. 
aS S-aae et 
January 8, 1914] 
NATURE 
533 
systems,” and the like, which may point a finger 
from a distance to the pulsating life of the cell. 
Prof. Kiister has opened up an exceedingly in- 
teresting line of inquiry, and he states his case in 
cautious and undogmatic manner. It appears to 
us that at this stage he would not have weakened 
his position by leaving out the reference to such 
complicated “structural rhythms” as the striping 
of vertebrate animals. 
SHACKLETON’S TRANSANTARCTIC 
EXPEDITION, 1914. 
HOUGH Sir Ernest Shackleton has adopted 
plans for an antarctic expedition that were 
formulated and published by me even before his 
return from his last expedition, and details of 
which have appeared since that time in various 
scientific journals, and in the public Press,! my 
view has always been that one explorer should 
not stand in the way of another, but as soon as 
one has secured money—a task more arduous than 
carrying out any plan whatever in the field—he 
should carry out whatever plan he pleases, and 
should receive, if he desires, any assistance that 
the other may be able to give. Therefore I wel- 
come Sir Ernest Shackleton entering what has for 
a century mainly been, so to speak, the Scottish 
sphere of influence in the antarctic regions. 
It is a curious fact that those who have done 
the most strenuous work on antarctic land have 
been seamen, while landsmen have been left to 
carry out the most strenuous work in antarctic 
seas, and it is, perhaps, for this reason that Sir 
Ernest Shackleton concentrates his attention again 
mainly on the land, whereas, as I have already 
pointed out,” it is a study of “antarctic seas that 
is at present most urgent, including an exploration 
and definition of the southern borders of those 
seas,” that is to say, the coastline of the antarctic 
continent. This part of the programme cannot 
be efficiently carried out in the time that Sir 
Ernest Shackleton proposes to allow himself, 
either for necessary preparation or for his expedi- 
tion. Hurry is unfavourable to detailed scientific 
research. 
But no one is better fitted than Shackleton to 
carry out to a successful issue the transcontinental 
journey, as is shown by the brilliant way in which 
he conducted his south polar expedition in 1907— 
1909. Shackleton is a trained seaman and a 
capable business man, appreciative of the work 
that scientific people carry out under his leader- 
ship. Abundant testimony to this fact has been 
given by his former colleagues, especially Dr. 
D. Mawson, Prof. Edgeworth David, and Mr. 
James Murray. It is certain, therefore, that he 
will give his scientific staff every opportunity of 
carrying out important scientific research. 
Granted that his ship is able to reach Coats 
Land or Luitpold Land—and this is entirely de- 
See, Nae iea Nitin Unchicy cue tee a orion 
27, 1910, p. 55t- ‘Polar Exploration,” by W. S. Bruce, chap. x., pp- 252, 
253. (Williams and arent, Torr.) 
= “Polar Exploration,” by W. S. Bruce, p. 247: 
NO. 2306, VOL. 92] 
.| and difficult problems of Weddell Sea. 
pendent on whether it is a good or bad ice year 
in the Weddell Sea—the expedition should 
endeavour to unite and chart in more detail Coats 
Land and Luitpold Land. It should endeavour to 
map out the coast line between Coats Land and 
Enderby Land, between Coats Land and Luitpold 
Land, and between Luitpold Land and New South 
Greenland. The investigation of New South 
Greenland is in itself one of the most interesting 
Detailed 
soundings should be taken, especially to the south 
and west of those of the Scotia and Deutschland, 
so that, if new coastlines are not actually dis- 
covered, their presence and general outline may 
be indicated. This can be arrived at with a 
wonderful degree of accuracy. It is of great 
interest to obtain considerable quantities of bottom 
| deposits, especially macroscopic specimens, along 
with indications of the distribution and drift of 
icebergs which have been the means of carrying 
them to the place where they have been deposited. 
The important discovery of Archzocyathine 
at a depth of 1775 fathoms in lat. 62° 1o! S., 
long. 41° 20/ W. is a lucid example of the value 
of this type of research, for it most certainly in- 
dicates that the Cambrian rocks found by 
Shackleton in the vicinity of the Beardmore Glacier 
stretch across Antarctica towards the shores of the 
Weddell Sea, and possibly form part of that 
mountain system seen by Morrell in about lat. 
69° S.3 : 
But will Shackleton be able to spend time to 
carry on these researches when the main object is 
to cross the antarctic continent? On her out- 
ward voyage the ship will be full to the gunwale 
with stores and equipment, and every effort must 
be made to find a suitable landing place along a 
practically unknown coast, to build a house, and 
set up the base camp for the tremendous task 
of crossing Antarctica, and this along a coast 
that Ross failed to reach because of heavy ice in 
1843, that the Scotia failed to reach in 1903, 
where the Scotia, in 1904, was heaved right out 
of the water, and left stranded on the top of the 
ice, her keel being 4ft. above water-level, and 
where the Deutschland, in 1912, was beset and 
driven northward helplessly during the whole 
winter. 
These are difficulties that may be met with 
again in the Weddell Sea, difficulties which have 
never been experienced by any ship in the Ross 
Sea, where no one has ever failed to reach the 
Ross Barrier. It is therefore to be hoped that 
Shackleton will not meet with such conditions, 
but will find a favourable season such as Weddell 
and Morrell found in 1823. 
Once landed at or in the vicinity of Coats Land 
—more likely to the east than to the west— 
Shackleton starts his main objective. A meteoro- 
logical station here will be of immense import- 
ance, and should be cooperative with those of the 
Argentine Republic in Scotia Bay and South 
Georgia. Detailed discussion of the meteoro- 
% Morrell’s Voyages, 1822-31, Capt. Benjamin Morrell, 1832, chap. 
| p. 69. 
