1910] ' on the Forthcomiivj Antarctic Expedition 869 



duties, there will be associated Lieut. Eennick, R.N., and Engineer- 

 Lieut. Riley, R.N. With this party also will be Mr. Meares, whom 

 I have already mentioned as being in charge of the ponies and dogs ; 

 Mr. Ponting, the photographer of the expedition, whose work is so 

 well known to the public ; Mr. Day, in charge of the motor sledges ; 

 and Captain Oates will assist Mr. Meares. 



Without counting the scientific gentlemen, other members of the 

 Western party will be Mr. Cherry Garrard, Mr. Grant, and Mr. 

 Feather, together with six or more members of the crew. The 

 Eastern party will also contain at least four members of the crew. 

 The crew has been informed that no selection will be made for the 

 landing parties until the ship reaches the ice. It is obvious that I 

 shall then be better able to judge which of them is best suited for 

 the requirements of shore work. It is perhaps interesting to note 

 in this connection that besides Mr. Evans, Mr. Day, Mr. Feather, 

 and Mr. Cheetham, the following members of the crew will have had 

 previous Antarctic experience : Evans, Lashley, Crean, Williamson, 

 Smythe, and Heald (all of whom were members of the Discovery 

 expedition), and Paton (who served in the relief ship Morning). 

 The knowledge which these men possess of Antarctic conditions will, 

 of course, be a great asset. 



In dealing with the scientific work of the expedition I must con- 

 fine myself to noting the names of the various members of the staff 

 who will undertake the scientific work, the localities in which their 

 services will be employed, and the bare outline of the subjects to 

 which their attention will be turned. Dr. Wilson will be the chief 

 of the scientific staff ; his Antarctic services are too well-known to 

 need comment. He will, as heretofore, study the birds and mammals 

 in his scientific capacity, and as artist continue the charming series of 

 sketches which so greatly enhanced the Discovery records. 



I have regarded geology as one of the most important interests 

 which can be served on our expedition, and I have therefore included 

 three geologists in the staff. Subject to modification, my plan is that 

 on^ should be with the Eastern party, the second with the Southern 

 party, and the third should have a roving commission to explore 

 V^ictoria Land within an easy distance of the Western station. The 

 services of two distinguished geologists have already been obtained to 

 fill these places : they are Mr. Griffith Taylor, an Australian who has 

 completed his studies at Cambridge as a '51 scholar ; and Mr. W. G. 

 Thomson, a Rhodes scholar, of New Zealand. The third place is not 

 yet filled, and in filling it we propose to take the advice of Professor 

 David, of Sydney University, who is probably the best judge in the 

 world of the work which remains to be done and the men who should 

 be selected to do it. 



In contemplating the continued study of the marine fauna of the 

 Antarctic regions, I have considered it as without the province of an 

 expedition such as ours to undertake research work in oceanic depths ; 



