238 ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION. 



the development of Antarctic Whale Grounds, should have 

 declined to contribute anything to the Expedition Fund. 

 Doubtless the severe commercial depression experienced 

 throughout Australasia during the past year had something 

 to do with this refusal. However, the brightened prospects 

 of the new year induce the belief that both the Colonies 

 named and those of South Austraha and Victoria, which are 

 also largely benefited by the opening up of this long 

 neglected source of national wealth, will, on a fresh appeal 

 being made to them, be found willing to give substantial aid 

 to the Expedition. 



It is gratifying to find that Northern whalers are at length 

 becoming alive to the importance of the Antarctic Whaling 

 Ground, and that the Messrs. Gray Bros., of Peterhead, are 

 forming a Company with a view to the fitting out of whaling 

 vessels, making the Falkland Islands their starting-point for 

 Antar(5tic Seas. No doubt our many years of effort in 

 Austraha have tended to bring about this result. In the 

 proposal originally made by the Antarctic Committee, that 

 whaling should be combined with scientific exploration, the 

 intention was to follow up Sir James Clarke Ross' discoveries 

 in South Victoria Land. But whatever meridian the South 

 Pole may be approached by cannot fail to bring irapoi'tant 

 additions to our present defective knowledge of Antarctic 

 geography. . . ,. 



During the year three very mstructive discourses upon the 

 subject of Antarctic Exploration have been delivered. One 

 by 'Mr. G. S. Griffiths, F.R.G.S., at a pubhc meeting con- 

 vened by the Antarctic Committee, Melbourne ; another by 

 Dr. J. J. Wild, Secretary to the Scientific Staff" of the 

 Challenger Expedition, to the Members of the Royal 

 Geographical Society of Australasia, Sydney, on which 

 occasion His Excellency the Governor, the Earl of Jersey, 

 presided ; the third by Mr. E. Du Faur, F.R.G.S., also 

 before the New South Wales Branch of the Royal Geo- 

 graphical Society of Australasia. 



The Antarctic Committee has always been most anxious 

 that the ships of the Expedition should reach Austraha before 

 the end of 1892, and persistently urged that view upon the 

 Academy of Sciences, Stockholm. It now appears this will 

 be impossible of realization. At its recent meeting the 

 Committee received a letter from Consul Gundersen enclosing 

 a communication addressed by Baron Nordenskjold to the 

 Minister of Foreign Affairs, dated Stockholm, 23rd September, 



