The Opelousas courier., 1886-10-09
AndIEgow the south Pole.
THE SECRETS OF THE DEsoLATE AND
DEADLY ANTARCTIC REGIoN-THE
AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITIONS.

s a AFEDlIION. i
-
The Providence journal in a recent
issue says: While Col. Glider and his
one companion are pushing their way
into the North, striving, it is to be
feared, after the unattainable, the
thought of the Southern hemisphere is
turning once more to adventure 10 the
still more desolate and deadly Antarc-
tic region. The Victorian Government
Is said to be encouraging an expedition
Of this nature, and would apparently
be glad to obtain the loan of a vessel
from the British Admiralty. How far
the project has progressed, or precisely
the share of the government in it, does
not yet appear. II may come to moth
ing, but be quietly allowed to drop If
ter mature consideration of the risks
involved, as was the similar undertak
ing of Baron Nordenskjold two years
ago, and as weie the projects of the
Argentine Republic and of Sir A.
Young a few years earlier. And that,
doubtless, would be the wiser course,
unless, as is intimated, the object of
the Australians is simply to seek new
Whaling grounds that are easy of ac-
! cess With our present appliances, all
Journeys of mere geographical research
and adventure into the polar regions
seem foolhardy. The knowledge we
have obtained in the North has been
far too dearly bought. That 10 he
ravished from the South is likely to be
yielded up only at u still higher cost.
For what we know Of the fsigld
southern zone is well calculated 4" APP
pail the quiet dweller on The land, and
to give wen the spirit of adventure
pause. 1t is ii region of utter aesola-
6 ton. No man dwells on this %aIstipodal
continent; no man ever wintereti
{: there no quadruped lives there. 1t is
) a region of b~cwildering currents, of
eternal fogs, of lofty mountain ranges,
of tremendous ice barriers and OF 81
gantic fields of ice thrust far into the
north. Aud, since they must be stpa
rated from Inhabited lands by wide ex-
panses of sea, and without any reliance
for food other than what they them
selves carry, shipwrecked travellers
i there would be cut off from all hope ut
i escape, and would certainly perish of
starvation or cold. For 4 the Victoria
Government to attempt to push a sin
gle vessel, even under steam, where
Ross took the Erebus and Ferrni on his
!, famous voyage forty three years ago
would therefore be suicidal. The AID
venture is to be made, if made ut all,
! only at great expense and by provid.
: ing through IN extra vessel the means
of retreat aud succor.
= These facts, and the remoteness from
the starting point, are dnnbtless re-
sponsible in the main foi the disfavol
into which Antarctic exploration has
fallen. Thete.was never, Of course, the
practical stimulus which first made
Arctic adventure tile fashion, though il
was prosecuted with great energy fol
some years half a century ago, and
!. notably by Rnssia. by France. by Eng
land and by America, IN the memorable
voyage of Capt. Wilkes in I84l. which
clearly disclosed the Formidable nature
Of tho southern ice barrier But
though he discovered so much of IN
te,est to geography and science, and
though Ross added SO much more tt
the worlds knowledge in the three
succeeding years. virtually nothing ha:
since been done TO continue their work
! save, perhaps, ~ the soundiugs of the
Challenger on the edge of the Antarc
!, tic have indicated the existence OF !
= cifcumpniar continent.
: IL in not likely that the inactivity
will long continue. The knowledge o
terrestrial magnetism, of ocean currents
/ and Of mftcorology that has meantiln,
:. been gained In the Arctic is each yea
filling Sciettific men with greater long
y inc to unlock the secrets Of the Antare
: tic, In fact. fH more than a Year thu
British Association has beer ~aetivel,
= stimulating adventures 90 the renewa
Of work III the South With the AL
!; yantages now possessad IN steam, i
the development Of sledgiag appliance
!; aud III the perfection aF Instrument
aud methods of scientific observation
much valuable knowledge may doubt
20 less be CLEANED without nhsait ilsk dur
! inc a few weeks of summer. The Sc
s. rions part of the business is that seieHc,
i. ia not satisfied to keep pace with II
own facilities it demands what eai
! only be- obtained by the exhibition .
the greairst fnrtitnde and the lncnr
ring of extreme danger. And .lespit'
the advancement made, the danger
: SURF oundiug the search after new latl
4 tndes in the Antarctic are still y
dreadful that only heartiess curinsit.
would encourage III reckless foolhardi
II ness undertake. lt.
The Australians viii d. we'll, there
!, fore, to keep science and the scientist
well ii tile background. The gfea
scarcity of the whalebone, the con
stanily increasing demand for it, an
IS the consequent high price, wllicl
II makes oise Of these marine animal
now worth about $1,000, furnish III in
SEPARATION tn investigation too great I
be hazarded by yielding to the unie
Or strained curiosity OF geographers an
llt scientists. The Antarctic Ocean liza
hitherto yielded whale and seal fisher
fl les Of no great value, aud whether tlIef
il. may be found III its icy waters othe
ed and readily accessible liannts of tll
ey Bal@na mysticetus is somewhat doubt
il. full. Sir John Ross reported that b
saw immense Numbers of these whale
on his famous voyage, but the occa
se sional s~lbsequen lit efforts of the Ne
ts Bedford wiaalers and others to explna
these unknown waters have never MI
with any commercial snccess. But "
know 80 little about these ice slnmai.
~ ships. and the desirability, IL not til
probability, Of discovering new fshin
grounds iii 50 great that the granting /