GENERAL INTRODUCTION
youthful Norwegian everywhere provokes the greatest wonder and admiration. In some of his problems there is incorporated work for a lifetime. Though but twenty-seven years old at his death, he had gained wide distinction by his discoveries in the theory of elliptic functions and was highly eulogized by Legendre.
Norway has also produced the distinguished Arctic explorer, Frithiof Nansen, who in 1888, with three other brave Norwegians and two Lapps, crossed Greenland from the east to the west on about the 65th degree north latitude. This crossing was done on skees, a kind of long snow shoes, and with small sleds, on which they carried their provisions. An account of this first and only crossing of Greenland was published by the explorer, and it is universally conceded that he not only performed a feat of the greatest courage and bravery, but that he also made important contributions to our fund of geographical and scientific knowledge. Nansen has also presented a new plan for reaching the great goal of all Artic explorers, the North pole, by following the current supposed to flow from the New Siberian islands across or near the North pole to the sea between Spitzbergen and east Greenland. On his memorable voyage he did not quite reach the goal of his ambition, but he touched the North Pole of Norse courage and adventure.
Ask the Icelanders whether they have produced any name of world-wide reputation, and that whole little island will unite in shouting Albert Thorwaldsen, and the mountains of Iceland will re-echo “Thorwaldsen.” He was descended from Snorre Thorfinson, who was born in America (Vinland) in the year 1008, and though born of humble parents, he succeeded in developing his talents and became the greatest sculptor of modern times.
I have enumerated only a few of the many services rendered to the world by the Scandinavians. I could easily have added a discussion of such brilliant names as Hans Christian Andersen, Grundtvig, Tegnér, Bellman, Rydberg, Holberg, Wergeland, Bjornson, Ibsen, Snorre Sturleson, Gudbrand Vigfusson, Gade, Hartmann, Grieg, Svendson,
viii
