280 THE ANTARCTIC. 



be secured — no matter whether land is met with or not. 

 Moreover, this region is excellently fitted for the establish- 

 ment of a station, because being nearly equidistant from 

 the observatories of the Cape and of the south point of 

 Australia, combined work could be undertaken. The 

 district of Ross Sea and the neighbourhood of Graham's 

 Land are disregarded, as they receive sufficient attention 

 from English and Belgian explorers. 



As for the practical arrangements : both the vessels 

 of the expedition are to be steamers, of about 400 tons 

 measurement, strengthened for ice navigation ; each is 

 to be manned by a crew of thirty men, inclusive of four 

 officers and four men of science. The cost of the whole 

 undertaking would in round numbers be about ,£47,500 

 (950,000 Marks), which is to be raised by private sub- 

 scriptions, and if possible by government subsidy. 



All this was agreed upon more than two years ago, 

 and meanwhile the elaboration of the scheme has been 

 vigorously pushed forward. Will it ever be carried 

 out ? Will the German nation be mindful of what it 

 still owes to science if it would retain its designation 

 of the "Nation of Thinkers and Investigators?" Or 

 will it once more allow itself to be outstripped even 

 by smaller European nations? In this very southern 

 summer a Belgian expedition, under De Gerlache has 

 crone in search of the waters east of Graham's Land ; a 

 new whaling expedition, having E. Borchgrevingk on 

 board, is reported to have started from Australia ; it is 

 intended that they should pass the winter at Cape Adare, 

 and thence advance polewards on snow-shoes ; in England 

 also and in the United States South Polar Expeditions, 

 planned by Fridtjof Nansen, the greatest polar traveller 

 of our day, are being taken in hand. Will Germany and 

 German science again commit the oft-repeated mistake 

 of being too late, and be content to accept the leavings 

 of others ? The prize is great, and independent of the 



