﻿PuRNELL. 
  — 
  On 
  Antarctic 
  Eaploration. 
  87 
  

  

  prise 
  of 
  man 
  to 
  become 
  available 
  for 
  his 
  use. 
  I 
  sliall 
  not, 
  however, 
  be 
  

   tempted 
  into 
  this 
  attractive 
  ground, 
  but 
  shall 
  content 
  myself 
  with 
  pointing 
  

   to 
  its 
  allurements. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  not 
  entered 
  upon 
  the 
  details 
  of 
  the 
  proposed 
  expedition, 
  because 
  

   they 
  can 
  be 
  better 
  discussed 
  in 
  a 
  separate 
  paper. 
  My 
  present 
  aim 
  is 
  to 
  

   du-ect 
  your 
  attention 
  to 
  an 
  important 
  but 
  neglected 
  subject 
  in 
  which 
  New 
  

   Zealand 
  is 
  specially 
  concerned. 
  This 
  colony 
  has 
  contributed 
  nothing 
  to 
  

   the 
  cause 
  of 
  geographical 
  discovery. 
  Australia 
  has 
  done 
  much, 
  and 
  the 
  

   adventurous 
  feats 
  of 
  travel 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  performed 
  by 
  Eyre, 
  Sturt, 
  

   Stuart, 
  Leichardt, 
  Burke, 
  and 
  other 
  explorers, 
  are 
  such 
  as 
  to 
  justify 
  the 
  

   belief 
  that 
  then- 
  names 
  will 
  be 
  perpetually 
  preserved, 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  local 
  but 
  in 
  

   the 
  national 
  memory. 
  It 
  is 
  deeds 
  like 
  these 
  which 
  redeem 
  the 
  colonies 
  from 
  

   the 
  reproach 
  of 
  being 
  engrossed 
  in 
  the 
  selfish 
  pursuit 
  of 
  wealth 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   by 
  these 
  means 
  alone 
  that 
  we 
  shall 
  become 
  entitled 
  to 
  rank 
  in 
  the 
  eye 
  of 
  

   the 
  future 
  historian 
  with 
  our 
  fellow-countrymen 
  in 
  the 
  older 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   empu-e. 
  We 
  joride 
  ourselves 
  much 
  upon 
  our 
  industrial 
  successes 
  ; 
  upon 
  

   the 
  vastness 
  of 
  our 
  flocks 
  and 
  herds 
  ; 
  upon 
  the 
  immense 
  crops 
  of 
  grain 
  we 
  

   raise 
  ; 
  upon 
  our 
  budding 
  manufactures 
  ; 
  the 
  roads, 
  railways, 
  and 
  bridges 
  

   we 
  have 
  built 
  ; 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  other 
  manifestations 
  of 
  our 
  material 
  progress 
  ; 
  

   but 
  these 
  things 
  are 
  for 
  ourselves 
  alone, 
  and 
  can 
  claim 
  no 
  higher 
  praise 
  

   than 
  apx^ertains 
  to 
  a 
  man 
  who 
  devotes 
  his 
  hfe 
  solely 
  and 
  successfully 
  to 
  the 
  

   acquisition 
  of 
  a 
  private 
  fortune. 
  We 
  have 
  as 
  yet 
  done 
  nothing 
  for 
  mankind, 
  

   nothing 
  for 
  the 
  intellectual 
  advancement 
  of 
  our 
  race 
  ; 
  we 
  have 
  laid 
  upon 
  

   our 
  backs 
  none 
  of 
  those 
  mighty 
  but 
  glorious 
  burdens 
  which 
  fall 
  to 
  the 
  lot 
  

   of 
  those 
  who 
  occupy 
  the 
  lofty 
  station 
  of 
  citizens 
  of 
  an 
  ancient 
  and 
  illustrious 
  

   State. 
  

  

  The 
  physical 
  characteristics 
  of 
  New 
  Zealand 
  have 
  virtually 
  shut 
  its 
  set- 
  

   tlers 
  out 
  from 
  the 
  field 
  of 
  geographical 
  exploration, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  country 
  

   itself 
  is 
  concerned 
  ; 
  but, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  convenient 
  base 
  

   for 
  operations 
  in 
  the 
  noble 
  arena 
  of 
  research 
  which 
  lies 
  open 
  for 
  our 
  enter- 
  

   prise 
  in 
  the 
  South 
  Polar 
  Seas. 
  No 
  real 
  obstacle 
  stands 
  in 
  the 
  way. 
  

   Experienced 
  officers 
  and 
  men 
  could 
  be 
  got 
  in 
  plenty 
  from 
  the 
  Eoyal 
  Navy. 
  

   The 
  Home 
  Government 
  would 
  no 
  doubt 
  wilhngly 
  lend 
  their 
  services, 
  and 
  

   the 
  arctic 
  service 
  is 
  so 
  popular 
  in 
  the 
  navy 
  that 
  we 
  should 
  only 
  have 
  to 
  

   pick 
  and 
  choose 
  from 
  amongst 
  the 
  volunteers. 
  I 
  propose 
  that 
  the 
  vessels 
  

   should 
  be 
  manned 
  from 
  the 
  Eoyal 
  Navy, 
  because 
  it 
  was 
  admitted 
  by 
  all 
  

   competent 
  authorities 
  on 
  the 
  subject 
  that 
  naval 
  discipline 
  tends 
  materially 
  

   to 
  the 
  success 
  of 
  polar 
  exploring 
  expeditions, 
  and 
  is 
  a 
  sure 
  safeguard 
  

   against 
  such 
  misfortunes 
  as 
  those 
  which 
  befel 
  Captain 
  Hall's 
  expedition 
  in 
  

   the 
  'Polaris.' 
  The 
  scientific 
  staff, 
  however, 
  should 
  consist 
  exclusively 
  of 
  

  

  