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his journeys with his father, NUs Gustaf, who was chief of the Fin- land Mining Department. Thus the lad cared more for practical than for theoretical learning when he first went to the Gymnasium at Borgo, and on entering the Univer- sity of Helsingfors in 1849 devoted himself almost entirely to scientific studies, spending his vacations in excursions to the rich mineral loca- lities of Finland. He soon became eminent in this particular branch of science, and was nominated to several appointments, but he un- luckily incurred the suspicion of the Kussian authorities by participation in various students' meetings, and time after time lost his appoint- ments, and was obliged to leave the country. Indeed, at last, for some years he was unable to obtain a passport to return to Finland. He therefore settled in Sweden, and in 1851 first entered on his Arctic travels by accompanying Torell to Spitzbergen. On his return to Stockholm, Nordenskidld was nomi- nated Director of the Eiks Museum, but in 1861 he went again to Spitz- bergen with Torell, to obtain the measurement of an arc of the meri- dian. The work was not then finished, and accordingly, three years later, Nordenski&ld headed an expedition which successfully completed the measurement, and mapped the southern i)art of Spitzbergen. The explorers, however, met with some shipwrecked walrus hunters, and were obliged to return, their provi- sions being inadequate to maintain so large an addition to the party. Thus disappointed, Nordenskidld now endeavoured to organise a fresh expedition, and he eventually started in 1868 in the Government steamer Sofia, which managed to attain the high latitude of 8r42'— a latitude only exceeded by Hall's American and Nares's British Arc- tic Expeditions. This success con- vinced Nordenskidld that he could reach a much higher latitude by wintering in Spitzbergen and utilis-
ing sledges. Accordingly, after an interval — during which he sat in the Swedish Diet, and travelled in Greenland to ascertain the respect- ive values of dogs and reindeer as beasts of burden for sledge jour- neys — Nordenskiold sailed in the Polhem in 1872, accompanied by two tenders. The winter was unusually early, and the ice shut in the tenders, which were to have returned home, thereby straiten- ing the provisions through extra mouths ; the reindeer were lost, and the men suffered greatly from scurvy. Nevertheless Nordenskiold and Lieutenant Palender success- fully surveyed part of North-East Land, and in the following July the vessels were extricated from their winter quarters. Mussel Bay, on the north coast of Spitzbergen, and returned home. Nordenskiold now turned his attention to Siberian exploration, and in 1875 sailed through the Kara Sea to the Yenis- sei, and ascended the river in a small boat, returning home over- land. He repeated this voyage in the following year, after a flying visit to the Philadelphia Exhibi- tion, but this time came back from the Yenissei by sea. These ex})eri- ences gave Nordenskidld a reason- able hope of accomplishing the North-East Passage. The ^^ng of Sweden, Mr. Oscar Dickson, and Mr. Sibiriakoff at once lent their aid to the project, and in July, 1878, Professor Nordenskiold started in the Vega. She was the first vessel to double the most northern point of the Old World, Cape Tohelyuskin ; she wintered in Beh- ring's Straits ; and once more free in July, 1879, reached Japan on Sept. 2. On his arrival in Europe Nor- denskidld was enthusiastically wel- comed, and laden with honours . He was created a Baron (April, 1880) ; and appointed a Commander of the Legion of Honour and a foreign Knight of the Prussian Ordre pour le M^rite for Arts and Sciences. NORFOLK (Duke of). His 8h2
