The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-09-04
Commodore Maury Was Anx-4
ious for Exploration to
be Made.
NATIONS SHOULD UN
UNITE
- ~ z
All Geographical Discoveries
Are Valuable Research Can
be8Easily Made.

dor from France to the United States,
dated April 10. 1861, and treating prln-
cIpally the question Of the climate Of
south poles regions. n si
1t Is strange that this letter should
be forgotten; for. unless one should
desire to falsify history, the appeal which
Maury made to the governments Of the
world to push scientific exploration in
autocrat regions, should be emphasized
In every renewal Of south polar voyages.
In effect Maury wrote as follows:
II, when / Insist that an expedition
be made to the south polar regions. !
am asked - TO what purposc?" i win
sreply;sa 1t Is sufficient where / regard the
vast extent Of this unknown region to
remember that It Is q part Of our planet.
and to recall that the earth was made
for man, that all KIN owledge Is profitable
and that no discoveries whatever may
have been the epoch in which they have
been made have thrown more 1ustre.
|sand glory on the a &c In which they
were made than geograph discoveries.
and that never have the nations been as.
well prepared to unde rtake an aut ocratio
expedition. sS3 is3g lfsss s3)5aJs 3S3 II, a
SE&$5 The last nayigat ors who have essayed
to: reach south polar regfons, and who
have penetrated % hest are: Billing "a
lau6eU, laGftuSSlHlsS ElOrlylEyC 3dBUsE
Admiral Dumont i Il Jrville, 81 Fren china 81
Ross. an Engllshman; and Wilkes, an
Amerlcan-all about the same epoch. some
quarter Of century ago. u 1886. But
since then our know ledge has 3increased
and our modes OF action. have. above
all, become greater s
NEW; METHoDs. 5.#s5
We have steamers Of which the firstS
arctic navlgators KIN ew nothing The ex-!
sperience acquired in Arctic voyages en-
ables US to overcome easily obstacles
whic would then appear almost insur-SI
nountab le s. S. sss M j35s.i
M The gold OF Australia has developed
at the Iantipodes of Europe one OF the
world greatest commercial ports. BY
steam we can rea CHI the antarctic circle
from this port In less than d week Thus
the unknown south polar regions, In
place OF, being. as at "a the time of the
last explora lions, at a. siderabIe dis
lance, are only q few days a istant from
|sone 3ofs the greatest commend lal centers.s
In which are found u In abundance all
necessary provisions and resources. The
advantages and facilities for! making
south polar voyages are now far greater
than In Cook 81 time, and these swould
be moreover greatly facilitate ed by sys-
TEN and sco- operation In marine research
| by all maritime powers, by a ma nifcents
System in$which officers Of different ma
stions would unite IN cole cting@ da ia for
I&the use and honor Of I'LL n
hus n tllen,82 this q immense unknown
part of the globe is within reach Of the
ports OF that one OF the great powers
which has gained the highest reputa-
ton by its discoveries. It has taken.
besides, q large part In those physical
researches, which have built up naye
and temper of science and viii Oh las COW
8ered the ocean with floating .obseryat lions.
nrs
Fof5 her war and merchant vessels az well 4
as FOR her colonies near polar ;reael ions Z;
the Dutch, Porting uese.s Spa plsh, Rnssia ms.
and lians $ are noted IS Tor y tn cir dis
,coVeries. And, ~ by inyok Ing these tra-
ssditions. y but plead I'll esioa nse of an ant
arctic expedition w the means goft
o zdays ut ou rass Command With q highly
have made the flags OF heir ma Ions Illus
5trious In both peace ana war, II would
be IAN Il easy task 4 TO 5E open N he gates on
south polar reg lons. III "A i Rould Join ini
this exped lei on and since all nations 4
are now united r TO II dYanco5 as Us rfsas
ply Of the sea, would b Is As roper time
for CO.. opera lion y sl Oh an cent erprise as
the above to unite, - g circumstances md
time permitted III sgat herip new laurelss
OF science S ssS d;
.For this reason instead Of submitting
this project only my, own country q
believe aggeal e a51 Ratlons
would suggest to send first a single
steamer. which setting out from AUS
tralia would seek for one or seYerHl har-s
bors where vessels. Which ook part in
this expedition could II find q sh elter and
from which they could send out expl ors-s
ing parties, either by boat, by land. or
over Ice. II according to clrcumsta
lac N
single season, The following season..
ships sent suitably outtitted for two or
three years could rea oh, the selected har-
bprs: the next summer they HI could be
re- supplied from Melbourne and make
proper ARA ngements for the following
season. This expedition could be made
by those nations which are most inter!
coyery There would be found great ad
5yantages in this. Each one OF the
Powers, which co-operated would have,
In the place OF several vessels to main
tain, only one or two " steamers and
sthese,8not being large, the cost would be
prop rtionately light, !,
.s The cost OF a singl e3 antarctic expedl tlon,
and currents, would be SO divided be-
tween the part ting nations, that It
would be almost nothing. Great ad 4
vantage would. also, be found In having
several harbors from which explorations
would be conducted, Officers and sail.
Sors under dlferont flags through greater
zeal and emulation, would each aim to
be first ihGthe glorl ous CO nquest TIE q
This appeal BY hIaury Ia moreover
but a development Of several, passages
In Ills well-known work. 81 The Physical |
Geography OF The Sea, ss' London. 1880,
I Goth ed. d ATS. at the end Of the chapter
entitled 1.-THE Antarctic Reglons and
Their Climatolog
Y More than forty years have passed
since Maury addressed this appeal 10 the /
Nations, Later, sinil II AZ eWs have been;
expressed n at different timos by Elsses
I4eclus, q. Nawmayer. Sir John Murray.
ana others, and finally lnternat iona Coz
opera ton has u been sreal ized, But !nn-5
fortunately this coz perat Ion is such aa
Afaury wished for. Maury's plan has
not heen followed worse still-7it has
been Ignored by the Geographieal Com
gTass at Berlin, BY the Geogra phlcal Boz
.oiety of London, q nd. perhaps by the /
5orsani1ers pf antsrct tie exp tlons, This !
n