March 14, 1901] 



NA TURE 



469 



Adare, and of returning for it a week later ; but its 

 readings are not noted. The "anti-cyclonic theory" is 

 referred to, but neither discussed nor explained. 



" Characteristic stratification of the rocks " is referred 

 to on p. 223, and some of the photographs do appear 

 to show lines of bedding ; but we are left in doubt as to 

 whether the author realises the great interest of dis- 

 covering such rocks on the Antarctic continent. In the 

 preliminary report on the rock-specimens by Mr. J. T. 

 Prior, in the appendix, there is no reference to anything 

 most like stratified rocks than a "pale green slate and 

 quartz grit," of which no particulars are given. On p. 

 264 we read of " a huge cauldron, the bottom of which 

 was even below the sea-level, but guarded against the 

 waters of the cove to the west by a narrow ridge of brim- 

 stone " ; but this unusual structure does not seem to have 

 been investigated. 



As to biology, birds are always referred to by their ftfll 

 names, generic and specific ; but the seals are simply 

 termed " Weddelli " (a name used to distinguish this seal 



vaguest descriptions of where he went or what he saw. 

 As he climbed a glacier on one occasion — " step by step 

 we rose until we were a few thousand feet up, as indicated 

 by the aneroid." This is offering a stone to the reader 

 who hungers after definite information. The log of the 

 crossing of the pack by the Southern Cross on four 

 separate occasions might be expected to yield most 

 important hints to the forthcoming Antarctic expedi- 

 tions ; but details are only given of one of these crossings. 

 The description of the southern ice-barrier, which was 

 dismissed in a few lines by Mr. Borchgrevink in his 

 paper to the Royal Geographical Society, was looked 

 forward to with the keenest interest ; but in this matter 

 we find the most tantalising reticence. The famous ice- 

 barrier, we are told, is only from 60 to 70 feet high 

 (about one-third of the height assigned by Ross), and at 

 the point where a landing was made it was only 2 or 

 3 feet, and rose gradually southward to the normal height. 

 There is no information as to the depth of the water 

 alongside the barrier, a point of the most vital moment. 





Fig. I.— a Crystal Palace. From " First on the Antarctic Continent." Bj' C. E. Borchgrevink. 



from the sea-leopard) or " Rossii," as the case may be, 

 without indication of their genera. Biological theory is 

 handled thus in speaking of what is called " bi-polarity" 

 (p. 232). 



" The existence of organisms does not develop from 

 the presence of the possibility of existence for these, 

 but because the element necessary for the development 

 of these organisms was brought into conditions which 

 favoured its development into a complete organism. It 

 seems thus that the fount whence the element of these 

 organisms rises exists both within the Arctic and Antarctic 

 Circles, apparently without any communication through 

 the intermediary zones." 



In dealing with geography there is an equal want of 

 sense of proportion, definite information or clear ideas. 

 The description of the coast of Victorialand is far less 

 definite than Ross's. No connected account is given of 

 the land-explorations which were carried out near Cape 

 Adare. Mr. Borchgrevink states that he was away from 

 his camp for so many days or weeks, but gives the 



NO. 1637, VOL. 631 



One sounding does, indeed, figure on the map, but the 

 exact point to which it applies is not indicated. The 

 remarkable fact that the position of the ice-barrier was 

 found to be many miles further south than reported by 

 Ross is not commented on. A long digression on ice- 

 bergs and pack-ice is interposed in the middle of the 

 twelve lines of description given to the part of the world 

 where no one had ever been before. It concludes, " With 

 a sufficient number of reindeer, sledges and dogs, and a 

 very small party of scientific men, 1 believe that a great 

 southern latitude may be reached on this ice-sheet 

 in the proper longitude," but never a word as to what the 

 proper longitude is. 



On pp. 270-71 we read, "We secured valuable photos, 

 of Mounts Erebus and Terror, the former being in 

 activity ; " but will it be believed that these " valuable 

 photos " are not reproduced ? This is, we confess, the 

 most staggering circumstance about the book. Dozens 

 of excellent pictures are given which possess absolutely 

 no scientific value, but the one which, of all others, the 



