The British South Polar Expeditio 



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"vessel the Discovery they coasted along 

 the ice-barrier one hundred and fifty 

 miles beyond the point where James 

 Clarke Ross stopped 60 years ago. This 

 ice-barrier extends from the land out 

 upon the water. From its front, which 

 Captain Scott believes floats on the 

 water, the great southern icebergs 

 break, towering sometimes to nearly 

 1,000 feet, and compared to which the 

 icebergs of the North Atlantic are but 

 pigmies. After coasting for many days 

 along the ice-front to longitude 152 30', 

 latitude 76 , they returned and put in 

 . at a safe harbor — MacMurdo Bay. This 

 they made their base of action. Here 

 they passed the winter in sight of Erebus, 

 the volcano which Ross had seen belch- 

 ing forth fire and smoke in 184 1. It is 

 quiet now. A sledging party ascended 

 a glacier to the height of 9,000 feet, and 

 found a level plain stretching to the 

 west as far as the eye could reach. 



In latitude 82 ° they discovered an 

 ■extensive mountainous region, hitherto 

 absolutely unknown, extending to 83 

 20' nearly due south. This discovery 

 seems to indicate that land stretches to 

 the Pole in a series of lofty mountains, 

 and is an important geographical result. 



CAPTAIN SCOTT'S REPORT 



The Morning, the auxiliary wooden 

 ship that left New Zealand December 

 •6, 1902, to carry supplies to Captain 

 Scott, found the expedition at their 

 winter base on Victoria Land, left the 

 provisions, and then returned to New 

 Zealand. The following is Captain 

 Scott's report of his work until the ar- 

 rival of the Morning : 



The Discovery entered the ice-pack 

 ■on December 23, 1901, in latitude 67 

 south. Cape Adare was reached on Jan- 

 uary 9, but from there a heavy gale and 

 ice delayed the expedition, which did 

 not reach Wood Bay till January 18. 

 A landing was effected on the 20th in 

 an excellent harbor, situated in latitude 

 76 30' south. A record of the voyage 

 was deposited at Cape Crozier on the 



2 2d. The Discovery then proceeded 

 along the barrier within a few cables' 

 length, examining the edge and making 

 repeated soundings. In longitude 165 

 the barrier altered its character and 

 trended northwards. Sounding here 

 showed that the Discovery was in shal- 

 low water. From the edge of the bar- 

 rier high snow slopes rose to an exten- 

 sive, heavily glaciated land, with occa- 

 sionally bare precipitous peaks. The 

 expedition followed the coast line as far 

 as latitude 76°, longitude 152 30'. The 

 heavy pack formation of the young ice 

 caused the expedition to seek winter 

 quarters in Victoria Land. On Feb- 

 ruary 3 the Discovery entered an inlet 

 in the barrier in longitude 1 74 ° . A bal- 

 loon was sent up and a sledge party ex- 

 amined the land as far as latitude 78 

 50', near Mount Erebus and Terror. 

 At the southern extremity of an island 

 excellent winter quarters were found. 

 The expedition next observed the coast 

 of Victoria Land, extending as far as a 

 conspicuous cape, in latitude 78 ° 50'. 

 It was found that mountains do not ex- 

 ist here, and the statement that they 

 were to be found is clearly a matter for 

 explanation. Huts for living and for 

 making magnetic observations were 

 erected, and the expedition prepared 

 for wintering. The weather was bois- 

 terous, but a reconnaissance of sledge 

 parties was sent out, during which the 

 seaman Vince lost his life, the remainder 

 of the party narrowly escaping a similar 

 fate. The ship was frozen in March 24. 

 The expedition passed a comfortable 

 winter in well-sheltered quarters. The 

 lowest recorded temperature was 62 ° 

 below zero. The sledging commenced 

 with the coming of spring, on Septem- 

 ber 2, parties being sent out in all di- 

 rections. Lieutenant Royds, Mr Skel- 

 ton, and part}' successfully established 

 a record in an expedition to Mount 

 Terror, traveling over the barrier under 

 severe sledging conditions, with a tem- 

 perature of 58 ° below zero. Com- 

 mander Scott, Dr Wilson, assistant sur- 



