[137] Captain Graah’s narrative was translated by Gordon Macdougall, and published by the Royal Geographical Society in 1837.
[138] At my request the late Commodore Jansen searched the Dutch archives, and wrote an admirable memoir on the ice years in the Novaya Zemlya and Spitsbergen Seas, with notices of the chief Dutch voyages and discoveries. The same accomplished officer was the author of the chapter on Land and Sea Breezes in Maury’s Physical Geography of the Sea.
[139] The instrument consists of four arcs graduated so as to read to 30 with the verniers. Two of these arcs, representing the altitude and latitude, are moveable. The two others, which represent the declination and hour circle, are fixed. In using it the verniers of the proper arcs are set to the declination, the altitude, and the latitude respectively. The readings on the hour circle will then show the hour angle.
[140] The northern lands which Payer thought he saw from Cape Fligely, and which he named Oscar and Petermann Lands, as well as the north-easterly extension of Kronprinz Rudolf Island from Cape Fligely to Cape Sherard Osborn, have since been found by Captain Cagni to have no existence.
[141] The Franz Josef flora includes the ubiquitous Saxifraga oppositifolia, Cardamine bellidifolia, Arenaria sulcata, Draba alpina, Cerastium alpinum, Papaver nudicaule, and Cochlearia fenestrata. A rare and beautiful grass, Pleuropogon sabinii, was also found, only previously known at Melville Island, at one or two places up Prince Regent’s Inlet, and in Novaya Zemlya, where it is abundant. Only 27 flowering plants have been collected in Franz Josef Land, and 25 mosses.
[142] The price of walrus hides has risen since they have been found to be the best material for burnishing parts of bicycles. The steamer Balaena was, therefore, sent to Franz Josef Land in 1897, and obtained 500 hides, while about 1500 were lost owing to the animals sinking when dead, so that this monstrous slaughter amounted to 2000, not counting the number of young that must also have perished.
[143] The great depth found by the Sophia to the north of Spitsbergen pointed to a deep ocean as existing north of the whole Spitsbergen and Franz Josef system. I formed this deduction in 1876, and Nansen’s discovery afterwards proved it to be correct.
[144] I knew Dr Kane when he served in Grinnell’s relief expedition, of which he wrote the history. His was certainly a charming personality, talented, cheerful, and enthusiastic.
[145] Kane adopted the Danish name of ice-foot (Iis-fod) for this permanent frozen ridge or terrace.
[146] It is a singular fact that the changing of names of Arctic vessels has frequently coincided with misfortune. The names of all the ships but one in the Franklin search were changed, and all were lost except the Fox, and her name was not changed.