Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-16
THE SOUTH POLE.
What We Know Of It-A Wall OF Ice $50
Feet High.

Feet High.
The golden age Of Antarctic discovery
arrived when Captain (atterward SIT
James, Ross was dispatched from England
in iS4O to tx the position of the south
magnetic pole and any other position he
could discover on the way there, says
CaSssiPs Family Mdgdzbe. Before hoss
could reach the scene of hls labors other
explorers-English, French, and Ameri-
can-were busy forestalling him. OF these
the first was the Englishman Balleny.
who. sailing in Enderby's ship, the
Eliza Scott. discovered IN 1889 the
islands which bear his name, and
which lie almost under the Antarctic
circle. and almost due south from New
Zealand. Baleny could not land on the
islands. but ne made sure Of their exist
ence. and afterwards, sailing FAR to. the
westward, he saw many more signs OF land,
and suspected the existence OF much when
he could not certainly vouch for. What
Balleny thought he saw was probably
much what the French expedition under
Dumont dUryille actually did see IN the
following year-several long lines OF coast,
which might be Joined 20 one another, and
might even run on TO join Endcrby Land
in the west. and. if so. might certainly be
parts of the Antarctic continent that dtr-
vile was anxious 10 find.
Not less anxious was Wilkes, the leader
of the United States exploring expedition,
who, only month after the frenchman,
arrived within degree or two of the Ant
artic circle. 10 the south Of New Zealand,
and after seeing land where Balleny had
certainly seen it. before, began To fancy
that he saw II also where none had seen n
before, and unfortunately where no one
has seen It since. For some days indeed,
Wilkes doubted whether what he beheld
were mountains or clouds. objects which ms
crew watched eagerly 10 see II with
the setting OF the sun they would
change their color. But after running west-
ward along the edge OF the pack Tor a Few
davs. he made sure that he now saw land.
and somewhat incousequently assumed n
for certain that what be had seen before
was land also. The discovery of an Ant
arctic continent was announced as "a cer-
tainty a very large land, wlth a barrier OF
ice before IL, and range OF mountains
upOn IL, was laid down Oh the map; and q
copy of the map was handed by the rash
but generous explorer 10 Ross, who left
Tasmania in the autumn of the same year
10 look for the magnetic pole with the TWO
ships Erebus and Terror, which afterNard
bore Sir John franklin TO hls tate at the
other end of the world.
Ross had 80 little doubt that the Antarc-
tie continent was discovered already that
he seems To have been almost dlsappointed
when his way 10 the magnetic pole was
barred by an unknown land. Yet TINS land,
which lay south Of the seventeenth parallel
and eastward of Balleny's islands, was the
most sOutherly hitherto seen m the World,
and Oh il rose mountains thousands OF ieet
high, plain and mountain alike robed IN
stainless snow except ON the cliffs 10y the
shore. where the black rock came out. ihe
coast ran almost due north and south, and
along its eastern face Ross advanced steadily
| till he had beaten Cooks record and also
Weddells and gone further south than any
| before him. But be could find no landing
place on the main land, SO choked was
! every inlet with snow and zee; only on q
small island were the adyenturers able To
| touch Antarctic earth, few men among
| thousands Of screaming aud biting pen
guins Fresh mountains came constantly
! into view as thew moved southwark; at last
one IN latitude seyenty-seyen degrees. over
which what seemed cloud of snow was
| blowing, but when they came nearer they
saw that the cloud was smoke, and gave
! the name Of Mt. Erebus to giant
volcano higher than htna, which belches
| forth smoke and fire in a land where all
things are frozen Before Ma Erebus
| lies Cape Crozier, and round Cape Crozler
Ross hoped To find a way TO the west
ward, 50 as 10 reach the magnetic pole 10y
the back Of the new land he had found.
But a. they approached they raw stretch
| ing from Cape Crozier, " as far ~ the eye
could discern to the eastward" low,
white line" the nature of which they did
not understand till they came close
enough to see the truth with their eyes.
| 1t was a wall Of ice 100 feet high, wsthout
freak or slope, but one glitteriss, per
Dendicular steep, through which, as Ross
said. one might rs easily pass as through
| the cliffs Of Dover. Along this cleaning
rampant Ross ran eastward tor $50 miles,
and in the succeeding year, ls42, 200 more
without coming to its end, on both OF
which occasions he reached the high
| latitude of 7S degrees south, which has
never since been approached by any man.