SCIENTIFIC ADVANTAGES OF AN ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 429 



has only been seen for a distance of 300 miles. It requires far more 

 complete examination before any approach to an adequate knowledge 

 can be obtained respectiug the extent and nature of the supposed ice 

 cap in its rear. 



We know that the southern continent is a region of actual volcanic 

 activity ; but the extent, nature, and effect of that activity remain to 

 be ascertained. 



On the Antarctic Circle land has been reported at numerous points, 

 south of Australia and the Indian Ocean, but it is unknown whether 

 what has been seen indicates islets and rocks, or a continuous coast 

 line. 



Dr. Murray has pointed oat that the whole southern continent is cer- 

 tainly not bounded by such an ice wall as was seen by Sir James Eoss, 

 and is not covered by an ice cap. But the extent alike of the ice cap 

 and of the uncovered land is unknown. 



We are ignorant of the distribution of land and sea, and of ice and 

 water in summer, and of the causes which influence such distribution. 



These are some of the geographical problems to be solved. The 

 investigation of each one of them will lead to further discoveries as 

 yet undreamt of, which must needs be of the deepest interest to 

 geographers. 



There are eminent men present who will no doubt refer to the results 

 of Antarctic exploration as regards other branches of science. Com- 

 bined together they make the discovery of the unknown parts of the 

 Antarctic region the greatest and most important work that remains 

 for this generation of explorers to achieve. 



METEOROLOGY AND ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION. 



Dr. Alexander Buchan stated that the remarks he was about to make 

 would have exclusive reference to the first two paragraphs of Dr. Mur- 

 ray's address, under the heading of "The Atmosphere;" or, rather, 

 more immediately to the relation between mean atmospheric pressure 

 and prevailing winds. He supposed he had been asked to speak on 

 this occasion, from the extensive and minute knowledge of the subject 

 he had necessarily acquired in the preparation of the reports on atmos- 

 pheric and oceanic circulation which were published as two of the 

 reports of the scientific results of the voyage of H. M. S. Challenger. 



The former of these reports, on atmospheric circulation, is accompa- 

 nied by twenty-six maps, showing by isobars for each month and the 

 year the mean pressure of the atmosphere, and by arrows the prevail- 

 ing winds of the globe, on hypsobathy metric maps, or maps showing 

 by shadings the height of the land and the depth of the sea; first on 

 Gall's projection, and second on north circumpolar maps on equal sur- 

 face projection. The isobars are drawn from mean pressures calculated 

 for 1,366 places, and the winds from even a larger number of places, 

 distributed as well as possible over the whole globe. It is also of 



