New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-03
,,-.,ber Account of the Voyage of
the Discovery.

sedtioE. by and eehty-two illustrations from
with na--ks and drawings. svo, Pr. Xxx, SiA
PhsooIeSTSaans. Green * co.
,,at Captain Scott. the commanding
TIE she British National Antarctic expe-
ssicef already published an admirable and
eltol+ TWO volume account Of that impor-
1s,.,t,ac adventure IN no wise detracts
tni ,r,e-est OF Lieutenant Armitage's less
from IS but more popular narrative Com
T'e's'. -e not always odious, and so. while II
psrS..,s,e 10 avoid referring 10 the earlier
Is - ofio.al record In writing OF the other
sna HO' ;. done without detriment to either
ths - at one-third Of the price Of Captain
PuolsD.-,, the present volume, while less
sco. ..-,t,ve and going less into details. is
autho'' orneal TO a larger audience, and is
po On, happy in interpreting the spirit OF the
eaHA1 end In reporting the essentials Of it's
eS's'f -rshmeut In certain ways, too, one book
s' '0Ds-t the other. and while we miss in
sMIr.rrt Arrnitage's story the day by day &C
Nsu.' csntain scotts thrilling experience on
eo'l1 y HE sledge expedition TO the ''Farthest
Get p more specific record Of his own
sou .,esre trip into the ice cap Of South Vic
pom, 800 snd keep in somewhat closer touch
iorA - ,+,,stiss Of the party while its chief
WIZ ~ his long Journeys Of exploration.
rcED
VIZ .,,.os was perhaps able to view the ex-
NJ more natural perspective, just as
peO'--1. - &C navigator IN the crows nest per-
Us - eain e wider and different idea of
M fountains the far sweep Of the Great
Hle - - sra he ever changing appearance Of
=. sloU-lv shifting fee pack
v-,s.,of Yansen, who contributes a nriet PREF
-. N the volume as a token OF his
--a,,5sh,p for the author, begun when they hrsl
.. :, 1895 on the ice OFF Cape Flora IN Franz
-. land. has aptly characterized the pro-
-, &c "a most readable and entertaining
-. told IN a manner simple and
.-.,,+,fo-wnrd-liks the man himself" Lieu
80, A-1.tage's three years experience as
s..ors IN command Of the Jackson Harnlsworth
N,-tb Polar expedition gave him good train
,-g Cor his adventure into high Southern lati-
,roes ana affords him an opportunity for max
dc some interesting comparisons between the
Conditions around the two poles, which appear TO
be IS opposite as those evasive geographical
ro,rts themselves The first great difference.
=, course is entirely geographical; in the South
-ha explorer finding a great mass Of land sur
-ornded BIZ water and IN the North masses Of
land surrounding a Polar sea The ocean swell
4, continually breaking UP the Zee that forms
slong IS coast. which drifts away in great
rscks. rendering navigation "a much more sim
-le affair" than IN the North. since the ice has
ample space IN which 10 float away without
the foes becoming crushed Up against and over
one another. BY dint Of patient boring,
e passage through can generally be found.
In the North, or the contrary. the ice has 10
4ter down between the lands surrounding the
Polar basin. and becomes crushed up, hum
Knocked. and as foe after foe is piled I'D one
sve- the other II often ettains an almost in
credible thickness"
The author also calls attention to the far more
magnificent scale on which nature has fashioned
the land in the South. with its high mountain
ranges. often strangely bare Of snow, backed by
E vast fee capped plateau and bordered BY ice
sheets Of enormous extent. What the South
gains In scenery over the North, however, il loses
n the variety Of fauna There are no foxes or
bears no hares or Jennings. no musk oxen or
reindeer, the hunting OF which mot only makes
the life less nlonot0nous but invests il with
considerable amount Of pleasurable excitement"
Il the North. besides afording an agreeable va
Esty Of diet Seals and penguins and a few
other birss are the only game" and while they
ford any sport TO the hunter. who has only to
walk UP 10 them and hit them with a club. The
solitary land animal" discovered on the South
Polar land was a dinlinutive insect Winter is
equally cold and dark and tempestuous in both
regions the temperature usually rising in the
fierce winds that blow from higher latitudes;
but the summer is far warmer in the North
often becoming uncomfortably hot, while Cap
tain Scott experienced q temperature Of 30 de-
Erees below zero on the interior ice cap Of South
Victoria Land in midsummer.
Tie book opens with a short but cOmprehen-
fre historical introduction. giving the main re-
fu.ts oe previous Polar exploration, in which
perhaps something less than their due credit
Is given 10 American enterprise ard accom-
pishment, and closes with an eEninently
practical appendix, in which are printed care
iuly prepared lists OF the food and other sup
Plies necesEary for Quitting a similar eXpe-
tlon- The canned meats purchased IN Eng
and We're found 70 be OF inferior quality, and
neir use led 70 z quickly suppressed but tenn
porsrly alarming outbreak Of gcurvy. Future
explorers are advised 20 purchase such pro
visions and frozen meats IN New-Zealand. The
Practical benefits CT q balloon for purposes Of
observation are ignored by the author. as they
were by Captain Scott Both writer's give in
some oetc- The account OF the only time that
ssceasions we're made 70 obtain more extend
&c view q the Great Ice Barrier before going
NO winter quarters. but without comment on
.as usefulness Of so expensive and bulky an ad-
I'a0n 10 the expediUionary stores. The fact that
1-s balloon was not used again, or even alluded
i" would seem % imply that its advantages were
-sg1g75-e OF at least predetermined; and ii is
- De regretted that no opinion or the subject
/" gwen by either OF the two annalists. Lieu
.elsat Arlnitage agrees with Captain Scott in
D1lePlag hat the Great Ice Barrier is afloat,
50 NAT L affords the bost route 20 the South
rue and re ADDS. on his own account. that If
ne great Uheet OF ice eKtendE 70 far. there
tAoc.a be no iasarmountable difficulty IN max