 
- Palander, offered to accompany the new expedition a,s com¬ 
mander of the vessel—an offer which I gladly accepted, well 
knowing, as I did from previous voyages, Captain Palander s 
distinguished ability both as a seaman and an Arctic explorer. 
Further there joined the expedition Lieutenant Giacomo Bove, 
of the Italian Navy ; Lieutenant A. Hovgaard, of the Danish 
Navy; Medical candidate E. Almquist, as medical officer; 
Lieutenant O. N0RDQUIS.T, of the Bussian Guards; Lieutenant 
E. Brusewitz, of the Swedish Navy; together with twenty-one 
men—petty officers and crew, according to a list which will be 
found further on. 
An expedition of such extent as that now projected, intended 
possibly to last two years, with a vessel of its own, a numerous 
well-paid personnel, and a considerable scientific staff, must of 
course be very costly. In order somewhat to diminish the 
expenses, I gave in, on the 25th August, 1877, a memorial to 
the Swedish Government with the prayer that the steamer Vega, 
which in the meantime had been purchased for the expedition, 
should be thoroughly overhauled and made completely sea¬ 
worthy at the naval dockyard at Karlskrona; and that, as had 
been done in the case of the Arctic Expeditions of 1868 and 
1872-73, certain grants of public money should be given to the 
officers and men of the Royal Swedish Navy, who might take 
part as volunteers in the projected expedition. With reference 
to this petition the Swedish Government was pleased, in terms 
of a letter of the Minister of Marine, dated the 31st December, 
1877, both to grant sea-pay, &c., to the officer and eighteen men 
of the Royal Navy, who might take part in the expedition in 
question, and at the same time to resolve on making a proposal 
to the Diet in which additional grants were to be asked for it. 
