546 BEPOKT — 1891. 



thing to settle upon the general design at the outset, so that 

 every little expenditure could be utilised as a step towards the 

 final result. The mere land-surveyor unacquainted with the 

 principles of architecture, sanitation, and road-engineering, 

 should on no account be permitted to perform any part of the 

 work other than the simple marking-out of lines the position 

 of which had been already determined by the experts previ- 

 ously mentioned. 



These, then, are my views. They partly agree with and 

 partly differ from those given in your excellent paper at the 

 Australasian Association. From the conflict and couip^arison 

 of different opinions nothing but good can result if the dis- 

 cussion be fairly and reasonably conducted. In any case we 

 agree that there is vast room for improvement upon the bulk 

 of the work hitherto done. 



Beport of the Committee, consisting of Mr. J. Baenakd, Mr. 



E. L. J. Ellery {Secretary), the Hon. J. Forrest, Mr. G. 



S. Griffiths, Baron von Mueller, Professor Spencer, 



and Professor Stephens, appointed to consider the question 



of Antarctic Exploration. 

 Your Committee beg to report that during the past year this 

 topic has been kept well before the public, and that there are 

 gratifying evidences that the labours of the past few years are 

 bearing fruit in the shape of a growing widespread interest in 

 the projected scheme of exploration. 



Early in the year the Swedish Consul in Melbourne (Mr. 

 Gunderson) communicated an offer to equip an expedition, sub- 

 ject to an Australian contribution of £5,000. The generous 

 offer to find the balance of the sum required comes from Baron 

 Oscar Dickson, of Stockholm, a nobleman of English descent. 

 Baron Nordenskiold will superintend the equipment of the 

 vessel, and may command the expedition ; we hope that he 

 will. The ship will sail under the Swedish flag, but, in return 

 for the monetary assistance which we hope to be able to give, 

 Australia will have some voice in the direction, and also the 

 right to appoint some of the scientific staff. 



As geographers we are cosmopolitan in our ideas, and, while 

 we here should prefer to see the British flag leading again the 

 way to the South Pole, we readily welcome the aid of all 

 nations, and especially we hail the co-operation of our kinsmen 

 of the Scandinavian race. 



We have had promises of various sums of money, and are 

 in hopes that the subscription-lists now issuing may quickly 

 enable us to announce that much towards the £5,000 required 

 has been collected. 



