IN common with all who take an interest in Arctic research, I was very much surprised to learn, on the return of the Windward, last year, that the Jackson-Harmsworth polar expedition had detected, what seemed to them, extraordinary inaccuracies in Payer's map of Franz Josef Land. Finding, however, that Mr. Jackson's sledge journeys had only been directed along the very outskirts of the region laid down by Lieut. Payer, I came to the conclusion that the discrepancies pointed out were no greater than might be expected in a part of the map, where the Austrian explorer had obviously meant rather to indicate the presence of some geographical feature, than to give its exact position. I also hoped that Mr. Jackson's persevering endeavours would eventually lead him to some point where he could effect a satisfactory juncture of his own survey with that of his predecessor.