, 1877-02-17
FAMILIAR TALK.


A q filling supplement 10 the account Of the
experience IN Polar EeAs Of the Austrian Arctic
Expedition Of tsi2-'s1+, which Is given in The
preceding columns. We present the following
slight sketch Of the most important cxplora-
tions hitherto made in the Antarttlc regions.
In consequence Of the prepodcra,,ce OF the sea
over the dry land In the southern hemisphere,
the temperature ts very much colder In hisl,
6otstheTn ATTITUDES than in correspond
sng parallels II tic North, where
large continents form an s1mo.t continuous
circle around the Poiar Sea. Tho thermometer
has been known 10 rise in summer In spitz-
bergen 10 \ 8sI deg: Ia Melville Island
81 deg. II min. ny Il has risen 10 X Is itg.;
while in 70 deg. % min. N. l.. the mean temper
aturc OF tho summer muntls Is x zoe e.S. In
the Antarctic Polar area. On the other hand, slr
James Ross never once noted, In three summers
spent ID exploration in It's acas, a rlso Of tenn
pcsaturc above x Al , &; while tho tnean tenn
peraturc of the summer months within the
Antarctic Circle wat only x area.
10 sihesia and the Nudson's Bay territories
vaat forests exist iu high latltudea; and in
favored places the cereals may be cultivated as
far North a the roth parallel; but, IN the
South, no vegetation, not eyen a moss or a
lehcn, has been observed beyond q deg.
y mln.. 3. Lat. Polar, bears, and the
traces Ct foxes and hares, were observed br
Lieut., Payer 10 Ftanz-Josef Land, north Of The
sI s parallel: lut not !ana-quadr.:;
deg. Ut Southern Latitude The sea never
freezes around the Farce 1slunls, whereas
the New Shetland Islands, lying fiji ncarly the
same latitude ~ the south (ol deg. VI mini,
Tie large 1Alatl Of auutl Georgta, having
situation In Southern seas corresponding TO that
q ths s:, Nortf'efn cotnties Of Enrland II dcg:
O. s.r. !n.t; !, drfery ry waste 1.-The w'!d
expedition. "rascd their totty submits til they
were lost Ia the clouds, aud tttc valley lay COW
cred will everlasting snow. Not tree was be
seen,-pot :sntrb escn big enouEl! to make
coarse, ssrong.hfaded grass. growing IN Tufts,
Wild burntt, aud plant like moss, sLicl sprung
ffs'm the rtrkt." In the .ArctIC. regions sucl
Dc dssoiation docs not prevail unt!l distance Of
Although no lana-quadrupcds are found tt-
yond the c0th deg. VI Southern Latitude. innu-
nierable sca-b!rls inhablt the hlghest parallels;
anlmals alouud q ali thc Antarctic waters.
One Of the earliest rayigators uf the Antarctic
feas was Dirk Gheritz, d Dutch sailor, who,
VI Thus On .,oen ~1s,lns so,,y y,,9yyaEs, " l.iv.n
and thu. uniatent!onally discovered the New
Shetland Islands, In 1900. After HIN, at Tariolls
Intervals, aIven:urous mariners rowing the seas
H. quess of nsw lands, or drifting heltlsssly be-
lt4C LUZ HllG$t lEuekINkEN &EIU nlIu GQQ%nEfu
ATTITUDES, and touched the shores II numerous
Islands until then unknown.
The iirst navigator Who entered the Antarctic
Circle with the 4etlnltc, purpose Of scientific e1-
from Plymouth, Englond. In lT3, and ior three
years efnise1 about In the southern and Pacific
Oceans. This famous discoverer Travelled over
= space Of l00 deg. VI longitude south OF the
vented hls advance Beyond Il deg, 5. l.. ln
1919, n. Smith, Master Ia the Royal Navy Of
Engiand, was borne out oil 'hts course
Y pHrt pssfsr;ssh shstH; gnlss and reai:eovsred
Capt; Wetidcll, sealer, reached tho latitude a
deg. Ii miu. g., three degrees beyond the lati-
tulc attuinsd by Capt. Cook, aud within about
l,CD mites af the South Pole. 1a 1881, Bscoe
0ud ia 1850. balcuy for the ilrst time laid down
sabrlna Laud 10 deg. $. L.
1u 1857, houls Philippe dispatched m Ant
tuiral Duuont d'Urville, which, dusing three
years. voyage, discovered Louis PAlllppe's Lanu
10y Dig. - min. =; Lat.). anu Adele Land, uan.
ed after his wlle (o8 drg. u mtn. s. Lat.h to-
tue same time, tho Government Of the United
Ytatea lifted out m expedition, In charge Of
Lieut.. Wilkes. which spent four wears navigat.
!,:. lnE unknDwn g's portions Of ths Aatalstlg
IN the Southern aeas wus that made hy Sir
James Ross. ln tho years l591-1b43. Capt. Russ
,s'*1 ,n y, ,,.1 5es sp y, en, M i1
~ cetnia.nd,-a gallant officer who died With
For two months Capt. hoss prosecuted selen-
tlils researches at kefguelcn Island. aud then
ISL, lle erUtsed the AnlarytEc Circle, ai.d on tic
1lth of Jauuary CAME In sight OF land rising In
two lofty moLuln!upsaks, exceeding 800 feet
In height, and Visible for more than q htindret
f,ttfR In hJ1rn nf h ett>
discovered regton Nas called Victoria Land. but
It was tnaby days before the Captain, with
boat,s crew, was a5lc to effect lant!ing. The
small ISLAND, Joined By ice. to tue mainland, on
plant tue British 1aG, was situated In Is deg.
y mln. 8. Lat. Continuing his course east.
ward near the shores Of long stretch Of
land, magnificent mountatu-tbaln was sighted
amid which Two volcanic peaks towercd,-the
one named atuunt Erebus 81 deg. . .nln. W 10
height OF r. 400 feet abuvc the level OF the
sra, mud the other, named Mount Tcrrur, to tho
Muunt Errbus was In state Of eruption, and
on ono ocesslon WAS observed by tho
explorers ''to emit smoke aud namc III
unusual qu.ntittss, pFoauslpe : most grand
.. xsams ese 81 e's @ m es
farre, ~ vertical column, 10 ahelght Of be.
twcen 100 aud 5000 feet alurc thu mouth OF
ths crater; when, condens'tig first at !ts upper
par:, i aeseended In mtst or snow, anl gradually
exhibition OF the salns kind tn about lal& au
hour Afterwards, although the Intervals between
the esupsious wcrs BY no nIeans regular. Tho
diameter ot tho columns Of ssIoke WIS between
20U aud 300 feet, - near rs VIZ could measured 1t.
Whenever ths smoke cleared away, brtght-red
fame, that hltct the mouth of the crater, was
clearly perceptihle; and sotnc 0! tho officers be-
down il. sides until lost beneath thc .nov,
Which dcacendea IRON d few hundred feet below
the centre. and projected IL perpendicular Ivy