No. i. [From the Quarterly Review, October 1906.] 



RECENT ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION 



1. The Voyage of the "Discovery" By Captain Robert F. 



Scott, R.N. Two vols. London: Smith, Elder, 1905. 



2. Zum Kontinent des Eisigen Sudens. By Erich von 



Drygalski. Berlin: Reimer, 1904. 



3. The Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. By William 



S. Bruce. Papers in the " Scottish Geographical Maga- 

 zine," 1905 and 1906. 



4. Two Years in the Antarctic. By Albert B. Armitage, 



Lieut. R.N.R. London : Arnold, 1905. 



5. The Siege of the South Pole. By Hugh Robert Mill, D.Sc. 



London : Alston Rivers, 1905. 



WHEN, in October 1901, the subject of the South Pole 

 was last discussed in this Review, two great expeditions had 

 recently left European shores for the prosecution of antarctic 

 research ; and two others had just returned from those regions 

 richly laden with new experience and interesting scientific 

 results. Of the home-coming expeditions, the first had been 

 fitted out in Belgium, and was commanded by Captain de 

 Gerlache. The ship was appropriately called the " Belgica." 

 Captain de Gerlache's companions were of many nations, but 

 all of them were ardent explorers. The funds available for 

 the expedition amounted to no more than ; 12,000, yet the 

 results need not fear comparison with those of expeditions 

 costing many times this amount. To the " Belgica " belongs 

 the honour of being the first ship to winter within the ant- 

 arctic circle ; and she did so under circumstances of peculiar 

 danger, being frozen in on the open sea far from all shelter of 

 land. In this position the ship remained for over a year, 



