802 Proceedings, (&c., for 1886. 



station, 'No other nation is so capable of providing and carrying 

 it out. Even in the Australian colonies there exists the spirit and 

 the means for such a noble enterprise, and he also directs the public 

 attention to the fact that the only scientific information yet procured 

 in the South Polar region within the Antarctic Circle is limited to 

 the observations collected by the onl^ expedition ever despatched 

 from this nation expressly for scientific research. 



Beport op the Committee, coxsiSTiNa of Sir Joseph D. 

 Hooker, Sir George Nares, Mr. John Murray, General 

 J. T. Walker, Admiral Sir Leopold M'Clintock, Dr. 

 W. B. Carpenter, Mr. Clements Markham, and Admiral 

 Ommanney (Secretary), appointed for the purpose of 



DRAWING attention TO THE DESIRABILITY OP FURTHER 

 RESEARCH IN THE ANTARCTIC KbGIONS. 



Your committee, after having given full consideration to the great 

 importance of effecting a further exploration of the Antarctic Polar 

 Sea, desire, in the first place, to express their opinion that it would 

 be most essential before approaching H. M. Government with the 

 view of urging the expediency of equipping such a naval expedition 

 as would be required for the carrying of an exploration of such 

 magnitude, interest, and importance, that the requirements for its 

 success and a plan of operations should be most carefully considered, 

 and the results embodied in a written form for the approval of the 

 Council of the Association, and for the information of the 

 Government. 



Furthermore, in order to obtain the co-operation which the matter 

 requires from eminent men in science, your committee feel it 

 necessary for their body being enlarged by the addition of influential 

 members of the association, and of other bodies representing the 

 various branches of science interested in the investigation of this 

 comparatively unknown region, and especially of the Royal 

 Geographical Society. Your committee have to point out that our 

 knowledge of the South Polar region is chiefly confined to the grand 

 discoveries effected by that celebrated expedition under the command 

 of Captain Sir J. C. Ross, conducted between the years 1839-43 

 with sailing ships. Since that period the facilities for eff'ecting a 

 more complete research have been greatly augmented by the appli- 

 cation of steam propulsion to vessels better adapted for ice 

 navigation. This has been proved by continuous experience in the 

 Arctic during half a century. For the above reasons your 

 committee deem it desirable to defer making their report, with a 

 view to giving more definition to the objects sought to be obtained 

 and to the best means of obtaining them, as also to expand this 

 committee, in order to elicit to the fullest extent the opinions, and to 

 secure support from those conversant with the various branches 



