PEOCEEDINGS, APRIL. vii 



AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION COMMITTEE. 



The Secretary read the followiDg letter received from the Royal 

 Society of Victoria, also the recommendations from the Antarctic 

 Committee appointed by the Royal Society of Victoria, and the Royal 

 Geographical Society of Australia (Victoria Branch), to the Hon. the 

 Premier : — 



Royal Society of Victoria, Victoria-street,Melbourne, 8th April, 1887. 

 Australian Antarctic Exploration Committee. To the President of the 

 Royal Society of Tasmania, Hobart. — Sir, — I have the honour to enclose 

 herewith a copy of the progress report of this committee, and of its 

 recommendations to the Government on the subject of Antarctic 

 research, and to inform you that our Premier, Mr. Gillies, has replied to 

 our application for a grant-in-aid to the effect that he is prepared to pro- 

 vide funds in the next estimates, provided that the Colonies contribute, 

 and that he has just written to their Governments to ask their co-operation 

 From the cordial manner in which the first proposal to renew Antarctic 

 research was met in Tasmania, we feel sanguine of an affirmative 

 response from its Government ; but as it is desirable to lose no time in 

 obtaining an early assurance to that effect, I am instrncted to ask for your 

 powerful influence to secure it as promptly as possible. It will be seen 

 by the progress report that this committee formed a deputation in 

 August last to wait upon our Premier, and was fortunate enough to 

 receive his approval and active assistance. May I suggest that probably 

 a similar movement on the part of your society would largely tend to 

 affect the decision of your Government, and moreover to expedite it, and 

 a notification of it also. Feeling confident that you will concur that 

 there could be no more worthy and appropriate method of signalising 

 the centenary of the foundation of Australian settlement than that pro- 

 posed, and that you will endeavour to assist it in the manner suggested. I 

 have the honour to be sir, your most obedient servant, 



H.K. RUSDEN, 



Hon, Sec. Royal Society of Victoria, and of Australian Antarctic Explor- 

 ation Committee. 



Recommendations from the Antarctic Committee, appointed by the 

 Royal Society of Victoria and the Royal Geographical Society of 

 Australia (Victorian Branch), to the Hon. the Premier : — 



1. The Antarctic Committee begs respectfully to recommend to the 

 Hon. the Premier the propriety of stimulating antarctic research by the 

 offer of bonuses. 



2. That a sum of £10,000 be placed upon the estimates, to provide for 

 the amount of the bonuses, and for the expenses of the equipment and of 

 the staff. 



3. The amount of the bonuses to be paid to the shipowners for the 

 hereinafter mentioned services is to be decided by tender, and the same, 

 together with the cost of equipment and the staff, not to exceed the sura 

 of £10,000. 



4. That the Government invite tenders from shipowners willing to 

 perform the services required. 



5. That the tenders be sent to the Treasury direct, or through the 

 Agent-General, not later than the 1st June. 



6. That tenderers must provide two fortified steam ships, each of not 

 less than 175 tons register, 60 horse power nominal, and Al at Lloyds, 

 or of an equivalent class. 



7. That tenderers must supply full descriptions of the ships and their 

 equipments. 



8. That the master and chief mate of both ships shall have held similar 

 positions in Arctic steamships. 



