116 KETURN OF THE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



will not soon forget liini, has not returned. I believe that 

 it is now some eight years since Mr, Borchgrevink came to 

 Australia, fired with the ambition of making a voyage of 

 discovery to the Antarctic regions. In his many endeavours 

 to aceomj^lish this purpose he was greatly assisted by one 

 well known to members of our Royal Society, the late Baron 

 von Mueller, of Melbourne. After experiencing much dis- 

 appointment, Mr. Borchgrevink's hopes, or rather a part of 

 what he lioped for, seemed at length likely to be realised. A 

 Norwegian steam whaler arrived in Australia on her way to 

 the Antarctic in search of the sperm and other whales. 

 Abandoning at once the scholastic work on which he was 

 engaged in New South Wales, Mr. Borchgrevink proceeded 

 to Melbourne in the hope of being able, with Baron von 

 Mueller's assistance, to arrange for a j^assage in the whaler. 

 But in this he was disappointed: whales, jind not scientifie 

 discoveries, were the business of the Norwegian captain's 

 voyage and he had no wish te encumber the very limited 

 accommodation of his vessel with a passenger whose objects 

 were likely to clash with his own. Nothing daunted, 

 however, Mr. Borchgrevink, finding that there was a 

 vacancy on board for an ordinary sailor, offered his 

 services, and they were accepted. The whaler at 

 length arrived near Cape Adaie. A boat was lowered, 

 Mr. Borchgrevink being one of the crew. Determined to be 

 the first to set foot on the shore, he achieved this by jumping 

 out of the boat into the icy water, with the result that he 

 could fairly claim the distinction of being the first man to 

 stand on Antarctic ground since the voyage of Captain Ross, 

 sixty years before. So far as whales were concerned, this 

 expedition was not a success ; but so far as it stimulated 

 Mr. B(U-chgrevink to "stick to his guns," I think that we may 

 venture to say that the voyage of the whaler "Antarctic" by 

 no naeans merely resulted in a waste of time and money. For 

 we now find Mr. Borchgrevink more than ever determined to 

 arrange an expedition to the south polar regions and, with a 

 view^ to rousing public interest in his plans, giving lectures 

 in these colonies, at home in England, and in the United 

 States. At last he met with his reward. Sir George Newnes, 

 widely and houourabVv known for his public spirit and 

 liberality, fitted out at his own expense the well-equipped 

 little vessel that now lies at one of our wharves, and Mr. 

 Borchgrevink was appointed to the leadership and entire 

 mmagement of the expedition. As you all know, he arrived 

 here in November, 1898, and just before Christmas in that 

 year started on his long journey in search of the South 

 Masnetic Pole. It rightly belongs to Sir Geo. Newnes to 

 make known to the world the full details of what this 

 expedition has accomplished. We have, however, already 



