Nansen’s voyage is for the present the final achievement of Arctic exploration, but his Greenland method of deserting his base has been followed by Andree, who in the autumn of 1897 started in a balloon for the Pole, provisioned for a long stay in the Arctic regions. Nothing has been heard of him for the last twelve months, but after the example of Dr. Nansen there is no reason to fear just at present for his safety, and the present year may possibly see his return after a successful carrying out of one of the great aims of geographical discovery. It is curious that the attention of the world should be at the present moment directed to the Arctic regions for the two most opposite motives that can be named, lust for gold and the thirst for knowledge and honour.
[Authorities: Greely, Handbook of Arctic Discoveries, 1896.]
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY
B.C.
cir. 600. Marseilles founded.
570. Anaximander of Miletus invents maps
and the gnomon.
501. Hecataeus of Miletus writes the first
geography.
450. Himilco the Carthaginian said to
have visited Britain.
446. Herodotus describes Egypt and Scythia.
cir. 450. Hanno the Carthaginian sails
down the west coast of
Africa as far as Sierra Leone.
cir. 333. Pytheas visits Britain and the
Low Countries.
332. Alexander conquers Persia and visits
India.
330. Nearchus sails from the Indus to
the Arabian Gulf.
cir. 300. Megasthenes describes the Punjab.
cir. 200. Eratosthenes founds scientific
geography.
100. Marinus of Tyre, founder of mathematical
geography.
60-54. Caesar conquers Gaul; visits Britain,
Switzerland, and Germany.
20. Strabo describes the Roman Empire.
First mention of Thule
and Ireland.
bef. 12. Agrippa compiles a Mappa
Mundi, the foundation of
all succeeding ones.
A.D.
150. Ptolemy publishes his geography.
230. The Peutinger Table pictures the
Roman roads.
400-14. Fa-hien travels through and describes
Afghanistan and India.
499. Hoei-Sin said to have visited the
kingdom of Fu-sang, 20,000
furlongs east of China (identified by
some with California).
518-21. Hoei-Sing and Sung-Yun visit and
describe the Pamirs and the
Punjab.
540. Cosmas Indicopleustes visits India,
and combats the sphericity
of the globe.
629-46. Hiouen-Tshang travels through Turkestan,
Afghanistan, India,
and the Pamirs.
671-95. I-tsing travels through and describes
Java, Sumatra, and India.
776. The Mappa Mundi of Beatus.
851-916. Sulaiman and Abu Zaid visit China.
861. Naddod discovers Iceland.
884. Ibn Khordadbeh describes the trade
routes between Europe and
Asia.
cir. 890. Wulfstan and athere sail to
the Baltic and the North Cape. cir. 900.
Gunbioern discovers Greenland.
912-30. The geographer Mas’udi describes