AFTER the results of the last English Arctic Expedition, and the criticism with, which it met on its unexpected return, one would have thought that Arctic exploration in the old lines had become a thing of the past, or at least that it would only be carried on in a very much modified form, after the method, say, proposed by Lieut. Weyprecht, On the contrary, the desire to reach the Pole has become. apparently, keener than ever. There is every reason to believe that Capt. Howgate's scheme, to found a colony of Polar knights at Lady Franklin Bay, will be approved of by the U.S. Congress. Mr. Gordon Bennett, whose zeal for the promotion of knowledge is happily not short-lived, is to send out the Pandora by the Spitzbergen route on a similar quest, and it is rumoured that Mr. Stanley is to lead the forlorn hope. Prof. Nordenskjöld takes up the task laid down as hopeless 300 years ago, of finding a north-east passage; and last, but really first in point of time, a little Dutch expedition left Ymuiden on the 6th inst. for a six months Arctic cruise. Since the stirring times of William Barentz, the Dutch have had much to do to keep their heads above water, but now that they have got well out of difficulties, it is gratifying to find that they are turning their attention in a direction in which long ago they won much glory and did good service. The appropriate name of the little schooner of eighty tons, in which the expedition sailed is the Willem Barentz. The expedition is commanded by the Dutch naval pfficer, J. J. de Bruyne, with Lieutenants L. R. Koolemans Beynen and H. M. Speelman, second and third in command, accompanied by a small corps of scientific experts and a crew of eight men, fourteen all told. The first point which the expedition purposes visiting will be Jan Mayen Land, next steering its course for the north-west coast of Spitzbergen to Amsterdam Island, examining the edge of the west ice en route. Smeerenburg, in this island, was the principal seat of operations of the Dutch Northern Company, and some days will be spent here in looking out and marking the graves of Dutchmen, several of whom died on the island when in the service of the Company in the winters of 1633-34 and 1634-35. It is expected that about July 15 the expedition will proceed to Novaya Zemlya, probably calling at Bear Island, and, after restoring the Dutch landmarks at these various points, will attempt to penetrate as far as possible to the north-west from the coast of Novaya Zemlya at the latest period of the navigable season, returning home before the winter. The expedition on which the Willem Barentz sails is purely national, having been organised exclusively by means of the voluntary contributions of the Dutch. The Willem Barentz has been specially constructed at Amsterdam for the service, and fitted with all the modern appliances of an Arctic ship. An English photographer, Mr. W. J. A. Grant, accompanies the expedition. Every opportunity possible will be availed of by the expedition to make observations in magnetism, meteorology, zoology, and natural history, together with deep-sea soundings, and the ascertaining of the direction and force of the currents in the Barentz Sea and surrounding waters. None of the four expeditions we have spoken of will be watched with more kindly interest than that in the Willem Barentz.