ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 25 



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, the committee felt it necessary for their body to be enlarged 

 by the addition 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. 

 The committee pointed 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 James C. 

 Ross, conducted between the years 1839 and 1843 with sailing 

 ships. Since that period the facilities for effecting a more com- 

 plete research have been greatly augmented by the application of 

 steam propulsion to vessels better adapted for ice navigation. 

 This has been proved by continuous experience in the Arctic Seas 

 during the last half century. For the above reasons the com- 

 mittee deemed it desirable to defer making their report, so that 

 the objects of the expedition might be more clearly defined and 

 further information obtained as to the best means of attaining 

 them, also to expand the committee, in order to elicit to the 

 fullest extent the opinions and to secure support from those con- 

 versant with the various branches of science which are to be 

 investigated during an exploration which, from its very important 

 and serious nature eminently merits the favourable consideration 

 of this great and enterprising maritime nation. 



The Second Report of the Committee presented at the Manchester 

 meeting in 1887 was not published in the Association's Volume 

 but a Third Report of the Committee, consisting of Sir Joseph D. 

 Hooper, Sir John Lubbock, Sir George Nares, General J. T. 

 Walker, Sir Leopold McClintock, Admiral Sir George H. Richards, 

 Professor Flower, Professor Huxley, Dr. Sclater, Professor 

 Moseley, Mr. John Murray, General Strachey, Sir William 

 Thomson and Admiral Sir Erasmus Ommanney (Secretary), was 



