676 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 
“ Erebus.” Since Ross’s return, by way of Hobart in 1842, no 
expedition worthy the name has been sent out to continue his 
work. 
We fr equently meet people who ask ‘ what is the use of spending 
money in Antarctic exploration?” One of our millionaire squatters 
when asked recently to subscribe to that object replied—* Oh, 
whats the good! there’s no sheep or cattle country so far south”! 
T have little sympathy with those of our wealthy colonists—many 
of them Australian born-who are so wanting in patriotism and 
so densely ignorant of the vast results to be obtained by Antarctic 
exploration. In this connection I cannot do better than quote 
from Sir Clements Markham’s annual address before the Royal 
Geographical Society of England in May of 1895. Mr. Markham 
said :—‘ Of late years the necessity for an Antarctic expedition 
has become more and more urgent for many reasons, but chiefly 
because the science of terrestrial magnetism is at a standstill, 
owing to the absence of any observations in the far south during 
the past fifty years. The knowledge which would be gained by 
such a magnetic survey will not only be of scientific interest, but 
it will also be of practical importance to navigation. Deep-sea 
soundings, dredgings, temperatures of the ocean at various depths, 
meteorology, the distribution of marine organisms, are some of 
the investigations which would be undertaken by an Antarctic 
expedition with reference to the ocean. Equally important objects 
would be to determine the extent of the south polar land, to 
ascertain the nature and extent of its glaciation, to observe the 
character of the underlying rocks and their fossils, and to take 
meteorological observations on shore. 
“ As the geographical history of Queen Victoria’s reign com- 
menced with Antarctic exploration, so the sixtieth year from Her 
Majesty’s accession should be worthily commemorated by prepara- 
tions for continuing the exploration of, the southern continent 
which bears the name of our Queen.” 
The cablegrams that have appeared in our Sydney and Mel- 
bourne daily papers during the past few months indicate that the 
Royal Geographical Society of England has been influenced by 
Sir Clements Markham’s address. “An appeal has been made, or is 
to be made, to the Imperial Government, and also to the Govern- 
ments of the Australasian colonies, for their co-operation and 
financial support, and the Royal Geographical Society has headed 
the list with a subscription of £5,000. In the cause of science 
which is cosmopolitan, and in the carrying out of a project so > 
pregnant with scientific and commercial good to Australasia, all 
local feeling and prejudice should be cast away. Let this Associa- 
tion see to it that the glory of making discovery and exploration 
in these southern seas be not borre from us by others, to our 
everlasting discredit. It would, I thiak, be a step in the right 
