Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-10-09
ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.
rnoM rHr Lospos srrerAron.


Knight DEL Oxon FRS, &c. With plates, maps
and wood cuts. In two volumes.
In 1888 the British Association for the Advancement
Science passed some resolutions the importance of havn
simultaneous series of magnetic observations and sugges
ed the localities in which they should be made well
points TO which attention should be directed The region
pointed out by the resolutions fitted for stations Cana
da, st Helena, Van Deman's Land and Maurus, or th
Cape OF Good Hope the desiabeness Of having similar oh
servatons made Gin the high southern attitudes between tn
meridans of New Holland and Cape Horn, also sug
gesled The points to be regarded in the magnetic obsera
tons were the hrce elements of horizontal direction dip
and Intensity their theoretical equivalents also thei
hourly changes, and, appointed days. their momenta
fluctuations" committee appointed to press the sub
Jec upon the Government and the President and Council
the Royal Society he acknowledged advisers OF Government
IN matters OF sclence having srenuousy supported the view
OF the Association the undertaking resolved upon.
the same time 1t was considered that Antarctic exploration
might be combined with magnecal observation Two yes
sells were accordingly fitted up with all the precautions ant
provisions necessary for voyage in those high southern a
udes, and placed under command Of Sir James Ross His
leading instructions land the and their in
strumens ST. Helena, the Cape and Van Demens Land
to establish himself for certain periods certain places the
Southern Seas to carry the magnetic observations
shore and in the intervals OF time endeavor penetrate
Jects OF discovery should best in his discretion
Besides making the passage and home with occasional
visits to New Zealand Van Diemens Land and New South
Wales Sir James Ross remained some time at the Falkland
Islands and St. Martins Cove in the immediate vicinity of
Cape Horn for the purposes of scientific observation
e His most interesting voyages, however, three in
NUMBER and all directed towards high southern attitudes In
the first skng the eastern discoveries of Beany made
in 1885, Sir James Ross penetrated beyond the 18th degree
Of south latitude; discovered seeming continent ad down
on the latest maps as Victoria Land and traced from the
10th 10 the 18th degree of latitude He then stopped by
perpendicular barrier OF Ice from 80 to 800 feet height and
Of above the masheads of the vessels so that nothing
could be distinctly beyond except one place. nor could
be reached This barrier too examined well the
difficulties and the allowed the position of the mag
netic pole determined and approached within 100 miles
spot was sought where the expedition might winter and
attempt an overland expedition in the spring plant the
national flag on the south magnetic pole, Sir James had
previously done upon the north but the approach winter
the formation of ice the and the in which loose
pieces quickly became CONCEALED mass compelled the expe-
dillon to return This voyage made northern win
ter OF ls40-4l the summer of the southern hemisphere As
far distance goes the explorers about
degrees beyond Cooks uhes and about three degrees and
half beyond Weddell in 1923.
Such progress not made but under favorable ccum-
stances both OF accident and In latitude Go they
encountered pack through which they had force their
way for upwards of two hundred miles but after that the sea
was comparatively clear and the navigation comparatively easy
I'll they approached the region where, in season of the
year equivalent to August England the thermometer was
at 2 and at noon did not rise above lac and the presence
OF iclcles alone the idea that it thawed We say
comparatively, because the navigation still bese by the
difficulties incidental to those high attitudes cebergs crowd
ing the ocean and involving ncessant caution for gs and
snow storms often turned the day into night passage had
sometimes to he made through newly ice by cutting
way or rolling the ships boats upon the and of
the worst points OF the voyage, the waves they broke
the ships oze they fell decks and rigging and
covered our clothes with thick coating of ice so that the
people suffered severely during the continuance Of the gale
although before the middle of the southern August Nothing
IN tlrth Int the al.
some OF his people, with the extraordinary preparation of his
ships enabled the navgaors take advantage of avora
BILE circumstances in which they found themselves.
The second voyage, made with the object of following out
the previous discoveries less successful but the perse
verance equally great the hadhps and danger very much
greater They made but thirty miles week, be-
fore crossing the Antarctic circle Of calm fog
and snow storms They enanged at an early period in
pack Of ice whence they emerged for thousand miles
but sometimes forced way through it, when the wind served
and the ice Permed sometimes drilled with it backwards
forwards as the pack itself swayed by the Antarctic
sometimes stood D and o In of water made
little way each vessel fastened to the opposite sides of foe
OF ice, to avoid accidents parting company Yet though
nothing done regards actual discovery the nautical
maxim Of pushing the very last illustrated in remark
able manner the importance of not yielding to difficulties
The setting Of the winter required us to bring our
operations the higher southern ATTITUDES close and seek
temperate climate in which to pass the winter And
although hopes of extended during the season
had been frustrated by protraced aud tedious
the pack and the difficulties of penetrating than
and exerons companions still the time that
consumed in that laboous and agung left us only
few days OF the worst part of the
We had, however, during that brief attained
somewhat higher latitude than last year we had traced the
continuation OF the barrier of ice degrees of longitude
further to the eastward and had extended
large portion OF the hitherto unexpored parts those
gions amount OF which, whilst struggling in the
pack, few OF us could have anticipated"
The third voyage only penetrated 7lo 30 on the same
parallel Weddells C0o TO 200 Of west longitude when
pack OF ice and the advanced prevented all efforts to
proceed further As close and survey the wea-
he and that region permits had previously made the
Shetland group latitude about $50 Go and longitude
500 to 100, including Graham Land, and the Terre Louis
Philippe, discovered by DUrviIle.
In voyages Of this kind the first object scientific ts and
accurate report of them which, of course somewhat
terieres with popular aactiveness The soundngs of the
ocean, its temperature at different depths the observation of
currents the bearings Of Objects the variation Of the magnet
anil the minute detail Of other facts and phenomena however
interesting and suggestive to the geogaphe land they
highly So have only an occasional attraction for the public
large while their continual repetition which absolute
necessity, inerfcres with the narrative and aens well
suspends It, The fomaity and retnue OF official response
by increase cngthncss by the detail prescribed and the for
NAL compliments apparently required Notwithstanding these
necessary drawbacks the volumes before in the main
attractive general readers There is the excitement
attached to voyages of discovery, and the interest attending
hardshps borne and dangers and difficulties The
Antarctic scenery rather enumerated than described for the
style of the book somewhat literal but still it is there The
enormous icebergs studdng the oceanthe still ice-eds
stretching away every direction clashng and grinding
under the influence of the stomthe mountains caed in