The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-10-03 00:00:00

THE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.

(Abridged from the Literary Gazette.)
We congratulate the country on the happy return of
one of the most memorable expeditions ever rccorded in
English history ; an expedition fortunate in every respect,
in the outfit provision made for its success, in the intre-
pidity and skill of its conduct throughout, in the perfect
accomplishment of all its scientific objects, in the con-
tinued health and preservation of the human beings ex-
posed to its perils and privations, in the harmony which
has never for a moment been interrupted among officers
and men by jealousies or misbehaviour, and finally, in
its auspicious arrival at home, after four years of brave
and unwearied exertion, in safety, to be crowned with the
rewards and honours'so nobly earned from an admiring
and grateful nation. Justly may Great Britian be proud
of this achievement; and sure we are that its glory will
not be felt by Britain alone, but be acknowledged by the
whole civilised world, to which, as well as to ourselves,
its interesting and important results in science belong.
The exam ptary humanity and prudence of Captain James
Ross, Captain Crozier, and their gallant companions in-
trusted with the command and direction of the undertak-
ing, are above all praise ; and the reciprocating steadiness
and devotedness of the crews of the two vessels are no
less creditable to the national character. Three fine fel-
lows were lost by accident within the four years ;- but
such was the effectual care and management bestowed
during all that time, under every circumstance of toil and
danger, that the first natural death occurred at Rio, on
the homeward voyage, and the first and only corpse was
there committed to the earth. The Erebus, Captain
James Ross, and the Terror, Captain Crozier, left Eng-
land on the 29th Sept., 1839. A magnetic observatory
was established at St. Helena, and the important point of
minimum magnetic intensity—which exist in the portion
of the Atlantic traversed by the expedition—was deter-
mined. An important series of magnetic experiments
were carried out during the subsequent voyages. On Jan.
11, 1840, after passing in safety through vast fields of ice,
they gained a perfectly clear sea, and in lat. 70 47 S. and
long. 172 36 E. land was discovered at the distance of
nearly 100 miles directly in their course and between
them and the pole—the southernmost land ever discovered.
On nearing it, mountain peaks from 9,000 to 12,000 feet
were discovered. A landing was effected, and formal pos-
session taken. On Jan. 23, the expedition, after sailing
along this magnificent land for a long way, reached 74 15
S. the highest southern latitude that had ever been pre-
viously attained. Here strong southerly gales, thick fogs,
and perpetual snow storms, impeded them. On the 28th
a mountain 12,400 feet above the level of the sea was
seen emitting intense flame and smoke in grand profusion.
No appearance of lava streams could be detected on the
surface of the snow. This splendid volcana was named
Mount Erebus. The expedition pursued its course amidst
great difficulties, until only within 157 miles of the pole ;
but were compelled to return owing to the lateness of the
season. Many other discoveries were made. They de-
parted for Van Diemen's Land, April 4. There was not
an individual on the sick list when they landed there.
Ross was warmly welcomed by his old Arctic companion,
Sir John Franklin.—Second year. In this expedition
the voyagers were often in a position of appalling jeopardy.
During one violent gale amidst icebergs on Jan. 19, 1842,
the rudder of the Erebus was shattered and that of the
Terror utterly destroyed. The shocks sustained by the
ships for 26 hours were terrific. They fought however
against every obstacle, and traced the barrier of ice which
had impeded them the previous year, about 130 miles fur-
ther eastward, but all bepand was fruitless. A new
course was shaped for Cape Horn, and the ships refitted
at Rio Janeiro. One man fell overboard in a-heavy gale
—the only casualty during 136 days of arduous duty ;
again there was not a man on the sick list.—Third 'fear.
On Dec. 17th. 1812, the expedition sailed from the Falk-
land Islands. The details of the voyage are deeply inter-
esting. A large continent was discovered and taken pos-
session of; and at the extremity of a vast gulf, magnifi-
cent table topped mountains, 7,000 feet high, were seen.
There is no doubt now, that a continent exists to the
northward of the great barrier discovered in 1841 to the east
of Mount Erebus. The ships were much beset by ice and
storms. The observations appear to prove that the sup-
position of there being two magnetic poles of verticity in
the south (as is well known to be the case in the north) is
erroneous, and that there is in reality but one magnetic
pole in the southern hemisphere. Great perils were en-
countered from ice during the latter part of the voyage,
and the expedition was compelled to sail for the Cape of
Good Hope, which it reached on the 4th of April. The
researches of this voyage extended 12 degrees of latitude
beyond those of the previous voyagers in this meridian
(15 W.) viz. Cook, Bellinghaufen, and Biscoe. The tracts
of the enterprising Waddell, were frequently crossed. A
considerable extent of unknown coast was discovered.
The ships arrived off England on the 4th inst. Capt.
Ross's reception at the Admiralty was cordial in the ex-
treme. When at Cape Horn, making magnetometric
observations, the ships fell in with a party of Fugeans, a
most miserable race of creatures, wandering naked
amongst the constantly falling storms of this inclement
region. On their path from Cape Horn to the Falkland
Islands they observed a very dangerous bank, directly in
the line, on which it is probable that many a daring bark
has been lost, whose fate has never been disclosed to mor-
tal ears. On the island on which they landed, in lat.
71.56 S and long. 171.7 E, where they procured speci-
mens of minerals imbedded in the igneous rocks, there
was not the least appearance of vegetation; but was so
densely covered with penguins, which stoutly resisted
their landing, that it was with difficulty they could force
their way throug.l them. The acquisitions to natural
history, geology, geography, but above all towards the
elucidation of the grand mystery of terrestrial magnetism,
raise this voyage to a pre-eminent rank among the great-
est achievements of British courage, intelligence, and
enterprise.