XXXV111 



Mr. J. B. Walker said he had been requested, in order to test the 

 matter and ask the Govermnent to take part in any expedition that 

 might be sent out by the Australian colonies, to move the following 

 resolution : — "That in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable in tile 

 interest of science and commerce that the exploration of the 

 Antarctic regions should be reviewed, and that in the event of the 

 Australia colonies taking part in the despatch of an expedition for that 

 purpose that Tasmania should contribute towards the cost." He 

 quite concurred in Mr. Sprent's remarks as to the responsibilities 

 Australia incurred if she intended to hold the empire of the Southern 

 Seas. If she wanted the position she should take up the responsibilities 

 that were attached to that position. We should do our share towards 

 the scientific resources of these Southern regions as England had done 

 in the North. Tasmania should not be the only colony to stand apart 

 from such an enterprise as she had done in the case of the Colonial 

 Exhibition. The space to be explored was double the size of Australia, 

 and certainly presented great opportunities for scientific research, and 

 presented such opportunities to us in a way in which they were not 

 open to any other part of the world. It was 50 years since the last 

 expedition was sent out, and since then much has been done to render 

 such an exploration feasible. He would leave it to those Fellows, 

 better able than he was, to explain the scientific gains which might 

 be anticipated as the result of such an expedition, but desired to point 

 out some commercial advantages that might result in the way of opening 

 up a new industry in whale fishery. He pointed out the 25 years ago 

 the late Dr. Crowther despatched a vessel to Kerguelen Island, in the 

 whaling interest, so that it would be seen that Tasmania had taken up 

 the master before, though not very successfully. 



Mr. A. Morton (Secretary of the Royal Society), in seconding the 

 motion, said he was sure they had all listened with great pleasure 

 to Mr. Sprent's interesting paper, and he thought the meeting was 

 entirely in accord with the resolution. It was pleasing to notice that the 

 Ko) al Society of Tasmania was the third scientific society in the 

 colonies to take up the matter. Victoria led the way, Tasmania 

 followed, and he believed New South Wales would shortly consider the 

 same question. As they all knew, in about 15 months the centenary 

 of, we might say, Australasia would be celebrated, and it would be a 

 fitting time for her to show the world that she had arrived at her 

 maturity, and was able to take her place with the nations in organising 

 a scientific expedition. Before America was a hundred years old she 

 had sent out expeditions to the Arctic regions, and no fitter 

 celebration of our centenary could be devised than a successful venture 

 of this kind. He pointed out that the Premier of New South Wales 

 had brought forward a proposal to celebrate the hundredth birthday of 

 Australasia, and as the British Association had been invited to hold 

 their meetings in the colony in the year 1888, such an expedition success- 

 fully carried out would show them and the world what the Australian 

 colonies could do. He, for one, though preferring to explore in warmer 

 latitudes, would be very glad to take part in a scheme which would 

 be so beneficial scientifically and commercially. The colonies had the 

 means and the men ; let them have the will, and success was certain. 

 (Hear,hear.) 



Mr. A. Mault suggested that the motion should be slightly amended, 

 to read that Tasmania would give a general co-operation and not only 

 contribute towards the cost. It would be better for Tasmania to be 

 represented and to take a more active part than in merely contributing 

 towards the cost. In these days, when federation was the common hope, 

 an Australian navy was the great want, and such an expedition as that 

 proposed was the kind of training to make good men. 



