8 NATURE [MARCH 3, 1910 NORTH POLAR OCEANOGRAPHY.1 to west over to the Greenland coast in as high a latitude as 75° 301 N., a region which has been inacces­ HANDSOME volume full of useful information sible to other expeditions trying it. Along this route A has been given to oceanographical science by a complete set of soundings and serial temperature H.R.H. the Duke of Orleans, the result of a cruise and salinity observations were made. The coast of in the Greenland Sea during the year 1905. This is Greenland was met on July 27, and the Duke landed ,me of a series of Arctic cruises His Highness has been on an isla nd, rich with Arctic vegetation, just south making for a number of years, the last having been of Cape Bismarck, and which he named "Ile l\1arous­ during the summer of 1909. On each of these voyages sia." At 8 a.m. on July 28 the Belgica was four miles the Duke of Orleans has carried with him an excellent north of Koldewey and Payer's cairn, the furthest scientific staff on board his yacht, the Belgica, a vessel north point of the German expedition of 1870. At already known in Antarctic exploration. Among those noon the Belgica's position was 77° 2o' N., 18° 201 E., who have been with him are Dr. R ecamier, who has and in the evening a party landed on a previously un­ accompanied the Duke on each of his previous known island, which was named Ile de France, the voyages, as well as Captain Adrien de Gerlache, south-east cape of which, in 78° 38' N., 17° 36' \V., formely leader of the Belgian Antarctic expedition, was named Cape Philippe. Here the French colours M. E. Merite, the artist-naturalist, and Mr. E. were hoisted. Koefoed found nineteen phanerogams, Koefoed. seven mosses, four fungi, and six lichens ; hares, FrG. ,.-The Belgica in land ice on August 4, 1go5 (Lat. 77' 29' N., Long. 18° 31' W.). The volume opens with a narrative of the voyage ptarmigan, foxes, and lemmings abounded. The re­ and an extract of the ship's journal, by Captain de mains of Eskimo encampments were also found. Gerlache. The Belgica left Tromso on June 3, and, At midnight on July 30 the Belgica was in 78° 16' passing northward to the west of Spitsbergen, sighted N., 16° 481 W., or 167 miles further north than the Prince Charles Foreland in exceptionally clear Germania in 1869. From this point the Belgica weather, reaching 80° 20' N. in this longitude. From pushed eastward, and thirty miles eastward, after this point the Duke attempted to push westward getting shallowing soundings of 245, 120, and 5_:; to\vards Greenland, not to establish "un vain record," fathoms, struck bottom at 32 fathoms, and named but to carry on serious scientific investigations in an this bank the Belgica Bank. Six miles to the south­ unexplored region of the Arctic Ocean. This attempt east of this point the water deepened again to 109 was repulsed by heavy ice, which drives southward fathoms. de Gerlache suggests that there may be an from the polar basin between Spitsbergen and Green­ island in the vicinity, noting that two crows and a land. The special object was to verify the hypothesis walrus were seen. After this the Duke returned.. by that a ridge separated the Greenland Sea from the more or less the same route so far as Cape Bismarck, North Polar basin, but though unsuccessful in this and from there in a more or less southerly direction attempt, the exp·edition succeeded in crossing from east in, and along, the edge of the Greenland pack, which they lost sig-ht of on August 21 in about 67° 3o' N., 1 Due d'OrlCans. "CroisiCre Oceanographique accompJie a bord de la Belgica dans la Mer du Gronland, ,905." Pp. v+ 568 ; lxxix plates; 24° E. It is satisfactory to note that at almost the (Brussels: Bulens, 1907.} Price rno francs. furthest north point reached a well determined position NO. 2105, VOL. 83] ©1910 Nature Publishing Group MARCH 3, 1910] .NATURE 9 was obtained, viz. 78° 13' N., 16° 3o' vV ., and that south. Pla te Ix. shows deposits from th~ north the coast was mapped approximately to 79° N. All of Scotla nd to north of 80° N. All 1s blue that is mapped is satisfactorily determined except mud, except the globigerina ooze, which pushes north­ Cape Bourbon and Cape Bergendal, the distances of east from west of Scotland to within 240 miles of Bear which were judged, only sing le angles being taken. A Island, broken only by the volcanic muds of Iceland good declination was obtained in 77° 35' N., the result and the Faeri:ies. being 37° N.W. Dr. C. H. Ostenfeld treats the botany in a system­ Full extracts of the journal compiled on atic manner, but beyond the further northern exten­ board are published. Here we are g iven the sion of known E ast Greenland species there is natur­ time and position, the weather, the sea, ice ally nothing very novel. observa tions, stations, and movements of the I Mr. Einar Koefoed and Captain de Gerlache give F1G. ,.-Cape Philippe. ship, and the animals met with, in a thoroughly an account of oceanographical equipment which, with systematic manner. Next come a list of ei ghty sound­ the exception of the excellent Lucas sounding machine, ings and fifty oceanog raphical stations, showing good was mostly Danish or Norwegian. There follows a solid work. The soundings vary from 12 to 1846 useful journal of the fifty stations, mostly in the fathoms. Many hydrographic observations were Greenland and Spitsbergen seas. This journal gives taken, and plankton and other fishing was carried on. a summary of the hydrographic and other work done Meteorology has been well handled by Dr. Dan la at each station, and lists of planktonic species. Messrs. Cour, the observations of twenty-two ships having B. Helland-Hansen and E. Koefoed then proceed to been considered, as well as thirty-eight land stations, discuss the hydrography of the expedition, and no though one misses the observa tions taken by Scotti sh expense is spared in enhancing this part of the report whalers in the Greenland Sea and Davis Straits. with a very excellent series of useful, interesting, and FJG. 3.-Duke of Or!eans Land, near Cape Amelia There are ninety-six synoptic charts for July and beautiful plates and maps for the purpose of demon­ August, 1905, which are of great interest. strating the distribution of depths, temperature, Mr. 0 . B. Boggild reports on the geology. He salinity, currents, &c. Most of the introduction is a has a theory of a submarine moraine existing to the summary of the hydrographic work of previous expedi­ east of Greenland, running parallel with the coast, tions to the Greenland seas, but Messrs. Koefoed but this is scarcely supported by the bathymetrical and Helland-Hansen have made no mention of Mr. chart (plate lvi.). The g eological observations a t Leigh Smith's work of 1870, nor of that done on Cape Saint Jacques (77° 36' N.), on the Ile de France, board the Princesse Alice during 1898 and 1899, mostly are of most interest. Here there are gneisses and by Mr. J. Y. Buchanan and the reviewer. Leigh schists, a nd possibly s ome Devonian rocks probably Smith was the first to notice the intermediate warm identical with those that Nathorst found further layer in these seas which is specially dealt with by NO. 2105, VOL. 83] ©1910 Nature Publishing Group IO NATURE [l\JAR(H 3, 1910 l\fessrs. Koefoed and Helland-Hansen, yet no mention instead of pure rag paper, which actually produces of this veteran's name or work is made. Buchanan, i-icher effects and is infinitely more durable. Nansen, Bruce, and others have also observed this Altogether the Duke of Orleans is to be most phenomenon. \Ve doubt also if some of these old heai·tily congratulated, not only for having personally observations are less exact than those of more recent conducted all the above work, but even more so for date. The Buchanan methods give, for instance, having placed the observations and material gathered observations of great exactitude, and certainly equal during the voyage into competent hands for examina­ to any of the most recent observations of the younger tion and description, and for having spared no trouble Scandinavian school of oceanographers. or expense in bringing out a volume which is second Part ii. deals with instruments and methods; and to none as a monumental contribution to the oceano­ here useful discussion could be entered upon, as, for graphy of the Arctic Ocean. Too often polar expedi­ instance, on the question as to whether one is able to tions are dispa tched by the help of men of means, but obtain results of greater accuracy with the more finely these same people have little or no conception of graduated Richter thermometer on the deck of a ship making use to the full extent of the material, obtained in the polar regions, with discomforts of mist, sleet, with great care, toil, and trouble, on the return of snow, wind, and weather. A stronger marking and the expedition. The excellent ,vork of many trained coarser scale certainly in many cases will give more men of science who accompany such expeditions is in accurate results than the very finely-graduated scale of consequence largely wasted. TI-Je Duke of Orleans, the Richter thermometer instruments, as the reviewer however, has realised the full va lue of this subsequent knows by extensive work on board ship in all weathers work, and the thanks of the scientific world is due to and almost all latitudes.