The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-05
BRITISH IN THE ANTARCTIC.
Further Information with Regard to the
Positions Reached in Victoria Land.

Ever since the relief steamer Morning
brought home news of the British explorers
in Victoria Land, geographers have beer
much perplexed by the fact that though
the ATTITUDES attained were given, no clea
information was rinted with regard tc
the longitudes reached. II was, therefore
impossible to mark on map the positions
attained by the explorers. Figures for the
longitude of SCOTS brilliant sledge journey
were printed, but no one knew whether
east or west longitude was meant
On June 10 last Sir Clements Markham
president of the Royal Geographical So
ciety, 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 a number of private letters enabled
him to supply the missing longitudes and
give a few more interesting facts.
Commander Scott, on his sledge Journey
which occupied ninety-four days, reached
latitude $40 II s.. and longitude 1899 f.
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 furthest point he saw range
of mountains extending az far as he could
see in south by east direction This seems
to show that beyond the point he attained
the coast line trends 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
further from the South Pole than the record
with relation to the North Pole, which Parry
made in the Arctic, which for many wears
stood IA the nearest approach thai ex-
plorers had made to the pole.
The position where SCOTS shin, the
Discovery. made its winter quarters and
where at last accounts il was frozen in
the ice is latitude 10 So s., or more than
five hundred miles further south than any
ship ever wintered before.
Before the Discovery put into her winter
quarters Scott skirted the great ice barrier
TO the east, The furthest easterly point
ne reached was 1922 3O' W, where he found
an extensive land mass to which he gave
the name of King Edward VII. Land The
land was surmounted by heights rising to
?, 900 and 1000 feet above the sen
The second great sledge journey of the
expedition was that Of Mr.. Armitage. who,
according to Sir Clements Markham,
reached longitude 1879 25 F., and latitude
II 81 S, This information shows that
he penetrated Victoria Land almost due
west OF the winter quarters Of the Dis
covery to distance of about one hundred
and forty-two miles from the ship
As far as he could see land iii stretched
away 10 the west of this turning point.
1t has not been proved by this journey that
the east and west extension Of Victoria
Land is any wider than it has been found
to be on the northern coast of the land,
but the land AZ any rate, seems 10 main
tain ts east and west extent for an i'm
portant distance 10 the south. Armitage
found the ice cap thousands of feet in thick
ness in the interior Of the land and ne
reached an altitude of 1000 feet
Sir Clements Markham's paper win
doubtless be published with map, in the
July number Of the Geogrd phicdi journal
The additional information here given,
though fragmentary, enables us TO tell
the approximate extent of new land reached.
No further information will be forthcom-
ing unit the expedition returns home with
material for it's detailed report.