460 THE NATIONAL ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



countiT for scdentific purposes. She has been a great success, and she 

 will be a great success even if she has to be abandoned in the antarctic 

 ice. The famous voyage performed in her, the vast and important 

 scientific results achieved through her means, will remain forever as 

 the record of her success, even though the staunch old Dheovery leaves 

 her ribs in the far south. But this will not l)e if human help, guided 

 b}' no ordinary ability and skill, can avail. For if the ship is strong 

 and adapted to her work, still stronger and still better are her crew. 

 No more striking proof of this is needed than the way they have ral- 

 lied round their beloved commander. Captain Scott's deeds speak for 

 themselves, and he was supported by such officers as Armitage, Royds, 

 Skelton, Shackleton, and Barne; by Koettlitz, ^^'ilson, Bernacchi, 

 Hodgson, and Ferrar; and })y 26 seamen and marines, all good men 

 and true. Alas that one of the best of all, the devoted and chivalrous 

 Shackleton, is no longer with them! The Admiralty has lent the men, 

 without whom the work could not have been done; out we nuist alwa^^s 

 remember that we owe this to the good offices of our lamented asso- 

 ciate, Admiral Sir Anthony Hoskins. We owe much more to his 

 memory than even that. 



One word with regard to the management of the business of the 

 expedition. Since December, 1900, a joint finance committee, 

 appointed My the councils of the two societies, of which I have been 

 chairman, has transacted all the l)usiness. The three other members 

 are the treasurers of the two societies and a distinguished official of 

 the treasury appointed with the approval of Mr. Balfour; these three 

 business men have conducted the affairs of the expedition on business 

 principles. Efficiency has been secured without waste or extravagance, 

 and most especial care was taken with regard to the examination of the 

 provisions by an expert under official supervision. The committee 

 has worked and is still working harmonioush', and there has scarcely 

 been a difference of opinion among its members. As a test of its 

 business capacity, we have the fact that the expedition is well within 

 the estimate, and that the committee had a balance of £'7,000 to meet 

 all further expenditure, if the two ships had returned this year in 

 accordance with the instructions. Captain Scott sat on the committee 

 from its conunencement until the departure of the Dheovery. 



Under such auspices the expedition left New Zealand on Christmas 

 eve, 1901, and entered the antarctic ice. Her objects were to study 

 the nature of Ross's great ice barrier; if possible, to discover land to 

 the eastward; to secure various scientific results during the voj^age 

 and in winter quarters; and from winter quarters to explore the 

 ^'olcanic region, and to make discoveries to the south and inland to the 

 west. Most thoroughly and complete!}' have the explorers carried 

 out these instructions. Their deeds have far exceeded all that I had 

 hoped or even conceived possible. Let us now follow their proceed- 



