June, 1901. 



KNOWLEDGE. 



] 2:5 



the ever-changing variation of the neixlle hy unknown 

 amounts, navigation by tlio eonipass much soutli of the 

 Cape is somewhat precaj-ious. Tho utilitv of doing this 

 was recognised by the Government, for which purpose 

 a grant of £15.000 was voted. Whilst at sea the mag- 

 netic elements will bo determined each day by the 

 standard compass, and an improved fonn of the Lloyd 

 dip circle specially designed by Captain Creak, r.n.. 

 for observations at sea. The Fox circle will also be 

 employed. Absolute nieasm-enients of the magnetic 

 elements will be made whenever possible either on the 

 ice or on land, and the relative in.strumcnts compared 

 with them. For the land party recording magneto 

 graphs of the Eschenhagen type will be set up. a similar 

 set of instruments being taken by the German expedition ; 

 thu^ indelible records of the variations will be obtained 

 Atmosphekio Elkctkkitv. 



The observations for the quantity of electricity present 

 in the atmosphere will Ijc made by means of Lord 

 Kelvin's port<ible electrometer, standardized at Kew with 

 the large self-recording instrument there; the records 

 will thus be comparable. In addition to this. Exner's 

 portable electrometer will also be used. 

 Aurora Austh.xlis. 



The sympathetic disturbances of the magnetic needle 

 vith aiiroral phenomena has long been noticed, and 

 therefore, as in the German expeflition. special attention 

 will be paid to magnetic observations when there is a 

 display of Aurora Australis. In atldition to this, 

 measurements ot its altitude will be matle, its form 

 carefully noted and photographed, if possible, to- 

 gether with spectroscopic oJ)servatious. both visual 

 and photographic. Photometric and polariscope obser- 

 vations will also be instituted. The relation of the 

 Aurora Australis to that of the Aurora Borealis is of 

 special importance in the connection between these 

 terrestrial, electrical, arid magnetic phenomena. Prof. 

 Gyllenskibld has shown that the folding of the Ai-ctic 

 Auroras is always in the same direction, and from the 

 results of the recent Iceland expedition. Prof. Scheiner 

 has shown the undoubted coincidence of the negative 

 pole spectrum of nitrogen with that of the aurora. It 

 now remains to be seen whether the folding of the Aui'ora 

 Australis is in the same direction, and whether it is the 

 positive or negative pole spectrvun that is coincident. 

 The chief aurora line will be directly confronted with 

 that most promising line given by the new gas Krypton, 

 and for this purpose Prof. Ramsay has kindly presented 

 the expedition with supplies of this rare element. 



The frequency of Antarctic aurorae is as vet little 

 known, for whilst the obseri-ers in the " Antarctic " and 

 ■ Southern Cross *"' report bright and frequent displays. 

 tliose in the "Belgica" state that the displays were 

 feeble and infrequent. The explanation of this appai-ent 

 di.screpancy is probably that the two former ships were 

 in the region of greatest auroral intensity. 

 Geodetic Observations. 



The equipment of the British expedition for 

 geodetic and astronomical obsei-vations is in the 

 main similar to that of the German expedition. 

 For the determination of position the means em- 

 ployed will be in accordance with the situation 

 and the accuracy required. vVt the shore base station 

 a small transit instrument will be set up, and a portable 

 altazimuth v.-ill be kept on board for accurate obs- i- 

 vations which it may he required to make on ice or at 

 other landing places where the pendulums may be swung. 



Two sets of i seconds pendulums are already being 

 swung at home base stations, first the Helmert type at 



Kew, and the Ellery type, loaned by the Victorian 

 Government, at Melbourne; one of these sets will pro- 

 bably remain on the ship, and an observation be made 

 at one or two places where it may be possible to set 

 them up ; the other set will be mounted and swung iu 

 the shore hut. 



Gravity results in the Antarctic will be most valuable, 

 for among the results of the Nansen expedition one of 

 the most important is the considerable ocean depth 

 found in the Arctic area. On the contrary it is supposed 

 that the Antarctic glaciers rest on an uplifted continent, 

 which ill an exaggeration would give the figure of the 

 earth the form of a toj), and it has been suggested that 

 whilst the flattening of the earth is^', ,in the northern 

 hemisphere, the value^^y will in probability more nearly 

 re])resem the flattening of the polar diameter in the 

 southern hemisphere. As the precession of the equinoxes 

 and nutation are products of the earth's figure this 

 lesult is interesting both to astronomers and geographers. 

 Meteorology. 



Regular meteorological observations will be nuule 

 throughout the voyage, as well as at the land station, 

 and ill addition observations of the upper regions will 

 be attempted by the aid of kites both on sea and land. 

 Self-recording apparatus will be employed in the »lia))c 

 of barographs. thermogra[)lis. aiKMiioiiieters. suiisliiiio 

 recorders and hvgrograplis. Some work will also be done 

 on clouds vi.>uallv as well as photographically. Obser- 

 vations with Aitken's dust counter will also be 

 attempted. 



In the case of temperatures on shore, platinum ther- 

 mometers connected electrically with the interior of the 

 hut will be used, both embedded in the earth and iec 

 if possible, with one also in the thermometer screen ; 

 by this means the necessity of leaving the hut to read 

 the thermometers when the climatic conditions are 

 dangerous will be avoided. 



Should the expedition bo able to reach McMurdo 

 Bay for the establishment of the shore observatory, it 

 is highly probable that the low-pressure belt girdling 

 the Antarctic would be passed, and that the conditions 

 would be more favourable for wintering if the anti- 

 cyclonic area over the South Pole exists. At all events 

 it was the east-south-east winds which caused an iii- 

 vaiiable rise in temperature as recorded nt Cape Adare 

 by the " S(uitheni Cross " expedition. 



0CE.\N0(:HA1>HY. 



It is proposed not to carry on deep-sea observations 

 on board the German ship to a greater depth than 

 1000 metres, but in this country it was thought advisable 

 to go to iiiuch gieater depths, and consequently the 

 • Discovery " has been equipped for sounding and dredg- 

 ing to such depths as are likely to be met with. Ono 

 of the tilings of first importance is to determine the 

 origin and direction of movement of the great ice 

 barrier, and everything that is feasible will be done to 

 sccui-e this. Soundings will of course be made as near 

 as possible to its face, in order to determine whether or 

 not it rests upon the bottom. 



For the collection of specimens various drag and tow 

 nets will be employed, and for the collection of samples 

 of sea water (for the determination of its physical pro- 

 perties) in which such specimens exist, the Pettersson- 

 Nansen insulating water-bottle will be used. On 

 the voyage out some studies of phosphorescence 

 may be' made, and here the w^ork of the physi- 

 cist and biologist will be united. For the 

 study of oceanic circulation observations will be 

 m^de on the salinitv of the water from various depths. 



