PREFATORY NOTE 



DURING the preparation of the results of the physical observations made by the 

 National Antarctic Expedition, the publication of which was undertaken by the 

 Royal Society, it became obvious that over and above the material contained in the 

 various Journals of Observations, a large body of pictorial evidence had been 

 amassed, which, although it possessed great value as illustrative of the scenery and 

 natural history of the Antarctic regions, could only be partially and in a scattered 

 form comprised in the volumes dealing with the Meteorology, Magnetism, Seismology, 

 and other physical portions of the work of the Expedition. To some extent this 

 pictorial material had been made use of in the already published volumes of the 

 Reports of the Expedition, as well as in other works. But the Committee which was 

 charged by the Council of the Royal Society with the supervision of the work, came 

 to the conclusion that in justice to the value and completeness of this section of the 

 labours of the Expedition, and in the interest of future exploration in the same high 

 southern latitudes, it was desirable that at least some portion of the material should 

 be published in a separate volume as a permanent connected record of the aspect of 

 the regions which the ' Discovery ' visited. More particularly did such a publication 

 appear to be advisable in regard to the observed position and condition of the snow- 

 fields, glaciers, icebergs, ice-barrier, sea-ice, and other features which are liable to 

 continual and comparatively rapid changes. 



The pictorial material consisted of some hundreds of photographic plates and a 

 large series of panoramic and other sketches. A careful selection from it was made 

 of those subjects which appeared most worthy of reproduction, either for their own 

 interest as illustrative of Antarctic conditions, or as records that might be of service 

 to future investigators in the same part of the world. It was also determined that 

 as far as possible the exact point from which each photograph or sketch was taken 

 should be marked on maps or charts, to form part of the volume. 



The photographic work of the Expedition was mainly accomplished by 

 Lieutenant-Engineer R. W. Skelton, whose admirable pictures form a large part of 

 the Plates in the present Album, and who, had he been at the time available, would 

 have been asked to undertake the preparation, reproduction, and description of the 

 photographic part of the volume. In addition to his photographs, others have been 

 selected from those taken by Lieut. A. B. Armitage, Lieut. C. R. Royds, Lieut. 

 E. H. Shackleton, Mr E. A. Wilson, Mr L. C. Bernacchi, Mr H. 



Mr R. Ford. 



The various pencil sketches, which convey so vivid and artistic an impression o 



