Traveks. — Presidential Address. Ill 



large and round coal, deprived of all power to absorb oxygen, 

 develope beat, or generate gas ; and, instead of the hatch- 

 ways turning out, as now, hundreds of tons of small coal and 

 slack, thus reducing the selling-value of the cargo, the spaces 

 under the hatchways turn out at least a fair sample of the 

 entire cargo, and enable the captain and owners to obtain a 

 much better price for their coal. 



By this means of loading coal, with its attendant freedom 

 from all danger of spontaneous combustion or of gas explosions, 

 the owners and charterers will be able to effect insurances on 

 ships and cargoes at reasonable rates, in place, as at present, 

 of their either not being able to insure at all or at rates beyond 

 their power to pay. Most important of all, an enormous loss 

 of life and property, by the burning at sea of coal-ships and 

 their cargoes, will be prevented. 



Art. VIII. — Presidential Address. 



By W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S. 



{Delivered to the Wellington Fhilosoi)hical Society, 8th July, 18i,6.] 



In accordance with the established custom of this society, that 

 each of its newly-elected presidents should open the year's 

 proceedings by delivering an address, I propose to bring under 

 your notice this evening some of the special subjects that are 

 now engaging the attention of scientific men in Europe and 

 the United States. 



Antarctic Exploration. 



Amongst these none has excited a greater degree of general 

 interest, since the initiation of the "Challenger " expedition, 

 than the explorations about to be undertaken in the ant- 

 arctic regions, most of the secrets of which have hitherto 

 remained as in a sealed book. The south polar land, which 

 lies entirely within the antarctic circle, may, for the pur- 

 poses of practical discussion, be treated as occupying a space 

 equal to the whole area between the 70th parallel and the 

 south pole ; and the enterprising men who are about to engage 

 in the proposed explorations will, therefore, have to deal with 

 an unknown region of enormous dimensions. The surround- 

 ing ocean, within the limits of the antarctic circle, is at all 

 seasons of the year more or less encumbered with icebergs and 

 pack-ice, whilst the apparent coast-line, for nearly the whole 

 of its known extent, presents a perpendicular and unbroken 



