The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-02

The Australian Governments Subsidies
An Expeditions.
New York Tribune.
The rumoxs whsch hays been current
during the last few years 10 the effect that
Baron Sordsnskjold was about 10 under
take az expedition 90 the south poie, have
81 length assumed practical form, and nj
the recent meeting of she Royal Academy
~ Science At Stockholm the successful
navigator OF the northeast passage an
nounccd that he had made arrangements
10 start on his voyage OF Antarctic explora-
ton IN the summer OF 1881. The Austral-
ian governments have already placed q
sum OF S2o.ao At his disposal for the pur-
pose. and Mr.. Oscar Dickson. the snLght-
ened and muniicenf patron Of his former
expeditions. has contributed similar sum.
The conditions in the Antarctic are, how
ever. very different from what they are IN
the seas around the northern pole. and If
good results are 10 he obtained, viii prob
ably Involve considerably larger outlay
than the so. Go already subscribed Among
other things il will be necessary 20 spend
first winter as far south rs possible. and
that in Itself will be costly affair.
Baron Nordensk iold has been so sue
experience in all conditions Of ice. that
his determination TO embark upon the ex-
petition in question implies his confidence
OF achieving great results. As the extent
of the latter. however, viii in measure
depend on the amount OF money IT the
disposal OF the promoters of the undersak-
ing. We trust in the interests OF universal
science that the baron's appeal To the
world for additional contributions toward
the enterprise, which was contained in his
address 70 the Swedish Academy of
Science. will meet with the generous re-
Spouse which il deserves.
Although the Antarctic ocean attracted
scientific and geographical attention long
before the Arctic sea did. yet much less is
known OF it than OF the latter the totally
unexp!ored regions of the two bearing the
proportion OF almost three 10 one. The
nasigators who have attempted 10 peae-
trate the great precipitons walls OF ice SO
graphically described by Captain Cock as
encircling the southern pole are few in num-
Der; and the highest point touched by
Commodore Wilkes. OF the United States
navy, in is4a. and by Sir James Ross, OF
the British service. year later. falls far
short OF the latitude reached by many of
the northern expeditions.
The results achieved hy the two com
manders in question were limited 10 the
discovery of barren and sinister-looking
coast, crowned by two lofty volcanoes OF an
altitude OF some Is 600 feet, which received
the appropriate names OF Mount Terror
and Mount Erebus. The two officers noied,
moreover, that none of the islands OF the
far south showed traces OF being inhabited
by any land mammals, differing in this
respect from the Arctic regions. where
large and varied animals have been OBJ
served almost as far north as man has
penetrated. Since these discoveries. half a
century ago. no further expedition has
been sent out IN the direction of the south
pole. all the efforts of explorers being con-
centrated around the northern pole OF the
globe. The consequence is that the Ant
arctic regions remain 10 this day shrouded
in almost as impenetrable a mystery as
they were in the past century, when they
Egured on the maps of the period as
Terra Aastrslis ineognita-