4 
A VOYAGE TO tSEITZBEUGEN. 
From the scientific point of view, it is a matter which 
requires both government and private enterprise. 
Many people, however, ask what is the use of such 
explorations ? Who cares, say they, for a lot of barren 
ice-clad lands or frozen seas 1 and why should you 
encourage men to risk their lives for such objects as 
these ? These questions chiefly emanate from those 
who do not see the advantage of prosecuting anything 
which does not promise a handsome pecuniary profit; 
who over-estimate the risks incidental to Arctic ad¬ 
venture, and who cannot appreciate successes which 
are simply scientific. Arctic voyages have yielded 
good fruit in the past, and there is every prospect of 
greater gains accruing to science from the explorations 
of the future. The present phase of Arctic Explora¬ 
tion, the characteristic feature of which is the attempt 
* to reach the Pole, combined more or less with a spirit 
of scientific inquiry, promises to be a more glorious 
one than either of the two preceding phases; and since 
the English Navy has taken a leading share in these, 
it is to be hoped it will take a foremost one in the pre¬ 
sent phase. 
In this introductory chapter the object will be 
to give, first, a rapid sketch of Arctic voyages; 
next, to show in a very summary way some of the 
results due to, and probable advantages to be derived 
