58 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' 



In spite of the undoubted fascination of this region, how- 

 ever, it appeared to the promoters of our enterprise that in the 

 Ross quadrant lay even a fairer prospect of important results. 

 Though this was the region of which most was known, the 

 discoveries of Ross, like those of all great explorers, had given 

 rise to a host of fresh problems. Here it was certain that a 

 high latitude could be reached, and that the work of the 

 expedition could be conducted in the heart of the Antarctic 

 area. Geography saw in this region a prospect of the repro- 

 duction of those sledging journeys which had done so much 

 to complete the mapping of the Far North ; meteorology 

 grasped at a high latitude for the fixed observation of climatic 

 conditions ; magnetism found in the Ross Sea that area which 

 most nearly approached the magnetic pole ; geology was 

 attracted by the unknown mountainous country which fringed 

 its shores. There was no branch of science, in fact, that 

 did not see in the Ross quadrant a more hopeful chance of 

 success than was promised by any other region. When, 

 therefore, Sir Clements Markham proposed that this direc- 

 tion should be taken by the expedition, the proposition 

 met with complete and unanimous assent from all who 

 were interested in the venture, and long before the 

 ' Discovery ' was built her prospective course had been finally 

 decided. 



It might be thought that with an exploring expedition such 

 as ours, little more was necessary than to indicate the direction 

 in which it should go, and to leave the uncertain future in the 

 hands of those who conducted it. There is much in this view, 

 and there is no doubt as to the wisdom of leaving to the 

 commander of an expedition the greatest possible freedom of 

 action, so that at no time may his decision be restricted by 

 orders which could not have been conceived with a full 

 knowledge of the conditions. 



But instructions for the conduct of an expedition may 

 serve a most useful purpose, both for the authorities who issue 

 them and the commander who receives them, if, without 

 hampering conditions, they contain a clear statement of the 



