602 



NATURE 



[February. 5^ 1920 



SHACKLETON'S LAST ANTARCTIC 

 EXPEDITION.^ 



SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON'S book is an 

 excitingf story of a polar expedition that was 

 a disastrous failure in almost everything it set out 

 to do, with a difficult, but stolid and dang-erous, 

 retreat and a splendid retrievement. It is of 

 popular rather than of scientific value. To 

 readers of Nature the last twenty-four pages are 

 of the greatest interest. 



The volume shows that medical and science 

 graduates from London, Cambridge, and Aber- 

 deen can be as tough and as useful as the most 

 hardened seamen, and do more than ordinary and 



equipped, and there was not enough time given 

 to carry it out successfully. The Weddell Sea 

 alone required two ships and a larger scientific 

 staff, especially in meteorology and biology ; there 

 should also have been additional sub-Antarctic 

 meteorological and biological stations or ships. 

 But the Treasury and Parliament are hopelessly 

 blind even now after they should have learned 

 that it was on science that the European War was 

 ended. Science has been found essential on the 

 land, on the sea, and in the air in every way ; in 

 the fighting and equipment of the forces, and in 

 the maintenance of non-combatants at home, older 

 men and women and children. The Govern- 

 ment was sure of a good leader, and should 



Fig. I.— Landing on South Georgia. Composite drawing and photograph. From Sir Ern;st Shackletons " South." (VV. Heinemann ) 



A.B. seamen's work on a full-rigged auxiliary 

 steam sailing vessel. Also, that they can sit as 

 tight on a dangerous and rotten piece of ice-floe 

 for month after month, and do good scientific 

 work in squalor and filth and in water in a frozen 

 and thawing condition as well as any, and con- 

 tinue scientific observations and collecting an 



example to others making observations and 

 records under more favourable conditions. One 

 and all also served as valuable officers in the 

 fighting Services on their return. 



The expedition was under-financed and under- 



1 ''South: -'he Story of ShacHeton's Last Expedition, 1014-17.- Dv 

 Sir Erne-t Shackleton. Pp. xxi-l-376. (London: Willi.™ Heinemani, 

 1919.) Price 25V. net. 



NO. 2623, VOL. 104] 



have given not less than 200,000/., with the 

 guarantee that equipment, ships, small stations, 

 and a sufficient and thoroughly good scientific 

 staff were secured, and that more time was 

 afforded. 



The Weddell Sea and South Atlantic have been 

 shown to be huge suppliers of food and of material 

 for the manufacture of explosives. It has been 

 found that the meteorology of those parts is an , 

 important factor in the meteorologv of the globe, ' 

 especially in -southern agricultural areas upon j 

 which we are largelv depL-ndent. 



One omission is that there is no special acknow- 

 ledgment to the British Admiralty, which h.ad come 

 in at the bitter end. The .\dmiraltv, with special 



