PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 3$ 



The motor sledges successfully negotiated the twenty 

 miles of smooth sea ice and then easily surmounted the 

 slope up to the Barrier. They demonstrated the value of 

 the tractor method of transit in polar regions, but, owing 

 largely to overheating, they could not keep ahead of the 

 pony party, and so were not taken beyond 79° south* 

 Later, one was brought back by Day to the sea ice. 



The Pole party started on November 1st, with eight 

 ponies supported by two dog teams. In all sledging 

 expeditions, temperature, pressure and weather conditions 

 were noted at regular intervals in the day. These synoptic 

 results — as already plotted — have yielded most interesting 

 results in demonstrating the localization of many of the 

 blizzards. 



The collections and records of the Southern party have not 

 yet been examined, and the last party had not returned when 

 the ship was compelled to retreat on the 5th March, 1912. 



The second geological party, under Griffith Taylor, set 

 out early in November, for Granite Harbour, following 

 thereto the route of Professor David in 1908. A large-scale 

 chart of the coastline and hinterland, including Granite 

 Harbour, the Mackay Outlet Glacier and the MacMurdo 

 Piedmont was completed. Geological details were filled 

 in by plane table on the spot, and the theodolite gave 

 heights and azimuths not otherwise fixed. The contours 

 and characters of the various retreating glaciers, glacier 

 tongues, cirques, nunatakker, etc., were especially investi- 

 gated and mapped. 



A novel flora and fauna was found at this locality. 

 Great masses of moss occupied the spaces between the 

 boulders on the beach at Cape Geology (in the Harbour), 

 although their continued blackened appearance indicated 

 the severity of the summer. Yet thousands of small insects 



C— May 1,1912. 



