Sir Edgeworth David - 75 



journey, but they reached winter quarters safely — the 

 only casualty being one case of frostbite. 



The coming of the long Antarctic winter prevented 

 further expeditions for some months, during which the 

 usual routine was carried out, while the scientists worked 

 in their various spheres compiling records. 



But they were anxious to begin the real work that 

 awaited them — and none more so than the scientist who 

 was the veteran of the party, and who had remained in 

 excellent health throughout the dark months. Before 

 the sun returned Shackleton, Professor David, and a 

 third member of the company set out on a preliminary 

 sledge journey, taking with them a fortnight's provisions. 

 While out they had to face extreme temperatures, even 

 for the South. At one time the thermometer registered 

 sixty-one degrees below zero, or ninety-three degrees of 

 frost. At this extreme of cold the greatest care must be 

 taken not to expose any part of the body to the air, or 

 frostbite will result. All returned safely after a journey 

 which gave Professor David a vivid idea of sledging on 

 the Ice Barrier and prepared him for a bigger task which 

 he had decided to attempt — the discovery of the South 

 Magnetic Pole. 



The Magnetic Poles are not fixed points, but a knowledge 

 of the exact position of this point of magnetic attraction, 

 revised from time to time, is necessary to enable sea 

 captains, whose compasses are controlled by its influence 

 within the Southern Hemisphere, to discover their posi- 

 tion with greater precision than would otherwise be 

 possible. Our earliest knowledge of the point of attrac- 

 tion within the Southern Hemisphere depended upon 

 observations made in 1841 by Sir James Clarke Ross, the 

 famous Antarctic explorer after whom the Ross Sea is 

 named. Between that date and 1902, when Captain 

 Scott made renewed observations at a distance while on 

 his first expedition, the South Magnetic Pole had moved 



