T/ie Ice- Sheet of (Ti-cnihuid ('jt/niin. l-tT 
Professor Wrights chapter, "The Glaciers of Greenland," 
well reviews the early explorations, i)revious to Peary, includino- 
the journeys and writings of Nordenski(')ld, Jensen, Helland. 
Rink, Kane, Hayes, Whymper, and others. The most important 
of these journeys were by Nordenskir)ld. in 1870 and again in 
188;^, the former being reported in the Geological Magazine, vol. 
ix, 1872, and the latter in Science, vol. ii, Dec. 7, 1881^. Dis- 
tances, however, were much overestimated in these reports, and 
appear to lie more reliably given by Nansen in his chapter de- 
scril)ing the explorations of the inland ice previous to his own 
memorable crossing of Greenland. 
Nordenskir)ld"s journe}- in July. 187(1. to the east from the 
head of Aulatsivik fjord, near hit. (iS° 20'. is estimated to have 
extended about P>5 miles upon the ice-sheet, and the altitude 
reached was 2.200 feet. Large streams on the ice-surface were 
encountered, '-which could not be crossed without a bridge." 
Beyond the point of turning back, --the inland ice continued 
constantly to rise towards the interior, sf) that the horizon towards 
the east, north, and south, was terminated 1)V an ice-border 
almost as smooth as that of the ocean." A fine, gray powder, 
called "cryoconitc." which was believed l)y Nor(lenskir)ld to l)e 
cosmic dust, was found on the ice: but analyses indicate that 
this is dust l)lown from the mountains of the coast, and it 
does not occur in noticealJe amount, according to Nansen. on the 
eastern portion of the ice-sheet where his ascent was made upon 
ice bordered by only little Itare land. 
From nearly the same starting point. Xordenskifjld in July. 
1883, went onto the ice-sheet about 7H miles, to a height of al)out 
4,950 feet ; and two Lapps, travelling with the peculiar snowshoes 
calle(i "ski." advanced a probable distance of 4.') or 50 miles 
farther, where the l)arometers indicated a height of 0.38(i feet. 
Land in the interior, free of ice and bearing vegetation, which 
Nordenski<)ld hoped to reach, w-as not found: and no nunatak, or 
projecting top of hill or mountain, above the ice-surface has been 
yet discovered more than forty or fifty miles inside the ice-cov- 
ered area. 
Robert E. Peary, in June and .July. 188(J. accompanied l)v 
Christian Maigaard, made the next inii)ortant exploration of tlu' 
inland ice, going east from the head of ]*akitsok fjord on the 
northeast part of Disco Iiay. in hit. (10° 30'. These explorers 
