It is pointed out that it is possible that Dr Nansen may have been sailing home ward through the Kara Sea. since he sent his message from the New Siberian Islands to Kolyak, in North-eastern Siberia; but it seems improbable that he could have crossed that eea in the winter months. Possibly ho has been wintering in Novaya SSomila* and despatched a mes senger from there to the Obi or Potchora. In defence of the genuineness of the news, it is argued that Dr Nansen, who in I8&3 set out to drift with his ship Pram across the Polar Sea. proposed to start from the New Siberian Islands, lying off the ooast of Siberia, near Kplymsk- If ho found land in the high latitudes near the Polo and at the Pole itself, he would perhaps have to retrace his steps instead erf crossing the Polar circle to emerge at the north of Greenland. If he has done this he may have reached the New Siberian Islands again last autumn, for news travels slowly from places as remote as Kolymsk. Captain Hovgaard, of Copenhagen, who took part in Nordenskjbld’s Yega expedi tion, believes that Dr Nansen has reached his destination. Dr Nansen, ho thinks, wr s< either driven by the ioe towards Franz Josef’s Land, discovered the land supposed to lie near "W ran gel Island, and thus reached the North Pole; or he had a sum mer with an unusually favourable state of the ice, wintered on the said land, reached his destination, and then returned last autumn, too late to continue his journey through the Behring Straits or the Kara Sea, and, therefore, made for Siberia. He may then have entered into communica tion with the Siberian authorities through the natives exactly as Nordenskjold did in 1878. Captain Hovgaard thinks it very interesting that Dr Nansen's communica tion came exactly the same way as Norden skjold’a on that occasion, and also at the same time of the year, from which he in fers not only that Dr Nanaon had reached the North Pole, bub also that his ship is safe, for her loss would certainly, have been announced by him. ->

IN DEFENCE OF THE CIGARETTE.
