Proceedings, &c., for 1886. 287 



ink may now be considered about the value. I may also add that the 

 vessels of 800 tons register were considered the most suitable, on the 

 basis of the fishing being prosecuted from Peterhead, but from the 

 comparatively short distance from Melbourne, vessels of smaller 

 tonnage would be quite 'suitable. — I am, yours respectfully, 



(Signed) Charles Tod. 



P.S. — I will forward you another copy of the report in a day 

 or so. 



No. 5. 



EEPOKT ON NEW WHALING GROUNDS IN THE 

 SOUTHERN SEAS. 



By David and John Gray, Peterhead, N.B,, with a Descriptive 

 Appendix. Aberdeen : Printed by D. Chalmers and Co., 

 Adelphi-court, Union-street, 1874, 



We lately proposed to some of our friends to join us in con- 

 sidering a project for establishing a whale fishery in the Antarctic 

 Seas, which had for some time engaged our attention. They desired 

 before deciding to euter on an enterprise so novel and important, 

 that we should submit to them the result of the investigations we 

 bad made in connection with the proposal, with such further 

 information regarding it as v^e might deem it necessary to procure, 

 and, in compliance with their desire, we now report the following 

 observations : — 



It is unnecessary that we should describe the regions to which our 

 remarks are to apply further than saying that, unlike the Arctic 

 area, where land predominates, the South Polar area is characterised 

 by the predominance of sea, which has been navigated in various 

 directions for considerable distances until further progress has been 

 stopped by land or by a barrier of ice, both equally impenetrable. 

 It is to the navigable part of this area alone, and especially to the 

 icy region, which extends towards and within the Antarctic Circle, 

 and forms the natural and favourite haunts of the right w^hale, that 

 we desire to direct attention. 



We have derived in the course of our inquiries on the subject 

 valuable aid from the narratives of earlier explorers, but we are 

 chiefly indebted to the account of the comparatively recent voyage of 

 H.M. ships " Erebus" and " Terror" to the Antarctic Seas, under 

 the command of the late Sir James Clark Ross, extending from the 

 year 1839 to 1843. We have, besides, had the advantage of con- 

 ferring personally with several of the officers of that expedition, who 

 have willingly communicated to us much valuable information. We 

 shall take care to note how far our observations are founded on the 

 information acquired from these sources, and to refer to the autho- 



