The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-01-10

Wilkes discoveries. It is true that
Wilkes did make some mistakes in
his locations, because he could not
land his instruments and check his To-
cations magnetically SO that they
would be free from error due to the
attraction of his instruments by the
metal on board his ship. But. for all
such errors, he cannot in justice be
denied his right to having discovered
and described the Antarctic continent,
thereby giving his country claim to
it by right Of discovery"
Ross crossed the Antarctic circle on
January /, 1S41, and during the course
Of his exploration that year and the
next, he discovered two volcanoes,
which he named after his ships, the
Erebus and Terror; he saw a chain Of
high mountains, naming one peak for
Lord Melbourne, the British premier;
and he landed on an island which he
called Possession island. and took for
NAL possession of the continent. which
he called Victoria Land, in the name
Of Queen Victoria.
Unfortunately for Wilkes fame, the
doubt which had been cast upon his
explorations by Ross, and later Brit
ish writer's was shared by many Amer
leans. After he returned from his trip
to the Antarctic he was involved in a
series Of courts-martial, instigated by
some Of his officers, who had disap-
proved Of his management Of the ex-
petition.
Great Britain's further claims to Ant
arctica are based upon explorations
made under their auspices by Mares in
1874, Borchgrevink in 1900, Bruce in
1904, Scott in 1902 and 1912 (the lat
ter date being the one in which he
reached the South pole) and Shackle-
ton in 1909 and 1915. One curious
fact is that Wilkes discovery of
Wilkes land and the rightfulness of
attaching his name to that territory
was confirmed by Briton in 1912.
In 1911-1914 Sir Douglas Mawson land
ed two parties at the opposite ends Of
the Antarctic continent. Writing of
this expedition In 1912, DR.. w. S.
Bruce, the Scotch explorer and geo.
grapher, said that it had proved, over
distance of more or less 1900 miles,
the existence Of Wilkes land, which
has been disputed during the past
seyenty-two years"
But Great Britain and the United
States are not the only nations which
have claims, based upon discovery and
exploration, in Antarctica. There is
Russia which took hand in the game
as far back as 1919. when Gar Alex
ander I fitted out an expedition under
Fabian Won Bellinghausen, who discov-
cred Traverse islands in December,
1919, and two years later found two
other islands which he named after
Peter / and Alexander /. There is
France which sent out the Dumont
d'Urville expedition, which In 1870
when Wilkes and Ross were sailing
the south polar seas. discovered land
which was called Adele Land, and a
high ice barrier which was called
Clarie Coast There is Norway. which
sent out a series of expeditions from
1892 TO 1895. including the expedition
Of Captain Christensen. who on Janu-
airy %, 1895, landed on the Antarctic
continent near Cape Adare, the first
human beings to set foot on that land.
And, Of course, 1t was Norwegian,
Capt. Roald Amundsen who first
reached the South pole on December
IA. 1911. And even Argentina comes
into the picture by declaring that she
has the best right to Antarctica. not
by Exploration" or discovery" but
geographically - because. she asserts
the Antarctic continent is simply an
extension of the Falkland archipelago.
which by right belong to her, even
though she has been deprived Of them
by British occupation. and by right OF
peaceful and continuous occupation OF
lands nearest to the poiar ters3toFieA