3i6 THE VOYAGE OF THE ^DISCOVERY' 



There can be little doubt, therefore, that at the period of 

 maximum glaciation the climate of Victoria Land was milder 

 than it is at present. 



Physical Geography of Victoria Land. — Mr. Ferrar has dealt 

 with this subject at such length in his geological summary that 

 it is unnecessary for me to add many remarks concerning it. 

 He has set forth the general results of his labours, and I think 

 it must be admitted that they are of great importance. 



It has to be remembered that httle or nothing was known 

 of the geology of this land before we set forth, that since our 

 return the formation of a very large part of it has been revealed, 

 and that there is much evidence to show that this part may be 

 taken as typical of the whole. 



The simple horizontal structure which Mr. Ferrar describes, 

 and the absence of lateral pressure in the formation of such a 

 huge and extensive range of mountains, appear to have been 

 wholly unexpected, and to have excited the interest of many 

 geologists. The details of Mr. P'errar's reports and collections 

 have yet to be investigated, but there can be little doubt that, 

 when all is made known, the geology of the Antarctic Continent 

 will have received an immense addition. In this connection, 

 however, we have to record one disappointment ; we confi- 

 dently hoped that Mr. Ferrar's discovery of fossil remains 

 would prove of great importance, but an examination of them 

 since our return has shown that they cannot be identified, and 

 consequently much of the value of the discovery is lost. 



Speaking at the Royal Geographical Society, Dr. Smith 

 Woodward said on this subject : ' The carbonaceous matter is 

 really of great importance, because it was discovered 500 miles 

 south of the fossil plants brought back by the Swedish Ex- 

 pedition. ... All who have seen it are quite agreed that this 

 carbonaceous matter must be due to vegetation, but it shows 

 no structure whatever. ... It seems impossible to determine 

 whether it is due to land vegetation or to marine vegetation.' 

 It seems, therefore, that the fossils of which we hoped so much 

 are in too carbonised a state to be of use in indicating the age 

 of the great sandstone formation in which they were found. 



