The morning times., 1896-03-14

Herr BorschgreVink, the now famous
Antarctic explorer, has no ''grey beard
or glittcring eye,i' but he can tell quite
as interesting a story us the ancient
mariner The National Geographic Society
is to be congratulated on bringing the ex-
plorer TO Washington, and especially on
presenting him to the public last night at
Metzerott Hail. as was done felicitously by
President Hubbard OF that society.
There was a large audience present and
Borschgrc Wink talked in the most delightful
and informal way about the wonders of
the south cirCumpolar seas. He was aided
in his exposition by number of admirable
StcFeopticon views, which are all several
degrees below zero.
The pictures are of animals, ice packs
ice flocs. ice blinks, penguins, black pigeons,
spouting whales, whales as engines TO a
threc-ton English bark running al the rate
of three knots an hour, towering iCebergs,
the ancient mariner himself Lane cling whale
narrow escapes from drowning in flaws
in the fee and a thousand other things which
are worth dollars in gold TO Jules Verne
and the other romancers.
HAD HIS ALBATROss.
Singularly enough Mariner Borschgrey-
ink was followed into the extreme South by
an albatross. One of the most interesting
OF his living antarctic pictures was one Of a
full length portrait of a penguin which had
reached the extraordinary height of five
feet in his stockings Herr Borschgrev-
ink secured three of these gigantic birds,
which n ehaS distributed among the museums
OF Europe.
There is good deal fpoetry in the make
up of Herr BOrschgrevink, for nothing
could be more beautiful than his word pic
lures of The giories OF the ice pinnacles and
other components of the Southern scenery
in the magical glow of the midnight sun.
His description OF the aurora australis was
also very beautiful. tits not a sheet of lurid
flame as the aurora borealls is, but hangs
down like curtain of vivid mystic light,
fold upon fold"
Herr Borschgrevink's personal story is
a simple one. He is, fcourse, a Nor wegian
and grew up with DR.. Nansen in Chrstiana.
He believes that the south magnetic pole
is easier OF access than that of the north
His zeal led him to join an expedition
which left Melville, Australia. in September,
1894, the object of which was To search
for the right whale, which il was alleged
ny Ross existed in the Southern seas.
The explorer was so eager 10 go that he
went before the mast. The interest Of the
voyage began after the party left Camp
bells Island on the way South. He said
that he doesn't believe that the fabled En-
erald Island exists. Certainly il is not
where IL was alleged 10 be.
MTHEANTARCTICC IN CIRCLE.
From Campbell Island they were fol-
lowed by the aibatross and fIocks OF
stormy pctrels, but the albatross gave up
the stern chase In latitude 90. Proceed
Ing South the Ice blink appeared, and also
the mysterious dark spots in the air, which
Indicate open waters, also The black pig
con with long Latin name. came on the
stage. s1 sl qra.a ssaHT1
They reached the f3aieary Isiandss " hlch
it was Thought might be part of the A mt
arctic continent. Here they came across
the five feet' peegniHs, and thence they
steered TO Cape Adalr, @ great baSaltic
rock more than 3,go01feet high. This was
the point or neighborhood reached by
Ross IN the Erebus and Terror. and which
it is proposed TO make he camping ground
for the new expedition for the South Pole
which Herr BorsChgrevink viii make from
England next September
The peBgnns in this locality are OF the
rare old irish fighting stock, ard did not
hesitate TO attack the party tooth and toe
nail, the teeth referring especially to the
sailors. the penguins. like other hens and
birds heing entirely without moIars or
any other kind OF nasticators.
MUMMIEs OF PENGUINS.
one OF the CuriOStties of the penguins
in this locality is that when they die, they
live forever, as they are eternauy embalmed
by the intense cold. Penguin mummies are
lying around loose TO the number of
several hundred millions, just like ducks
kept on ice in a Washington restaurant
window, or the Quantico duck in the ice
box or the White House.
Herr BOrSChgrevink was the first man
10 odiscoYer vegetable matter inthe a ntarCtic.
and he has given it a latin name. although
that is not the local dialect He has made
some valuable notes about the origin OF the
rocks, some OF which are said TO be of vol
Canic origin. The fire down there has
long been extinguiShed, Judging from
the stereopticon views and the penguin
graveyards.
He believes that Ross did see white
whales in the Antarctic seas. although he,
Borschgrevlnk, did not observe any
A great deal OF Prof BorSchgrevink sStory
has appeared in one Of the magazines, but
The information herein given has not before
been published He has certainly added
great deal TO our knowledge of the hither-
TO unknownr regions which he visited. and Will
doubtless, from his pluck and intelligence,
find the south magnetic pole or bring back
another good volume Of adventures and
discoveries. He will leave here today
for New York.