i6 



REVIEW OF REVIEWS. 



March 1. 1913. 



actually reach the South Pole — on 

 January i8th, 191 2 — where they found 

 Captain Amundsen's records placed 

 there by the gallant Norwegian a 

 month before — on December 19th, 

 191 1. It was on their return journey 

 that disaster overtook them. Petty 

 Officer Evans broke down, and greatly 

 hindered the progress of the part}*, 

 who refused to leave him. He was 

 dragged painfull}' along on a sledge b}' 

 his comrades till he succumbed on Feb- 

 ruary 17th. Captain Gates, of the In- 

 niskilling Dragoons, was injured, and 

 realising that all must perish if they 

 tried to save him, quietly walked forth 

 to his death in the furious blizzard. 

 Captain Scott, Dr. Wilson and Lieuten- 

 ant Bowers struggled onwards, but 

 human endurance could bear no more 

 and on March 27 they died in their 

 sleeping bags in the tent which shel- 

 tered them from the fierce winds and 

 extraordinary cold, which were to- 

 gether responsible for the tragic ter- 

 mination of a brilliant achievement. 

 There they were found by the search 

 party eight months later — Novembei 

 loth, 1912 — and the}- lie buried 'neath 

 a cross raised b}' their sorrowing com- 

 rades. -There let us hope they will re- 

 main, the cross a silent monument to 

 those who have greatly dared and 

 greatly won, counting not the cost if 

 they could but add somewhat to the 

 advancement of science, the elucida- 

 tion of the unknown. Captain Scott's 

 diar}^ will alwa}'s be one of the most re- 

 markable documents in exploration 

 literature, and the wa}^ in which these 

 dying men clung to their scientific re- 

 cords and specimens is perhaps the 

 most touching thing in the whole in- 

 spiring story of self-sacrifice. 



Further Toll of the Antarctic. 



A further tragedy has occurred m the 

 Antarctic, which ice-girt land is in- 



deed exacting a heavy toll on those 

 who are endeavouring to read its 

 secrets. Dr. Mawson reported b}' wire- 

 less from the headquarters of the Aus- 

 tralian Antarctic Expedition, Common- 

 wealth Ba}-, Antarctica, via Macquarie 

 Island, that two of his comrades had 

 lost their lives. These were Lieutenant 

 Ninnis and Dr. Mertz. The former, an 

 Englishman, had been engaged in sur- 

 vey work, the latter, a Swiss, was an 

 expert in the use of skis, and had bio- 

 logical experience. Both had"- been in 

 Antarctic regions before. Dr. Maw- 

 son's expedition originally consisted of 

 thirty-two men, five from South Aus- 

 tralia, five from Victoria, nine from 

 New South Wales, four from New Zea- 

 land, and one each from Queensland 

 and Tasmania. The rest of the part}- 

 were Europeans. The expedition is 

 unique in that it has been in communi- 

 cation with the world by means of 

 wireless, a station having been estab- 

 lished at Macquarie Island when the 

 the Aurora took the expedition south 

 in December, 191 1. Dr. Mawson con- 

 templates remaining another winter on 

 Adelie land. 



The End of the Food Taxers. 



At a time when the Unionist party had 

 most need of showing a united front to 

 the Government during the discussions 

 of the Home Rule Bill, it was rent in 

 twain by a fierce controversy over the 

 questions of Tariff Reform and Prefer- 

 ence. The dissensions in the party had 

 been smoothed over by Mr. Balfour, 

 who stated that no alteration in th? 

 fiscal policy of Great Britain would 

 take place until the question had been 

 submitted to the electors by referen- 

 dum. Mr. Ronar Law threw over this 

 pledge, and proposed that the colonial 

 States should give their suggestions. 

 This idea was unanimously scouted 

 throughout the Empire. I was in Lan- 



