This volume covers all of Nordenskiöld’s polar exploration including the Vega voyage, but is notable for its coverage of the hygiene issues encountered in 1872-73. It should be noted that Adolf Nordenskiöld was an important collector of maps and atlases, and that references to maps and charts occur throughout this volume.
p. viii-ix: I have thought the valuable and interesting report of Dr. Envall on the hygiene of the Polar Expedition of 1872-73 deserving of a place in this volume, and the scientific reader will find in the List of Books and Memoirs in the Appendix [p. 418-40], a sort of index to the large mass of printed matter, consisting of more than 6,000 pages of type and 150 plates, to which the Swedish Expeditions have given rise. [Alex. Leslie.]
p. 183-84: The expedition [1872-73] was well provided with meteorological, magnetic, astronomical, and physical instruments, together with sounding and dredging apparatus, an abundant zoological equipment, three observatories made at Stockholm, and a library of about one thousand volumes, of which part was provided by the Governor of Gothenburg, Count Ehrensvärd.
p. 204: The leisure time of the crew was principally occupied with reading, but also with various games, as draughts, chess, and dominoes.
p. 212-13: The yule gifts consisted of knives, brushes, books, pieces of tobacco, cigars, pieces of soap, &c. Lotteries were held for their distribution, every person having three of four lots, and as many prizes, the lotteries causing the greatest excitement. The Lapps, who had never seen the like before, and who honoured the occasion by appearing in holiday attire of variegated colours, were besides themselves with gratification at what had fallen to their share.
p. 264-65, the approach of summer: This dreary time, however, was not without its pleasant moments. These were chiefly the few days when the sky was cloudless, when the sun shone and the temperature neared the freezing point. Then the imprisoned Swedes sunned themselves, enjoyed he warmth and drank in the fresh air, listened to the pleasant spring winter of the snow-bunting, and bethought themselves that summer was coming…, and the walrus-hunters would bring letters and newspapers from home, and, best of all, when they could leave Mussel Bay, some of them steering their course direct for home, and others to visit unknown regions of Spitzbergen and make great discoveries of various kinds.
p. 313, among the Samoyedes: “After the numerous crew of the Alexander and the lodje had with great devoutness attended divine service in the church of the monastery and in a neighbouring chapel, where the holy founder’s dust is preserved, after we had seen various remarkable things belonging to the monastery, among them an exceedingly well preserved Slavonic Bible from the sixteenth century, and after I had paid a visit, along with the captain, to an old cripple, who in his youth had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, we steamed on. As was usual, we went ahead only slowly in consequence of the strong current and the frequent delays, which of course were taken advantage of by us for making excursions, talking with the natives, &c. These consisted partly of Russian settlers, partly of natives, ‘Asiatics,’ who, some on their own accouut, others in the service of Russians, had settled here for the summer to fish in the rivers.
p. 418-40: Appendix II. List of Books and Memoirs Relating to the Swedish Expeditions.