Page:Proposed Expedition to Explore Ellesmere Land - 1894.djvu/29

 SUPPLEMENT

Project for Continuous Polar Exploration. The exploration of Ellesmere Land, described in the accompnying prospectus, is to form the beginning of a system of Continuous exploration in physical geography to be gradually extended over the whole unknown Arctic area, which is nearly half as large as the United States.

As this circular is addressed to men of science, it is not necessary to defend Polar exploration. It may suffice to recapitulate its main objects:

(1) The meteorology of the Arctic forms the keystone of the whole science of the weather.

(2) The science of geodesy will remain imperfect until the pendulum has been swung close to the very Pole.

(3) Important additions to the science of magnetism may be looked for from researches in the vicinity of the magnetic pole. Especially the fascinating phenomenon of the aurora, the grandest instance of light without heat, may yield remarkable disclosures when studied in the area of its greatest intensity.

(4) The few geologic data brought back from the Arctic have been of startling interest. Many rocks belong to the oldest formations and will thus be apt to contain valuable minerals.

(5) Our theory of tides and currents in the Atlantic must remain imperfect until we know the configuration of the shores of the Arctic ocean and have charted its tides and currents.

If, then, this exploration is worth doing, it is worth doing wisely. Hitherto Arctic exploration has been, almost entirely spasmodic. Each expedition was a separate enterprise, which had to prepare an entirely new outfit, and on returning left little that might benefit its successor. Accordingly the cost has been out of all proportion to the results. A similar proceeding