INTRODUCTION 



British Association for the Advancement of Science 

 memorialised Government on the need for making a series 

 of simultaneous magnetic observations in all parts of the 

 world, particularly by means of a special expedition to high 

 southern latitudes. The Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, 

 was impressed; he referred the memorial to the Royal 

 Society, which supported it. A naval expedition was 

 decided on and rapidly fitted out on the Erebus and 

 Terror two vessels of great strength, designed for firing 

 large bombs from mortars in siege operations, but clumsy 

 craft to navigate, with bluff bows that made them move 

 slowly through the water, and sluggish in answering their 

 helm. The one possible commander was Captain James 

 Clarke Ross, a tried Arctic traveller and an enthusiastic 

 student of magnetism, who had reached the North 

 Magnetic Pole in 1831, and whose surpassing fitness for 

 the position had been a potent factor in the minds of the 

 promoters. Captain Crozier was second in command on 

 board the Terror, and although all the magnetic and other 

 physical work was to be done by naval officers, the sur- 

 geons were appointed with regard to their proficiency in 

 geology, botany and zoology. One of these subsequently 

 took rank amongst the greatest men of science of the 

 nineteenth century and in 1909 Sir Joseph Hooker retains 

 at the age of ninety-two the same interest in Antarctic 

 exploration which drew him in 1839, as a youth of twenty- 

 one, to join the Navy, in order to accompany the ex- 

 pedition. The ships were of 370 and 350 tons respectively, 

 the whole ship's company of each being seventy-six officers 

 and men, and they were well provisioned for the period, 

 fresh tinned meats and vegetables being available. The 

 instructions of the Admiralty left a good deal of dis- 

 cretion to the commander. He was ordered to land 

 special parties of magnetic observers at St. Helena, the 

 Cape of Good Hope, and Van Dieman's Land. On the 



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