116 



EETURN OF THE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



CONVERSAZIONE AT THE TOWN HALL, 



WEDNESDAY, APRIL. 18, 1900. 



WELCOME TO THE LEADER, SCIENTIFIC STAFF, 

 CAPTAIN, AND MEN. 



A welcome, in tbe form of a conversazione, was given by 

 the Council of tbe Royal Society of Tasmania at the Town 

 Hall, on "Wednesday evening, April 18j to Mr. Borchgrevink 

 and those who accomj)anied him on the recent Antarctic Ex- 

 pedition. The attendance was large and fashionable, and amid 

 such a gathering it would be impossible to give anything like 

 ■an accurate list of names. A perusal of the names of those 

 who tendered a welcome to the returned explorers will show 

 how representative was the gathering. Owing to the indisposi- 

 tion of his Excellency the Governor, the Chief Justice (Sir 

 John Dodds) presided. Lady Gormanston and party, however, 

 were present. In addition to Mr. Borchgrevink, the members 

 of the scientific staff and the officers and crew of the steam 

 vacht Southern Cross were on the platform, and also a couple 

 of dogs that had taken part in tbe expedition. In one corner 

 of the platform was a map showing the points that the 

 ■different explorers had reached. As Sir John Dodds, 

 Mr. Borchgrevink, and others ascended the platform, the 

 ■city organist played English and Norwegian national anthems. 



The Chief Justice said — 



In consequence of the regretted absence of His Excellency 

 the Governor, who is ex oflcio President of the Royal Society, 

 and the inability of Sir James Agnew, senior Vice-President, 

 to attend, the Council have conferred upon me tlie great 

 honour of presiding at this meeting. We have this 

 evening the pleasure of welcoming Mr. Borchgrevink and 

 his companions back to the port from which, sixteen 

 months ago, they sailed away on their adventurous visit 

 to seas and lands that may (in a sense of the word 

 no longer applicable to any other region of the w^orld) 

 be called unknown. But our pleasure is mingled with sorrow 

 that one of those who left us in the Southern Cross, one who, 

 •during his brief stay in Hobart, made many friends who 



