May 13, 1887.] 



SCIUJ^CU. 



453 



exploration of the antarctic regions will be re- 

 sumed, it will be of interest to review the history 

 of former expeditions. Cook had expressed the 

 opinion that it was impossible to approach the 

 land which he supposed to exist around the pole, 



sent out Captain Bellingshausen, who discovered 

 Alexander Island and the isolated Peter Island. 

 The results of his explorations, which were pub- 

 lished at St. Petersburg in 1831, did not become 

 known until some years later, as frequently is the 



MAP OF ANTAKCTIC KBGIONS SHOWING THE LIMITS OF OUK KNOWLEDGE. 



on account of the heavy masses of ice met with. 

 It was his opinion that these could originate only 

 on an extensive land. Almost half a century had 

 passed, and no new attempt had been made to con- 

 tinue his explorations, when Nicolaus I. of Russia 



case with books written in Russian. He was fol- 

 lowed by Weddell in 1823, who, on a sealing voy- 

 age south-east of South Shetland Islands, reached 

 latitude 74"^ 15' south, where he found the sea free 

 from ice, navigable, and abounding with whales 



