GEOGRAPHICAL PROGRESS. 275 



any dash to the pole. After spending our first whaler Hekla was bought, renamed the Scd^ia^ 

 winter in this depot, I intended, before the re- and reconstructed for the expedition. The Sco- 

 turn of the sun, to throw out advance parties tia is a bark-rigged auxiliary screw steamer, of 

 northward from Rudolf Land to about the eighty- about 400 tons register, measuring 140 feet in 

 third parallel, so as to begin the real polar dash length, 29 feet in breadth, and having a -depth of 

 from that point. In evidence of our sincerity in 15J feet. The ship is being especially fitted out 

 carrying out the primary object of the expedi- to carry on oceanographical research. Two great 

 tion, we have now the satisfaction of pointing drums, each containing 6,000 fathoms of cable 

 to the establishment of our depots, from which for trawling and trapping in what is supposed 

 it will now be possible to despatch parties from to be the deepest part of the Antarctic Ocean, 

 Rudolf Land without its being necessary to en- were taken, for Mr. Bruce intends to follow the 

 danger a ship at a higher latitude than Camp track of Weddell, who sailed from Leith in 1823 

 Ziegler. Altogether, we have formed four large and attained a latitude of 74 15' south. East- 

 stations, for the transport of which an ordinary ward of this track Ross obtained a sounding 



arctic vessel would be required. In the estab- 

 lishment of these depots we were obliged to 



of 4,000 fathoms and no bottom. 



A steam-yacht, the Morning, has been sent 



travel over the same ground at least ten times, out by the Royal Geographical Society to the 



This severe work naturally led to the wearing Discovery, which carried the National Antarctic 



out of our sledges, many of which, in the intense Expedition (British) to antarctic waters in 1901. 



cold, became exceedingly brittle and went to Besides carrying supplies and acting as tender 



pieces like glass, especially when traversing the to the Discovery, the Morning will supplement 



heavy screw ice. I despatched 15 balloons with its work, being well supplied for taking obser- 



300 messages, and in June I obtained the first vations. 



moving pictures of arctic life. I also discovered In a letter from the steamship Antarctica in 



Nansen's hut, recovering original documents and February, Dr. Otto Nordenskjold, leader of the 



securing paintings of the hut. Marine collections Swedish antarctic expedition, says : 



for the National Museum, including new charts, " Our expedition had its last contact with civ- 



etc., were obtained. In the field-work, 30 men, ilization at Staaten island, a few miles north of 



13 ponies, 60 sledges, and 170 dogs were employed Cape Horn, where the Argentine Government has 



from Jan. 21 to May 21. To each of the balloons erected a magnetic observatory to cooperate with 



was attached a string of buoys, which by means the antarctic expeditions in 1902. Jani 6 we 



of automatic contrivances were released as they left the island. On the morning of the llth all 



touched ice, land, or water. As northeasterly on board could know that we were in a new 



winds prevailed, it is likely that these balloons world. The air was cold and the water at the 



were driven upon the great field of ice which this freezing-point, but the land itself was hidden by 



year blocks the entire eastern coast of Spitz- fog. Suddenly at noon the fog lifted and un- 



bergen; when they are released by the movement veiled to our view in its unsurpassed grandeur 



of the ice they will, it is expected, furnish data the first of the antarctic lands to be seen. It 



concerning air and sea currents." was King George island, in the chain of South 



A story was sent from Winnipeg in the sum- Shetlands. The island is very mountainous, and 



mer regarding the fate of the explorer Andree some of its peaks attain a height of 2,000 or 



and his companions. It lacks verification, but 3,000 feet. Between these peaks are broad val- 



seems to have some evidence in its favor. As leys, and anywhere else in the world this island 



Andree set out in 1897, there must be an error would show all the contrasts of a varying nature, 



about the time at least, since, according to the But up to the highest summits everything is cov- 



story, he would not have come down till three ered with snow and ice. The valleys are filled 



years later that is, in 1900. Following is the by immense glaciers, connecting over the ridges 



despatch : 



with their neighbors, climbing the summits, and 



" Rev. Dr. Ferlies arrived from York, North- far more luxuriant than the vegetation of trop- 

 west British Territory, brings authentic infor- ical forests. To the east or to the west there 

 mation of the fate of explorer Andr6e and his seems nowhere to be an outcrop of bare rock, 

 companions. Two years ago, 1,700 miles north and only at a few places at the edge of the sea 

 of York, a party of Eskimos, under the leader- are there bold promontories of steep cliffs. But 

 ship of ' Old Huskie,' saw the Andree balloon all along the coast are rocky islets, often low 

 alight on a plane of snow in that vicinity, which but always of the boldest shape, and, in con- 

 is about 30 miles north of Fort Churchill. Three trast with the main island, those islands are 

 men emerged from the balloon, and some of almost always completely free from snow. The 

 ' Huskie's ' people approached them out of curi- whole scenery presents a type of a glaciated 

 osity. As they did so, one of Andree's compan- country such as our own was at a remote period, 

 ions fired a gun. This is a signal to uncivilized a good deal different from Greenland. Even in 

 natives for battle. It was regarded as a chal- the farthest north there does not exist a land so 

 lenge, and almost instantly the natives fell upon overwhelmed by the snow as this island. Only 

 the three explorers and massacred them. Every- at the extreme west of the island was there a 

 thing pertaining to their outfit was carried to strip of lowland. We did not stop there, but 

 the homes of the natives on the border of the proceeded to another island, Nelson island, where 

 arctic region. ' Old Huskie ' himself gave this the name on the chart, Harmony cove, seemed to 

 information to Ralph Alstine, agent for the Hud- intimate that we would find a favorable landing- 

 son Bay Company, and the story, after being place. And it was, in fact, a nice little place, far 

 investigated by Dr. Ferlies, was told by him. more inviting than one could ever expect after 

 He says that there is little room for doubt, as the first view of the land. The bare space was 

 frequent reports have since come of the strange not very large and the snow was creeping down 

 implements which the north natives have in on all sides. But on all spots possible grew a 

 their possession, the telescope being particularly not too -poor vegetation of mosses, lichens, and 

 described." algae of many different species. On the knolls 



Antarctic Regions. The Scottish National of moss there was a rich life of small insects, 



Antarctic Expedition sailed from the Clyde, Nov. and even a little beetle, the first ever found in the 



3, with William S. Bruce as leader. The Norwegian antarctic, rewarded the work of the entomologist. 



