446 
JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
Koldewey, with the Germania and Ilansa, in 1869; and the 
Austrian expedition under Lieut. Payer, in the Admiral Tegethoff, 
in 1872. The drift of the Rama, and her final abandonment off the 
east coast of Greenland, and of the escape of the crew to the 
settlements on the West Coast, are subjects well worthy of attention. 
The Austrian expedition started with the intention of pushing 
its way along the north of Siberia ; and while failing in its original 
object, attained one of great importance in the discovery of a new 
tract of Arctic land about lat. 79° to 80° to the north of Nova 
Zembla. 
In the year 1871, the American Captain Hall proceeded with 
the Polaris and an ill-assorted crew up Smith Sound, and suc- 
ceeded in wintering about lat. 82°. Land was reported by this 
expedition to have been seen much further to the north. Poor 
Hall never returned ; but his was the only life in the party that 
fell a sacrifice. The remainder abandoned the vessel, and made 
good their escape. At the present moment this voyage is of great 
interest to us, as our own Arctic expedition has started with the 
intention of passing over a route so very similar to that pursued by 
Hall. 
Last year the Alert and Discovery were fitted out, and placed 
under the command of Captain Nares, for the object of reaching 
the North Pole. After a stormy passage they arrived at the 
Greenland Settlements, attended by fhe Valorous. On the 6th of 
last July they anchored at Disco, the valleys and gorges of that 
remote Arctic island being in their gay summer clothing of mosses 
and wild flowers. Having obtained coal, &c, they proceeded to 
the north, and were seen for the last time by the Valorous on July 
17th. 
All our subsequent information has been supplied by the 
Pandora. This vessel, under Captain Allen Young, accomplished 
a remarkable voyage. Leaving Southampton, and touching at Ply- 
mouth, she followed the Arctic expedition to Greenland ; then 
entering Lancaster Sound, she proceeded, almost without hin- 
drance, till her further progress through the north-west passage 
was entirely stopped by the ice in Peel Sound, a little to the north 
of the spot where Pranklin's ships were lost. Turning homeward, 
she succeeded in obtaining from a cairn on the Carey Islands some 
documents deposited there by Captain Nares, and thus brought 
back in October the welcome tidings of the prosperity of the Alert 
