Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-21
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 81, 1890.
THE AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC EXPEDI
TION

The Australian colonies are at present
preparing to send out an expedition for
a fuller exploration OF the Antarctic re-
gions- This idea is the resumption of a
scheme brought forward in the end Of
1887.
The home government did not at that
time acquiesce in the request of the
colonies for financial cooperation, and
the motion was temporarily laid on the
table. The Australians, however. have
resolved to try the venture on their own
resources. They are fortunate in hav-
ing obtained the assistance and sympa-
thy OF Baron Nordenskjold, in some re-
spects the most experienced polar au-
thority living.
The baron has been SO successful in
the past in laying down the lines of Arc
tic explorations, that there would be
the greatest hopes OF success for any
Antarctic scheme with which he may be
concerned. His proposition is that the
expedition shall start in the autumn of
next year, though it is understood that
he himself will not accompany the party.
But he has had number of capable
colleagues in his former expeditions,
and from among them it is most likely
a leader will be obtained.
No serious exploration of these regions
has ever been made in steam vessels.
The Challenger, in its heightened cruise,
merely crossed the Antarctic circle.
The world is possessed OF infinitely
less definite knowledge concerning the
south pole than it is OF the north. But
what has been discovered has stimu-
lated desire for further and more re-
liable information.
That great land-mass or continent
covers the south-polar area is now gen.
orally believed by those most familiar
with these latitudes. Some OF the most
substantial results in this region have
been contributed by the expeditions of
Wilkes and Dumont D'Urville in 1910.
To the intrepid investigations of Ross,
in 1912, we owe the discovery of Vic,
toria Land, with its majestic noun
tains, its active volcano Mount Erebus,
over $1,000 feet high, and its great ice
wall.
Those who are interested in the pro-
posed expedition in Australia are doubt
less correct in believing that thorough
acquaintance with Antarctic conditions
would be OF great service to that conti-
nent, the climate of which is unques-
tionably controlled, to large extent,
by these conditions.
Arctic exploration has been of the
utmost benefit to the northern hemi-
sphere in the development OF the whal-
ing industry. A similar advantage may
confidently be looked for from this ex-
ploration of the extreme southern ocean.
That the Antarctic continent, if it
really exists-it may be an archipelago
is covered with a thick ice-sheet there
can be no doubt. 1t is also equally GER
tain that the character of the land diff
fers from that Of Greenland. This sci
entists believe to be proved by the
table-shaped form of the icebergs met
with in these latitudes. so different from
the rugged masses common to the Arctic
seas.
That the primitive home of humanity
of all life indeed-may have been the
north pole, many sober men of science
believe. The assertion that Greenland,
even in the tertiary (or first period of
the age of mammals) had climate like
that OF southern Europe has been estab-
lished.
If similar conditions are found to have
existed in the Antarctic continent as
formerly did in Greenland, an addition
of great value will be contributed to one
of the most interesting problems of sci
ence.