424 ReporU and Proceedings — 



circumference, and much silicified, was dug out of soil below the 

 basalt.) The wood, which for the most part is highly silicified, is 

 found enclosed in the basalt, whilst the coal crops out in ravines, 

 in close contact with the overlying porphyritic and amygdaloidal 

 greenstone. 



Eoss mentions another bed of coal in Cumberland Bay, one foot in 

 thickness (light and friable with a black glossy fracture like cannel 

 coal, which does not soil the fingers). It is covered by a porphyritic 

 amygdaloidal and greenstone rock. Another bed of coal in an 

 adjacent hill is two feet thick, of a dull brownish-black colour; 

 and it is said to burn very well. 



When Captain Cook visited Kerguelen in the height of Summer 

 (1768) the land was covered with snow, and only five plants in 

 flower were collected. The observations were made by Surgeon 

 Eobert McCormick and Assistant-Surgeon Joseph D. Hooker, of 

 the "Erebus" (1839-43). Hooker records 150 living plants— 

 18 flowering plants, 3 ferns, 25 mosses, 10 Jungermannice, 1 fungus, 

 the rest (93) lichens and seaweeds. 



Mr. R. McCormick, who accompanied Ross, wrote : — " Since the 

 successive overflowings of volcanic matter destroyed the forests 

 which at one pei'iod clothed this land, of which the fossil trees and 

 numerous beds of coal afi'ord abundant proof, it has remained in 

 a state of almost vegetable desolation ever since." 



Writing of Victoria Land, Sir James Eoss in February, 1841, 

 said : " Had it been possible to have found a place of security upon 

 any part of this coast where we might bave wintered in sight of the 

 brilliant burning mountain [Erebus), and at so short a distance from 

 the magnetic pole ; both of these interesting spots might easily have 

 been reached by travelling parties in the following Spring. It was, 

 however, some satisfaction to know that we had approached the pole 

 some hundreds of miles nearer than any of our predecessors." 



And here I may record that on March 26th, 1903,^ Relief Ship 

 "Morning" sends us good news from Port Lyttelton, New Zealand; 

 and we know that Commander Scott with his crew in the 

 " Discovery " entered tbe Antarctic Ice-pack on 23rd December, 

 1901, lat. 67° South, reached Cape Adare on 9th January, 1902, 

 Wood Bay on 18th January, and landed on 20th in an excellent 

 harbour, lat. 76° 30' South, visited Cape Crozier on 22nd, 

 examined the ice-barrier, and took soundings in long. 165°, and 

 found that the ice-barrier trended northwards. High snow slopes 

 rose towards the glaciated lands with occasional bare precipitous 

 peaks. They followed the coast as far as lat. 76°, long. 150° 30' ; 

 and then retired to winter quarters in McMurdo Bay, Victoria Land. 

 Sledge-parties reached lat. 80° 17' South, the furthest point 

 ever attained. Eanges of high mountains were seen to continue 

 through Victoria Land. Foothills resembling the Admiralty range 

 were observed at 160°. Lowest temperature 62° below zero ! 



1 Fuller details are now before the public since the date of this address, 

 March 31st, 1903, which, however, was not issued until 20th August, 1903, in 

 Tol. vii of Trans. N. & N. Nat. Soc, Norwich. 



