The Production of Whalebone 



88 5 



A TAMIL BRIDE AND GROOM : SINGAPORE Photo by Herbert West 



parasols, and was in demand for the 

 manufacture of hoops, when that article 

 of dress was fashionable. Another use 

 was as covering for telescopes and other 

 tubes, for this purpose the hair-like 

 fringe and strips made from waste pieces 

 being employed. These were employed 

 also to make imitation haircloth for cov- 

 ering chairs and sofas. 



The scarcity of whalebone has led to 

 the introduction of many substitutes for 

 use in corset and dressmaking, but so 

 far few satisfactory ones have been 

 found. Horn and rattan have been tried 

 repeatedly without success, as they are 

 liable to break and lack the resistance 

 and lightness of whalebone. 



AN AMERICAN SOUTH POLAR 

 EXPEDITION 



THE following communication from 

 Commander Robert Edwin Peary, 

 U. S. N., was presented by Herbert L. 

 Bridgman, acting delegate of the United 

 States of America to the Polar Congress 

 recently held in Brussels: 



"I beg to state that on my return from 

 my coming Arctic expedition I shall en- 

 deavor, in every possible way consistent 

 with my other duties, to promote and 

 organize a national American Antarctic 

 expedition to secure for this country its 

 share of the honors and valuable scien- 

 tific information still awaiting the ex- 

 plorer in that region. 



