December 22, 1910] 



NATURE 



in the direction shown in the figure about a vertical axis. 

 This, as we have seen, is the spin which produces a sHce. 

 The same spin would be produced if the motion of the 

 club was along LM and the face turned so as to be in 

 the position shown in Fig. 29, i.e. with the heel in front 

 of the toe. 



If the motion and position of the club were as in Figs. 

 30 and 31, instead of as in Figs. 28 and 29, the same 

 consideration would show that the spin would be that 

 [x>ssessed by a pulled ball. 



THE SECOND FRENCH ANTARCTIC 

 EXPEDITION.^ 



''PHE Antarctic is so vast as to admit of many expedi- 

 *• tions working together with good results, and Dr. 

 Charcot therefore resolved to return to the region which 

 lie had explored to some extent in 1903-5. His precise 

 object was to investigate from every point of view as 

 great an extent of the Antarctic as possible, without any 

 considerations as to latitude. He desired to enter the 

 region where the ice drifted furthest to the north, and he 

 had no hope whatever of reaching the Pole. He had a 

 three-masted vessel constructed at St. Malo, with auxiliary 

 engine, which he named Le Pourquoi Pas? It was 

 equipped with every care, and supplied with the most 

 modern instruments for observation. The crew consisted 

 of twenty-two men, most of whom had already accom- 

 panied Dr. Charcot on his previous expedition. The staff 

 consisted of seven, who were experts in different depart- 

 ments of science. The expedition started from Havre on 

 August 15, 1909, and on December 16 left Punta Arenas 

 for the Antarctic. 



After passing Deception Island Dr. Charcot made for 

 Port Lockroy, in Gerlache Strait, where the work of the 

 expedition began. Some days later the expedition arrived 

 at Wandell, which was found to be a very unsatisfactory 

 harbour, and therefore the expedition moved on to Peter- 

 mann Island. Dr. Charcot with two of his companions 

 set out to discover if it was possible to pass between the 

 Biscoe Islands and the coast. As they expected to return 

 the same day they did not take any provisions or change 

 of garments. Their return was blocked by the ice, and it 

 was four days before they were able to reach the ship, 

 narrowly escaping death from hunger and cold. From 

 Petermann Island a journey was made towards the south 

 along the coast, the mapping of which, begun during the 

 previous expedition, was completed. A hydrographical 

 survey was made of .Adelaide Island, which was found 

 to be seventy miles long instead of eight, as had previously 

 been stated. To the south of Adelaide, in a region which 

 had not previously been visited, a great gulf was dis- 

 covered which was entitled Marguerite Bay. Here the 

 greatest difficulties were met with from the ice and from 

 icebergs, but these were successfully overcome. In spite 

 of all the difficulties the expedition discovered and studied 

 the hydrography of 120 miles of unknown coast to the 

 south. 



At last, after two attempts, the expedition succeeded in 

 traversing the ice and reaching Alexander Land, which 

 was mapped, and the hydrography of which was investi- 

 ijated. It was found absolutely impossible to winter here, 

 however, and the expedition was compelled to return to 

 Petermann Island. Observations, however, were carried 

 on with great perseverance, numerous soundings and 

 dredgings were made, and many photographs taken. The 

 house which had been constructed here on the previous 

 expedition was still available, and after three days' work 

 was put into condition for being able to be used during the 

 winter. In the autumn numerous and long excursions 

 were made on the glaciers. The winter, though mild, was 

 almost continuously stormy, a formidable north-east wind 

 blowing during nine months. An immense quantitv of 

 snow fell. The terrible season was very trj-ing to the 

 members of the expedition, some of whom had been 

 attacked with scurvy. 



An attempt was made to traverse Graham Land. The 

 members of the expedition who carried out the work 

 returned with many interesting observations, but without 



1 .luminary of a paper by Dr. J. B. Charcot read before the Royal Geo- 

 graphical Society on December iq. 



NO. 2147, VOL. 85I 



having been able to overcome the impassable perpendicular 

 wall of granite and of ice which lines the whole of the 

 coast where a landing was attempted to be made. Many 

 other excursions were made in the neighbourhood. With 

 great difficulty, owing to the state of the ice. Deception 

 Island was reached at the end of November, and the 

 expedition received the greatest hospitality from the 

 whalers who are settled on the island. Many observations 

 were here made in seismography, on the tides, on hydro- 

 graphy, in natural history and geology, and many sound- 

 ings and dredgings were carried out. 



After the expedition had been refitted it visited Bridg- 

 man Island, Admiralty Bay, the south coast of the South 

 Shetlands, at all of which places good work was done. 

 After this another attempt was made to penetrate south- 

 wards. In spite of the unfavourable condition of the ice 

 and the weather, the expedition succeeded in passing 

 beyond all the latitudes previously reached to the south- 

 west of Alexander Land. It was hoped that the expedi- 

 tion would be able to make further discoveries to the 

 south and the west of Alexander Land, but the formid- 

 able condition of the pack rendered this extremely difficult. 

 The route, however, was continued along the edge of the 

 pack, when Peter ist Island was discovered in the place 

 at which it is usually charted. After this the icebergs 

 became so numerous as to be embarrassing and dangerous. 

 Dr. Charcot reckons that they counted something like 

 5000 of these in one day. However, they succeeded in 

 reaching 126 degrees west longitude, and so reached two 

 or three degrees further south than the route followed by 

 Cook and Bellingshausen. As the supply of coal was 

 now almost exhausted, and the health of the expedition 

 had become alarming, it was decided to make for the 

 north. The icebergs gradually diminished, and at last 

 disappeared, and, thanks to an uninterrupted series of 

 strong winds, varying from south-west to N.N.W., rapid 

 progress was made. In ten days the Straits of Magellan 

 were reached, and on February 12 the expedition anchored 

 at Punta Arenas. The Pourquoi Pas? behaved admirably 

 in spite of the many trials to which it was subjected, and 

 the crew was all that could be desired, while the scientific 

 staff worked incessantly, and from the scientific point of 

 view the programme was scrupulously carried out. It 

 will take many months to work out the observations which 

 have been made during the expedition, to study and 

 arrange the rich collections obtained, and therefore it is 

 somewhat difficult to give more than a brief resume of 

 the results obtained. 



From the geographical point of view the expedition has 

 proved that the west coast of what may be called the 

 South .American Antarctic is cut up by deep fjords, and 

 the coast studded with islands and reefs. Graham Land 

 is continued to the south by a land to which Dr. Charcot 

 has given the name Terre Loubet ; this is continued by 

 the Terre Falli^res. Alexander Land, which has only 

 been seen by Bellingshausen, is a large island, but the 

 lands discovered by the expedition to the south and west 

 of that very probably join on Terre Falli^res. Outside 

 of Peter ist Island the expedition did not obtain sight of 

 anv other land, but their soundings in continuation of 

 those of the Belgian e.xpedition, the configuration of the 

 icebergs and their movements, seem to indicate that there 

 exists a continual line, which most probably joints the 

 Graham Land section of the Antarctic to King Edward 

 VH. Land. Dr. Charcot considers that the further ex- 

 ploration of this land is very desirable, although the 

 difficulties from the state of the weather and the formid- 

 able nature of the ice here will render such an enterprise 

 extremely difficult. 



In spite of the difficulties which had to be faced, the 

 observations made in the various departments of science 

 are extremely rich. Careful mapping of the lands visited 

 was carried out throughout ; numerous gravity observa- 

 tions were made ; earthquake phenomena recorded ; an 

 eclipse of the sun on December 23. iqoS, was observed ; 

 important geological observations carried out, proving that 

 the same dioritic and granitic forms which are to be found 

 in Graham Land are continued further to the south. Of 

 the existence of a continental plateau there can be little 

 ; doubt from the observations that were made. Numerous 

 j excursions were made on the glaciers into the interior ; 

 ' careful continuous meteorological observations were re- 



