840 KEPORT— 1893. 



from manuscripts in Mount Athos, the Vatican, Milan, and Venice, and of 

 Clirysanthus and Berlingbieri, and from tlie printed editions of CI. Ptolemy, were 

 pointed out. The maps of CI. Ptolemy represent his positions plotted upon a region 

 •whose relative areas of land and water only existed, as depicted, after the middle 

 of the first century, and before the end of the third, of our era. The paper was- 

 further illustrated by views on the line from Beni-Suef to that Temple, north of 

 Pimeh, whose existence was first pointed out by the author of this paper in 1882. 



The conclusion is that some, at least, of the maps accompanying the text of 

 CI. Ptolemy in medieval manuscripts are copies, more or less faithful, of maps- 

 drawn not later than the end of the third century, and that they are probably 

 contemporaneous with the Alexandrian geographer's text, a.d. 150. 



TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10. 

 The following Papers were read : — 



1. Notes of an Antarctic Voyage. ByWii. S. Bruce, 



After a boisterous passage of over a hundred days on the steam whaler 

 ' Balrena,' from Dundee, we met the first iceberg on December IC, 1892, in 

 £9° 40' S., 51° 17' W. We continued in a more or less southerly course, passing 

 to the east of Clarence Island. Danger Islets were sighted and passed on Decem- 

 ber 23, and on Christmas Eve we were in the position Iloss occupied on New 

 Year's Day, 184-3. Until the middle of February we remained roughly between 

 G2° S. and 64° 40' S. and 62° and 57° AV., the western limit being Terre Louis 

 Philippe and Joinville Island. 



All the land seen was entirely snowclad except on the steepest slopes, which 

 were of black, apparently igneous, rocks. The few specimens of rocks obtained 

 from the ice and from the stomachs of penguins bear this out ; Professor James 

 Geikie finding olivine, basalt, basalt lava, and possibly gabbro among them. Rock 

 fragments and earthy matter were seen on some of the bergs and ice. On 

 January 12 we saw what appeared to he high mountainous land and glaciers stretch- 

 ing from about 54° 25' S., 59° 10' W. to about 65° 30' S., 58° 0' W., and which 

 I believe may have been the eastern coast of Graham's Land, which has not 

 been seen before. 



The whole of this district south of 60° S. is strewn with bergs, and south of 

 62° S. they become very numerous. No entire day can be recorded when bergs 

 were not seen ; as many as 65, all of great size, to say nothing of smaller ones, 

 were counted at one time from deck. The longest we met was about 30 miles 

 long, one was about 10 miles long, and several from 1 to 4 miles in length. The 

 highest the 'Balfena ' sighted could not have been over 250 feet high, and many 

 were not over 70 to 80 feet high. All the bergs were tabular, or weather-worn 

 varieties of that form. The base of the bergs was coloured brown by marine 

 organisms. 



The pack ice is said not to be heavier than that of the north, and is similar 

 in natui'e. It is frequently coloured brown by Corythnm cri<phyllmn, a very 

 abundant diatom. We first m<^t pack ice, on December io, in 62° 20' S., 52° 20' W. ; 

 it was dense, and ran east and west. In January we met the pack edge running- 

 east and we<!t in 64° 37' S. from about 54° to 56° W. 



A few observations for the freezing- and melting-point of ice were made, ami 

 some sea-temperatures recorded. The lead was cast in the vicinity of Danger 

 Islets and some bottom samples obtained, the depth varying from 70 to over 300 

 fathoms. 



Periods of fine calm weather alternated with very severe gales, usually accom- 

 panied by fog and snow. The lowest air temperature recorded was 20°'8 F. on 

 February 17, and the highest 37°-60 F. on January 15. December showed an 

 average of 31°-14 F., January 31°']0 F., and February 29°-65 F. The baro- 

 meter never rose above 29 804 inches. 



