The Washington times., 1903-07-20
BRITISH EXPLORERS IN
THE ANTARCTIC REGION
information Regarding Position
Reached in Victoria Land.

Ever since the relief steamer Morning
brought home news of the British eX-
plorers in Victoria Land. geOgraphers
have been much perplexed by the fact
that though the latitudes attained were
given. no clear information was printed
with regard to the longitudes reached
1t was, therefore, impossible to mark on
a map the positions attained by the
explorers. Figures for the longitude OF
Scott's brilliant sledge journey were
printed, but no one knew whether east
OF west longitude was meant
On June 10 last Sir Clements Mark
ham. president Of the Royal Geograpk-
ical Society. gave & lecture in London
on the work OF the expedition He was
able to supply the missing information.
His discourse did not contain much
fresh news. but some supplementary
papers from the expedition and also
number Of private letters enabled him
10 supply the missing longitudes ana
give a few more interesting facts.
Commander Scott. on his sledge jour
ney which occupied ninety-four days.
reached latitude 50 degrees Il minutes
south. and longitude 163 degrees east.
This information shows that the eastern
coast line OF Victoria Land which he
followed, stretches almost due south OF
Mount Erebus, his starting point, with
only a very slight detection to the east.
Beyond his farthest point he saw a
range OF mountains extending as far
as he could see in a south by east diree-
I the point he attained the coast line
trends a little more to the east than
along his line OF march
Scott must have travelled over $50
statute miles on this very successful
| journey. His most southern point was
only one mile farther from the South
Pole than the record with relation to
the North Pole. which Peary made il
the Arctic. which for many years stood
as the nearest approach that explorers
had made TO the pole.
| The position where Scott's ship. the
Discovery. made its winter quarters and
where at last accounts it was frozen in
the ice is latitude n degrees 20 minutes
south. or more than 500 miles farther
south than any ship ever wintered be-
fore
Before the Discovery put into her win
ter quarters Scott skirted the great ice
barrier to the east. The farthest easterly
point he reached was 152 degrees. so
minutes west. where he found an exter-
sive land mass. TO which he gave tie
name of King Edward VII Land. The
land was surmounted by heights rising to
1000 and 1900 feet above the sea-
The second great sledge journey OF the
expedition was that of Mr. Armitage
who. according to Sir Clements Mark
ham. reached logitude 157 degrees 25
minutes east, and latitude II degrees p
minutes south This information shows
that he penetrated Victoria Land almost
due west of the winter quarters OF the
Discovery to a distance Of about 142
miles from the ship.
AS far as he could see, land still
stretched away to the west of this turn
ing point. II has not been proved by
this journey that the east and west eX-
tension of Victoria Land is any wider
than II has been found to be on the
Z northern coast OF the land. but the land
at any rate, seems 10 maintain Its eas'
and west extent Tor an important us
| tance TO the south. Armltage FOUND th'
, ice cap thousands OF feet in thickness
in the interior of the land and he reach
ed an altitude of 5000 feet.
Sir Clements Markham's paper vii
doubtless be published. with map. II
, the July number of the "GeOgraphica
Journal" The additional Information
: here given. though fragmentary, enables
4 US to tell the approximate extent of new
I land reached. No further information
D will be forthcoming until the eXpedi
I ton returns home with material for IL
detailed report.