COMMERCIAL AND POLITICAL ASPECTS 



areas, at the Alagnetic Pole, at the head of the Taylor 

 Glacier, and in the vicinity of Barne Inlet, have all 

 been mapped by British expeditions. 



Norway is the third nation to expand its territories 

 in the Antarctic. In November, 1927, the ship ''Nor- 

 vegia," under Captain Christensen, sighted Bouvet 

 Island, that elusive island in the South Atlantic Ocean. 

 He fixed its position at 54° 26' S. and 3° 24' E. 

 (see Figure 34). The island is pentagonal in shape 

 and about eight kilometers wide. Its snow-clad sides 

 rise evenly to a central plateau of about nine hundred 

 meters elevation. There w^as practically no vegetation, 

 but the seas teemed with life, and a number of fur- 

 seals were killed. The ship stayed there during De- 

 cember. In November, 1928, the British waived any 

 claims to the island in favor of Norway. In the last 

 whaling season (1928-29) the "Norvegia" made a 

 journey to Peter Island (90° W. and 69° S.) and an- 

 nexed it to Norway. This island was the first land 

 seen south of the Antarctic Circle, and was discovered 

 by the Russian, Bellingshausen, in January, 1821. 

 Thus Norway has just taken possession of two of the 

 most interesting localities discussed in Antarctic his- 

 tory. Perhaps they epitomize Antarctica as a whole. 

 Land covered by ice, hard to discover, valueless for 

 commerce, but surrounded by richly endowed seas and 

 touched with mystery and the romance of the unknown. 



