cessible to all who are unacquainted with the Russian 
la nguage. 
- ‘The next important expedition after the Russian 
on 1e was that of Captain Weddell, during the years 
322-24, whose observations Dr. Neumayer considers 
fectly trustworthy and very valuable, notwithstanding 
aspersions of a subsequent explorer, Dumont d’Ur- 
V ville, whose own expedition was resultless. Weddell’s 
labours embrace valuable materials on currents, the varia- 
‘tion of the compasses, and nautical and meteorological 
‘matters. What is of great interest, is his voyage to a 
high south latitude in January and February 1823. With 
hh is tio little vessels, the ¥aze, of 160 tons, and the Beau- 
Foy, of 65 tons, he made his way from the South Orkneys 
between great masses of ice, and reached, on the 2oth 
February, in 33° 20’ W. long., to 74°15 S. lat., the highest 
vhich had hitherto been attained, He found the sea here 
‘so free from ice, that he named it “ George IV. Sea,” and 
expressed his belief that it would be an easy matter to 
approach much nearer to the South Pole. Having con- 
-vinced himself that no land of any importance existed in 
this direction, he turned northwards. 
In 1829 Captain Henry Foster was sent out by the 
British Government for the purpose of making observa- 
tions on the physical geography of these regions. He 
fixed his quarters at Pendulum Bay, on the island of De- 
‘ception, whose east end was fixed by Weddell at 63° 2’ S. 
‘Tat., and 60° 45’ W. long. Foster stayed here from Jan. 10 to 
“March 6, and carried on a series of valuable hydrographi- 
cal observations. Among other things he determined the 
length of the simple seconds pendulum. Before his de- 
parture he fixed in an exposed position a self-registering 
‘maximum and minimum thermometer, which in the 
“year 1842 was found by Captain Smiles, who found the 
minimum temperature during 13 years to have been —20°5° 
Cent. Unfortunately the index of the maximum ther- 
“mometer had got out of order and could not be read. 
- Captain Biscoe, with two small ships, the 7/a and the 
Lively, went out in the year 1830. The highest latitude 
reached by him was 68° 51’ S., under 12° 22’ E.long. On 
the 16th of March, 1831, he found Enderby’s Land, and 
on February 15, 1832, he discovered Adelaide Island, one 
‘of a series which runs in a westerly direction, each of 
which bears the name of its discoverer. Behind these 
towers to a considerable height the stretch of land now 
known as Graham’s Land. From the observations of 
Biscoe and others, we learn that beyond the 6oth parallel 
of latitude east winds prevail. The results of this expe- 
dition were of high importance ; but notwithstanding that 
“some maintain Graham’s Land and Alexander Land to 
have no connection, Dr. Neumayer believes this still 
remains an open question. 
* The discoveries of Biscoe to the south of the Indian 
Ocean were to some extent confirmed by Kemp, who, in 
the end of 1833, in 60° E. long, and just inside the Polar 
‘circle, discovered the land known by his name. The 
‘insular condition of this as well as of Enderby’s Land 
“might be held as established, if any dependence could be 
placed upon the statements of Morrgll, an American 
voyager of 1823; in him, however, Dr. Neumayer puts 
- little faith. 
The Messrs. Enderby of London, in the year 1838, 
fi tted out two little ships, the #//za Scott and the cutter 
Tk TURE 
23 
Sabrina, the command of which they gave to Captain 
Balleny. The scene of Balleny’s discoveries was the 
waters south of New Zealand, a quarter hitherto but little 
explored. On February 9, 1839, he discovered three 
islands, the centre one being in 66° 44’ S. lat., and 163° 11’ 
E. long. He did not manage to make his way farther 
south than 69° in 172° 11’ E. long. During the month of 
February, he sailed westwards on the 65th parallel, and 
on the 3rd March, in 118° 30’ E. long. and 65° 25’ S. lat., 
he found what is now known as Sabrina Land. More 
than once previous to this he believed he had seen signs 
of land, but the dense fogs prevented him from verifying 
his conjectures. In pursuing these discoveries in lower 
latitudes, the two little ships suffered much from violent 
storms, in one of which the Sadrina was lost with all 
hands. 
(To be continued.) 
BELGIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ASTRONOMY 
Tableau de VAstronomie dans Vhémisphére austral et 
dans V Inde.—De 0 Astronomie dans 0 Académie Royale 
de Beleique, Rapport séculaire (1772—1872). Par Ed, 
Mailly. (Bruxelles, F.Hayez, 1872.) 
fete publications by the same author lie before us, 
each meriting a separate notice. Of the first—an 
extract from the Mémoires de Académie Royale de 
Belgigue,—it is difficult to speak more highly in many 
respects than it deserves. Learned and full as to its 
matter, clear and perspicuous in style, it tells in a very 
pleasant as well as instructive manner the story of southern 
astronomy. A good deal of misapprehension, we believe, 
exists as to the beauty of that part of the heavens which 
is for everhid from European eyes. The Southern Cross 
seems to be more remarkable for its associations than its 
grandeur ; and Canopus, the only gem of extraordinary 
brilliancy which never rises here, is yet outshone by our 
familiar Dog-star. Some parts indeed of the southern 
Galaxy are extremely luminous; and this may well be 
admitted without subscribing to the assertion of a some- 
what flighty Hellenic observer, that around the bow of 
Sagittarius it gives light enough to read the smallest 
print! and the marvellous variable 7 Argus, ranging 
from rivalry with Sirius down to the edge of invisibility 
without a telescope, is an object of interest for which, in 
its own way, we might seek a parallel invain. But onthe 
whole we may well feel that there is nothing in the hidden 
region to compensate a voyage to gaze upon it. Nor 
indeed is that region as extensive as, without reflection, 
might be supposed. The part of the sky which never 
rises being equal to that which never sets, its radius is the 
distance of the pole from the N. horizon; and mere 
inspection will Show that this is no preponderating portion 
of the whole, if to the visible hemisphere we add all thit 
part, which, though beneath the horizon at any one time, 
will successively come into view at other hours of day and 
night. All this is of course perfectly obvious to any 
student of astronomy; but we mention it because the 
idea is perhaps not often realised, how little, comparatively, 
of the sky we lose in our latitudes, and that little not of 
the most interesting character. 
If, however, we exchangethe naked eye for the telescope, 
