Traill. — Antarctic Exploration. 477 



that they penetrate to the southward on any meridian beyond 

 the furthest point reached by previous explorers. If it is con- 

 templated to send out a staff of scientific men, such reward 

 would have to be proportionately increased ; and it would, of 

 course, be proper to arrange for this from the first, stipulating 

 perhaps that they must, if so required by our Government, 

 consent to allow exploration to take precedence of whaling 

 during three summer months, in any or all of the years during 

 which the bonus is given. Without such stipulation they might 

 object to do exploring work, because if they find that whales are 

 plentiful near our shores it may seem to them that whaling pure 

 and simple would pay better. Whaling need not be quite dis- 

 continued during exploration ; it might be highly expedient to 

 catch a whale or two in order to eke out coals, for which pur- 

 pose any of the bones may be used, as they contain a large 

 quantity of inferior oil. Indeed, the capture of a few whales 

 and seals, while causing but little delay, would interest all on 

 board, while the zoologist of the party might then reap his 

 richest harvest. I have a suspicion that the " small fin-backed 

 whale" mentioned by Ross may prove to be the interesting 

 Neobnlcena mxirginata. 



The expenses of a cruise to the southward might be further 

 reduced by landing a party of sea-elephant hunters on Macquarie 

 Island, and picking them up with their spoils on the return trip. 

 But unless we are prepared to expend large sums on explora- 

 tion, and have perhaps naval men and naval discipline, I am 

 strongly of opinion that payment by results, which is the very 

 system to which whalemen are accustomed, would prove to be 

 the most satisfactory plan to all concerned, giving less risk of 

 failure, and of the time of the scientific gentlemen being wasted. 

 Thus, if the chief object during one season is to reach the 

 magnetic pole, let a handsome sum be offered as the reward of 

 success — such sum to be divided in the usual way, so that every 

 sailor on board has a stake in the issue. If they were to get 

 only within a certain distance, but near enough to obtain valu- 

 able results, a smaller sum might still be allowed. If they were 

 to succeed in circumnavigating Victoria Land, or in proving its 

 connection with other lands discovered by D'Urville, Ross, 

 Wilkes, and Biscoe, or in finding inhabited land in the Antarctic 

 regions (an interesting possibility), surely no one would grudge 

 them a substantial reward. If they were to find out some 

 practicable way of reaching the surface of the great ice-plain 

 with men and stores, that would open the door to what may 

 turn out to be the most successful method of Antarctic explora- 

 tion, namely, by means of sledges and dogs. If a list of such 

 definite important objects were to be carefully drawn up, with 

 the assistance perhaps of the President and Council of the Royal 

 Society, or of the Geographical Society, and a certain fair 



