Proceedings, &G.,foT 1886. 265 



teems with animal and vegetable life. Wliales are plentiful. 

 Whether any plants or animals exist upon the Antarctic land there 

 has been no opportunity of ascertaining. The dredge has disclosed 

 the occurrence of granite, metamorphic, and plutonic rocks, sand- 

 stone, limestone, and shale. The climate is believed to be cooler 

 than the Arctic in the summer, but less cold in the winter. The sea 

 ice differs from that of the Arctic, the bergs being more massive, but 

 the pack ice less extensive. With regard to the further information 

 desired, it is set forth in the memorandum of the objects to be served 

 by Antarctic exploration, which this Society assisted to prepare and 

 publish, and which can be obtained by application to the Secretary. 

 To obtain this knowledge two schemes are under consideration, one 

 by societies in England, the other by ourselves. The Imperial 

 scheme will involve sending out two ships for a three years' cruise. 

 That expedition will be under naval discipline, and will be devoted 

 exclusively to scientific discovery. Its cost will probably exceed 

 £150,000, and must therefore be left to the mother country. Our 

 scheme is more modest, but we believe that its observations will 

 prepare the way for the other. Dundee and Peterhead yearly send 

 to the Arctic Sea a fleet of steam whalers, strongly fortified to 

 battle through the ice-encumbered straits which lead up to the great 

 fishing grounds. These vessels are admirably adapted to serve our 

 purpose, and we have, through our Government, asked what will 

 induce their owners to send one or two ships to fish in the Antarctic 

 seas, taking two or three observers as passengers, and giving them 

 every facility, compatible with the ship's business as whalers, for 

 gaining a knowledge of the region. Now, we know from experience 

 that whaling and scientific observation can be carried on together 

 without difficulty. The " Enderby's" whalers managed both 

 admirably in these very waters fifty years ago, and the names of the 

 firm, of their masters and their ships, will be remembered for their 

 geographical discoveries when the repute of the firm as British ship- 

 owners has been forgotten, and their labours prove that high-class 

 scientific work has been well performed by busy whalers themselves 

 during hours saved from their laborious calling. There is reason to 

 hope that a Scotch shipowner will be satisfied with a bonus of, say, 

 £2000. If such a hope should prove to be well based, surely 

 Victoria will not allow the project to fail for want of such a paltry 

 sum. The scientific results to be achieved by such an expedition 

 might not be complete and exhaustive ; but they would be of great 

 value, and their attainment is within the compass of our means. 

 Despatched early in the season, it would discover the winter con- 

 dition of these seas, the position of the edge of the pack ice, and the 

 time of its breaking-up ; and it could follow up the early-formed 

 leads, and reach a high latitude early in the season, and make 

 valuable discoveries in the open water along the land. We have 

 already several offers from leading shipowners in Scotland of some of 



