432 SCIENTIFIC ADVANTAGES OF AN ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



diminisliing mean pressures on advancing southward fairly well sup- 

 port the theory. South of this, however, southerly and southeasterly 

 winds begin to increase in frequency until, from latitude 60° S. into 

 higher latitudes, they become the prevailmg winds. This is abundantly 

 shown from the winds charted on the maps of the Challenger report, as 

 well as from the unanimous experience of all those who have navigated 

 this region from Koss to the present time. Thus the poleward-blowing 

 winds from west-northwest in these summer months stop short at least 

 30 degrees of latitude from the South Pole. 



These prevailing south-southeast winds necessarily imply, as has 

 been shown in the case of the I^orth Pole, the existence of a more or 

 less pronounced anticyclone overspreading Antarctica; which in its 

 turn necessarily implies the existence of upper currents from the north- 

 ward, blowing toward and in upon the i^olar region to make good the 

 drain caused by the surface out-blowing southeasterly winds. It may 

 therelore be concluded that both the surface winds and the upper aerial 

 currents are diametrically opposed to the requirements of this theory. 



What is now urgently called for is a well-equipped Antarctic expe- 

 dition to make observations which will enable meteorologists to settle 

 definitely the distribution of atmospheric iDressure and the prevailing- 

 winds of this great region. Were this done the position in the Southern 

 Ocean of the great ring of lowest pressure that encircles the globe 

 could be mapped out; and since it is toward this low-pressure ring that 

 the wind-driven surface currents of the ocean flow, a contribution would 

 thereby be made to oceanography of an importance that can not be 

 overestimated, particularly as regards the great question of oceanic 

 circulation. 



SIR ARCHIBALD GEIKIE ON ANTARCTIC GEOLOGY. 



Hardly anything is yet known of the geology of the Antarctic regions. 

 By far the most important contributions to our knowledge of the sub- 

 ject were made by the expedition under Sir James Eoss. But as he 

 was unable to winter with his ships in the higher latitudes, and could 

 only here and there with difiiculty effect a landing on the coast, most 

 of the geological information brought home by him was gathered at a 

 greater or less distance from the land, with the aid of the telescope. 

 Within the last few years several sealing vessels have brought home 

 some additional scraps of intelligence, which only increase the desire 

 for fuller knowledge. 



As regards the land, merely its edges have here and there been seen. 

 Whether it is one great continent or a succession of islands and archi- 

 pelagos may possibly never be ascertained. We know that in Victoria 

 Land it terminates in a magnificent m'ountain range with peaks from 

 10,000 to 15,000 feet high, but that elsewhere it is probably compara- 

 tively low, shedding its ice cap in one vast sheet into the sea. 



The rocks that constitute the laud are still practically unknown. 



