128 



RETURN OF THE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



accurate or not. It is impossible 

 for me to say ; because the South Mag- 

 netic Pole is not stationary. We have 

 at present determined the present posi- 

 tion ©f the South Magnetic Pole ; and we 

 have been fortunate enough to penetrate 

 further south than man ever put foot be- 

 fore — deg. 78.50. In the biological di- 

 rection great discoveries have been 

 made, some of which must needs startle 

 the scientific world and upset former 

 theories about these regions. When I 

 in 1896, at the Imperial Institute, before 

 the International Geographical Congress, 

 had the honour to lay down my first pla i 

 of Antarctic exploration, I proposed to 

 winter on the Antarctic Continent. That 

 plan had never been put before thd 

 world before, and considerable doubt 

 arose as to whether it would be feasible, 

 or at least advisable, to venture it, be- 

 cause of the meteorological conditions 

 there. We did not know whether the 

 forces within the Antarctic circle would 

 be too hard for human endurance and 

 energy ; and when we landed on that 

 small slip of land, where our modest 

 little hut was put up, we did not know 

 whether the water at high level would 

 come over the slip of land, nor whether 

 the cold would be too much for us ; nnJ 

 we did not know the force of the wind 

 in those regions. Touching on meteor 

 ology, I will say that the forces observed 

 in the Antarctic circle are far beyond ex 

 pectation, and we have had harc'^ 

 and difl&culties from these condi- 

 tions, which also will come as light- 

 ning from a clear sky to the scientific 

 world. I cannot but feel that your 

 good-bye to us here in Hobart followed 

 us, stimulating us through times of trial. 

 We felt that kind hearts beat in the 

 nearest civilised country to us — Tas- 

 naania. (Applause.) We knew that 

 kind hearts beat in Europe also • but still 

 our thoughts drew us to the nearest land 

 where we last found interest and hearti- 

 ness. As a result of this expedition 

 great discoveries must rapidly follow. L 

 hope shortly to be able to lay some of our 

 experiences before the Royal Geographl- 

 caT Societyof London, and thus help tho 

 preat national enterprise of Antarctic 

 exploration, which is proposed. Some 

 of our ancestors — ^some of the old Vik- 

 ings — settled on the Englisli^shore, and 

 so the Great British nation and the Nor- 

 wegian stand near together. (Applause.) 



I hope the British Antarctic enterprise 

 WiL. be still successful, and I hope 

 som3 Norwegians may be able to 

 share in it. (Applause.) It is good to 

 feel for the small countries. I know 

 that it is an honour to sail under the 

 flag of such a nation as the British — 

 (applause) — and that each small nation 

 standing under the Union Jack is nearer 

 to victory than any other. (Renewed 

 applause.) As a boy I read the reports 

 of Sir James Clark Ross's voyage with 

 admiration ; now, after our experience, I 

 read them withireverence. (Applause.) 

 How that great navigator, without the 

 help of steam, managed to do what he 

 did, and enlighten the scientific world 

 as he did, I do not know. — There were 

 lion hearts aboard the Erebus and 

 Terror. (Applause.) Great risks are 

 met with within the Antarctic circle, 

 and I think it would be wrong of me 

 not to put great weight on one roint 

 in advising future expeditions ; that 

 point is — two vessels ! (Hear, hear.) 

 When the vessel left us down there, we 

 first really realised that we were cut ofl: 

 from the great beating world — 2,500 

 miles south of Australia — with no means 

 whatever of returning to civilisation, in 

 case the Southern Cross met with 

 disaster. To-day, now we have suc- 

 ceeded in landing here, I feel the more 

 how much each has had to depend on 

 the other — how each, from the humblest 

 sailor upwards, has had to do his utmost 

 towards our success ; and I feel ho\^ 

 much one must recognise the protecting 

 hand of Providence all through. In 

 thanking you for your kind reception to- 

 night, I will only say — I hope and be- 

 lieve that in the future any Antarctic 

 expedition, from whichever country it 

 may come, will cq-11 here — (applause) — 

 as a better port and kinder hearts can- 

 not be met with. (Loud applause.) 



A number of solos on the organ were 

 played by Mr. T. Julian Haywood, and 

 Mr. J. Brown, with the Vice-regal 

 band, played a piece composed by him 

 self, in honour of the members of the 

 expedition, and entitled "The Southern 

 Cross Waltz." 



At the conclusion of the programme, 

 refreshments were served in the ante- 



