THE RENEWAL OF ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION. 373 



certainly not the case, for however closely we may now be pressed by 

 some foreiii'n nations, we have had up to the present time to acknowl- 

 edge neither superiors, nor even eijuals in this branch of investigation, 

 and, if we be a wise and progressive people, British science will always 

 lead the way in this direction. When Queen Victoria ascended the 

 throne we Avere in profound ignorance as to the condition of all the 

 deeper parts of the great ocean basins; now we have a very accurate 

 knowledge of the conditions which obtain over the three-fourths of the 

 earth's surface covered by the waters of the ocean. This — the most 

 splendid addition to earth-knowledge since the circumnavigation of the 

 world — is largely due to the work and exertions of the Royal Navy in 

 the Challenger and other deep-sea expeditions, and the mercantile navy 

 in our telegraph ships. 



This country has frequently sent forth expeditions, the primary 

 object of which was the ac(iuisition of new knowledge, — such were the 

 expeditions of Cook, Ross, and the Challenyer; and the nation as a 

 whole has always approved such action and has been proud of the 

 results, although they yielded no immediate return. Shall it be said 

 that there is to be no successor to these great expeditions? The pres- 

 tige of the navy does not alone consist in its i)owers of defense and 

 attack. It has m times of peace made glorious conquests over the 

 powers of nature, and we ask that the officers and men of the present 

 generation be aftbrded the same opportunities as their predecessors 

 There should be no observations, no experiments, no investigations, 

 no work of any kind, no knowledge of any kind, Avith reference to the 

 ocean, of which the navy has not had practical experience. And what 

 better training for ofticer and man than in an expedition such as that 

 now advocated"? 



A iireliminary responsibility rests on the geographers and represent- 

 atives of science in this country. It is necessary to show that we have 

 clear ideas as to what is wanted, to show that a good, workable scheme 

 can be drawn up. When this has been done it should be presented to 

 the Government with the unanimous voice of all our scientitic corpora- 

 tions. Then, I have little doubt that a minister will be found sufficiently 

 alive to the spirit of the times, and Avith sufiticient courage to add a few 

 thousand pounds to the navy vote for three successive years, in order to 

 carry through an undertaking worthy of the maritime position and the 

 scientific reputation of this great Empire. 



