Arizona republican., 1899-01-05

1 then but for a comparatively short dis tance.
 That part of the country is known as South Victoria Land, but it IS only small fraction of the great Antarctic continent While hundreds of thou sands of pounds sterling have been ex- pended and scores of lives sacrificed in efforts to discover an open North Polar sea, the other end of the earth has re- mained 2 virgin field.
 Yet locked behind these icy barriers are known to be valuable secrets bear ing upon every branch of scientific re- search. Somewhere within South Vic toria Land is the yet undiscovered south magnetic pole, the eliminating point of terrestrial magnetism in the south.
 Both the land and the sea hold treas ures of scientific character that men can now only gucss at. The formation of the continent itself is strange and interesting From the ocean volcanoes rear their mighty heads into the clouds, some of them 10000 feet or 12,- 0OO feet high. Girding this unknown continent is the Great Ice Barrier, ter minating snaward in a sheer wall of ice 200 feet to 800 feet high.
 Strange currents, alternating warm and cold updeIlie this ocean. Curious forms of animal life infest these depths. The whole of this vast conti- nent stands today as it has for ages past challenging the daring of man to unlock it's precious treasures.
 Dr. Narsen long since laid stress up- on the importance of penetrating this unknown world. He pointed out that the risk of being caught by the ice and smut up for a length Of time is much lc in COlItb than in lar regions. The open ocean would serve to prevent the ice packing in Ine way it does in the north. Captive bal looms, Nansen said, could be used with great effect in these explorations
 Sir John Murray, K. c. B., of the Challenger expedition, told the mem bers of the Royal Geographical society recently that every department of nat ural knowledge would be enriched by a successful expedition into this vast and marvelIOus continent. Fossil finds in high attitudes he declared to be of the highest importance.
 Deep-ssa dredging would be another matter for careful observation. No one knows now deep the Antarctic ocean is. Sir James Ross pad out A. 900 fathoms of line without reaching bottom. Marine forms Of animal life in these great depths are known to be exceptionally abundant.
 What wonders in the way of strange new animals this new continent may reveal, Dr. Murray said could not De guessed at; but no one could doubt that an Antarctic expedition would bring back collections and observations of | the greatest. interest to all naturalists | and physiOlogists.
 Nearly sixty years ago Sir James | Clark Ross planted the British flag up- | on one of the Possession islands, which | form part of the archipelago near tn: | Antarctic continent that Captain James | Cook discovered in 1772. From that | time to this a number of private in1i- giduals and one or two admiralty eX- plOTerS have made more or less val lable observations in this region, but DO thoroughly well-equipped national | expedition has taken up the work in he way scientists believe it should.
 Quite recently, however, a joint con- mittee of the Royal society and the Royal Geographical society made an appeal for private contributions to ex- )lore this new wonderland This is made necessary, it is explained, be- eauss her majesty's government is un- able to supply the funds or lend the officers for Lne expedition. The gov arnment fully recognizes the importance >f the project, however, and the admir- ilty will lend The proper instruments | or all scientific purposes.
 England was made by it's adven- urers,' some one has said, and no one an doubt that the proposed exploration 'f the Antarctic continent will lack for 3ither mon or money.-London Mail.