Dr. Nansen's Lecture

The leotnre by Dr. Fridtjof Nansen in University hall Tnesaay evenng wa a Btirprise and delight to the large audieuoe tbat gathered to hear it. I and been asserted by those who clairuec to know tbac the leotnre would be ïnuob after the style of that of Henry M Stanley, the Afrioan explorer, who lec tured here sonie years ago. That i wonld be dnll, dry and uninteresting Such, however, was not the oase. Nan sen bad a good story to teil aud he told it iu such an interesting manner.in spite of the little difflonty he at times exper ieuced with bis Euglish, that althoagh it lasted for nearly two hours the large audience listened mtently nutil the last word of nis peroratiou was nttered before they left their seats ot prepared to put on tneir wraps. He told of bis theories regardiug the currents in the polar seas; of the building of tbe Fram, the strongest vessel thac ever attempted to pierce the ice wall on the polar sea, and desoribed the nianner in whioh she was souietimes sqneezed between the ice floes and her bbility to withstand these inde embraces. He spoke of the new soientiflo disooveries that had been made and the faots that bad been established by the voyage of the Fram. He told of the life on board the ship during the loog Arotio night, the amusements they had and the routine of duties that had to be observed by each of the party and of the remarkable good bealth enjoyed by all. Of the latter he said, "No conutry in the world is as healthful as ihe northern land. No gerros can live there, and the olear, pure air, sends the blood bouuding through the veins, to the very great benefit of the parfy, so far as health is couoerned. So per fect was the condition of the men that the ship's doctor found in the dogs hiá only patients. These dogs wera obaiued in Siberia, and were eitber worked to death or killed by Johanssen and Nansen in their sledge jouruey across the ice to Franz Joser Land.!' He then carne to the most interestinc part of his lectore, the story of his own and Johanssen's jonruey aoross the ice in search of land in the farther north. It was a journey full of incidents and hair breadth escapes from imminent danger. The highest latitude reached was 86 degrees 40 minutes, the higbest point ever reaohed by man. The temperature all the time beiDg 40 degrees below zero. The peril of this journey was great, as they oould never hope tu flud the Pram again and they bad provisions for only three months. Their jourjaeyings. however, extended over a year and a half and what they had to live on was bear and walrus meat, botb of which they obtained in abundance. The manner in which the 'two men spent Christmas and New Year of 1895-6, Johanssen's adventure with the polar bear, his own narrow escape from death in the ioy sea while swimming to reach the kyacks that were drifting away, his fight with the walrus whioh had torn a hole in his kyack, and the final joyous meeting with Dr. Jackson, of the JackaonHarruswortb expedition were all related in a simple but earnest manner that tonchedall who heard it. The final leturn to Norway on Aug. 13, 1896, the arrival of the Fram and his brave comrades a few days after and the reunion of the whole party, togsther with a brief mention of Andree, the balloonist, and his (Nansen's) belief that he was still alive and would be heard from next year wound up tbe lecture. The lecture was illustrated with stereopticou views made from photographs taken by Nanseu and Johanssen on the trip, and sketches by tbem'. They were wonderfully clear and most beautifully illustrated the text of the lecture. Particularly gtriking wers the pictnres showing the wonderfal effects of the moonlight ou the ice, and the wonders of the aurora borealis were also shown clearly in colors. At the conclusión of the leoture a pleasant surprise carne to Dr. Nansen in the advent on the platform of a young lady student at the Normal school, Ypsilanti, who oame from his own native town in Norway. Then Norse met Norse and a most animated conversaticn ensued about the old Nor wegian home and their corumon acquaintances tbere.