EXPLORING THE GREAT CONTINENT 



observations during several days they turned back to 

 the north. On January 6th they were back on the Ross 

 Ice Shelf, and with plentiful food and active dogs we 

 get the impression that Amundsen held the dogs back in 

 order to reach Framheim just on the twenty-fifth, as 

 he had foretold. The journey of i,86o miles had taken 

 99 days, and was a triumph of good arrangement and 

 adequate transport. 



As a scientific journey, however, it was largely a 

 waste of time, for Amundsen brought back hardly any 

 cartographic data and practically no geological or topo- 

 graphic material. When we think of Scott's party 

 dragging their invaluable geological specimens back 

 when they knew they were doomed ; or of Bowers' 

 wonderful navigation data and his meteorological log; 

 or of the books filled with accurate drawings by Dt. 

 Wilson; there is little question as to which party had 

 the true interests of discovery most at heart. A useful 

 journey by Amundsen's lieutenant (Prestrud) to the 

 east resulted in some further knowledge of King Ed- 

 ward VII Land. On January i6th a Japanese vessel 

 arrived at Framheim, but the Japanese appear to have 

 done little of note during their dash to the Antarctic. 

 Amundsen left the Bay of Whales on January 30th and 

 reached Hobart early in March, 191 2. 



With the achievement of the South Pole by two na- 

 tions we may fittingly close this chapter on Antarctic 

 exploration, for though there have been half a dozen 

 noteworthy journeys since 19 12, they may well be con- 

 sidered in a new chapter under the heading of recent 

 exploration. 



61 



