of a
circumnavigation of the old world, had, for thousands of years back,
been an object of desire for geographers. I determined, therefore,
at first to make use, for this purpose, of the funds which Mr. A.
SIBIRIAKOFF, after my return from the expedition of 1876, placed at
my disposal for the continuation of researches in the Siberian Polar
Sea. For a voyage of the extent now contemplated, this sum, however,
was quite insufficient. On this account I turned to His Majesty the
King of Sweden and Norway, with the inquiry whether any assistance
in making preparations for the projected expedition might be
reckoned upon from the public funds. King OSCAR, who, already as
Crown Prince, had given a large contribution to the Torell
expedition of 1861, immediately received my proposal with special
warmth, and promised within a short time to invite the Swedish
members of the Yenisej expeditions and others interested in our
voyages of exploration in the north, to meet him for the purpose of
consultation, asking me at the same time to be prepared against the
meeting with a complete exposition of the reasons on which I
grounded my views--differing so widely from the ideas commonly
entertained--of the state of the ice in the sea off the north coast
of Siberia.

This assembly took place at the palace in Stockholm, on the 26th
January, 1877, which may be considered the birthday of the _Vega_
Expedition, and was ushered in by a dinner, to which a large number
of persons were invited, among whom were the members of the Swedish
royal house that happened to be then in Stockholm; Prince JOHN OF
GLUeCKSBURG; Dr. OSCAR DICKSON, the Gothenburg merchant; Baron F.W.
VON OTTER, Councillor of State and Minister of Marine, well known
for his voyages in the Arctic waters in 1868 and 1871; Docent F.K.
KJELLMAN, Dr. A. STUTXBERG, the former a member of the expedition
which wintered at Mussel Bay in 1872-73, and of that which reached
the Yenisej in 1875, the latter, of the Yenisej Expeditions of 1875
and 1876; and Docents HJALMAR THEEL and A.N. LUNDSTROeM, both members
of the Yenisej Expedition of 1875.

[Illustration: Oscar Dickson ]

After dinner the programme of the contemplated voyage was laid
before the meeting, almost in the form in which it afterwards
appeared in print in several languages. There then arose a lively
discussion, in the course of which reasons were advanced for, and
against the practicability of the plan. In particular the qu