Between the discovery of Franz-Josef Land by the Austro-Hungarian Expedition and the expedition of the Duke of the Abruzzi a good deal of exploration had taken place. In 1880 and 1881, Leigh Smith in his yacht _Eira_ reached Franz-Josef Land without much difficulty, and surveyed the coast up to Cape Lofley. The _Eira_, when leaving for the second time, was crushed by the ice near Cape Flora, and sank. The crew built a wretched hovel in which they passed the winter. In the following summer they sailed in their boats to Novaya Zemlya, where they were taken on board a ship which had been sent to their assistance. In 1894, Jackson, in the _Windward_, built a station at Cape Flora, on Northbrook Island, and remained there till the autumn of 1897. He made three expeditions with sledges. In the first two he was prevented from advancing towards the north by stretches of open sea. He reached 81° 20′. In the third journey he went towards the west, making the circuit of Alexander Land. He named the most westerly point of the group “Cape Mary Harmsworth.” The sea to the north was called “Queen Victoria Sea.” In 1898, Wellman in the _Fridtjof_ landed at Cape Tegethoff, and after making some discoveries in the eastern part of Franz-Josef Land, returned home next year in the _Capella_. The Duke of the Abruzzi left Christiania on board the _Polar Star_ on 12th June 1899. It was his intention to proceed to Emperor Franz-Josef Land and attempt from there to reach the North Pole. The expedition was composed of eleven Italians and nine Norwegians. The ship was a whaler, and had been previously named the _Jason_. It had been commanded by Captain Evensen, who retained the command by being appointed captain of the _Polar Star_. The second in command of the expedition was Umberto Cagni, captain in the Italian Navy. Archangel was reached on 30th June. Here 121 dogs were obtained. They had been brought by Trontheim, who was also employed by Nansen. Archangel was left on 13th July; the first ice was met on the 17th, and Northbrook Island was sighted on the 20th July. The five huts left by Jackson at Cape Flora were visited, and a dépôt of provisions for eight months was landed, in addition to five tons of coal. Cape Flora was left on 26th July, and an attempt was made to pass to the north through Nightingale Sound, but the passage was blocked by ice. Next an attempt was made to double Cape Mary Harmsworth, but this also ended in failure. Nightingale Sound was again entered on the 28th July, but in the evening of this day the ship was surrounded by ice-fields, and had to remain near the northern extremity of Bruce Island three days. On the 1st August an attempt was made to bore the ice, but the ship advanced only about 300 yards. Some channels formed on the 3rd and allowed some progress. On the 5th the whaler _Capella_, with Wellman’s party, was sighted near Scott Keltie Island, and Wellman and three of his companions visited the ship.