THE ANTARCTIC REGIONS. 267 



without excessive telescopic power, inform themselves 

 whether our polar regions are like the corresponding 

 regions in Mars or whether, as many geographers 

 suppose, the Arctic regions are occupied in summer by 

 an open ocean, while in the Antarctic regions there is 

 a large continent. 



A new interest has recently been given to inquiries 

 respecting the condition of Arctic and Antarctic 

 regions, by the circumstance that the expedition of the 

 ' Challenger ' is expected to bring us information 

 respecting the latter regions, while application has 

 been made for Government assistance towards an 

 Arctic expedition. I propose to consider, now, some 

 of the questions which are connected with Antarctic 

 research, and in particular to discuss the probability 

 of the existence of great continental lands within 

 the Antarctic circle. 



Before proceeding to consider these points, however, 

 I have a few remarks to make on the question of 

 Grovernment aid to this branch of geographical re- 

 search. 



It should be remembered by those who discuss this 

 subject that the first explorations of the polar regions 

 of our earth had a commercial origin. It was supposed 

 that by finding a passage round the northern shores of 

 the American continent, communication with China 

 and the East Indies would be facilitated. A way had 

 been found round Cape Horn, but the way was long, 

 and the storms which rage in Antarctic seas rendered 

 the route uninviting to the contemporaries of Magel- 



