Geography 



493 



these regions, and all interested in such 

 questions have been deli ghted at the re- 

 cent attempts to gain more knowledge. 



The object of these expeditions was 

 frankly and purely scientific. All hope 

 of remunerative whale or seal fisheries 

 had been dispelled by the visit of the 

 Norwegian whalers in 1892 to the region 

 south of Cape Horn, and the known gen- 

 eral condition of the land forbade any 

 expectation of other profitable indus- 

 tries, unless, indeed, gold and other val- 

 uable minerals should be found, which 

 is always possible. Beyond the fact that 

 exploring expeditions of this character 

 keep alive the spirit of enterprise and 

 bring out the finest characteristics of a 

 race — which is a point by no means to 

 be despised — no immediate practical 

 benefit was to be expected. 



Progress under the conditions must be 

 slow, but I think that Great Britain may 

 well be satisfied with the information 

 collected in the Antarctic by Capt. R. F. 

 Scott and his gallant companions The 

 unfortunate detention of the Discovery 

 by an unfavorable summer prevented 

 the further coastal exploration which 

 was part of the programme, but gave op- 

 portunity for further detailed examina- 

 tion of the inland conditions, which was 

 carried out in defiance of the severest 

 atmospheric and topographical difficul- 

 ties, and with the greatest zeal and in- 

 telligence ; and it may be doubted 

 whether science in the end has not gained 

 more than she lost by the unexpected 

 diversion of energy. The healthy con- 

 ditions which prevailed throughout are a 

 standing proof both of Captain Scott's 

 eminent capacity as a leader and of the 

 cheery spirit which animated the whole 

 expedition. The full results of the sci- 

 entific observations are not yet worked 

 out, and in many cases for a complete 

 appreciation of their bearing they must 

 be compared and correlated with those 

 of the other Antarctic expeditions, but 

 many highly suggestive points have al- 

 ready been revealed. 



For the first time Antarctic continental 

 land has been traveled over for long dis- 

 tances, and though the actual area of 

 new discovery looks small on a map of 

 the world, the distances covered can only 

 be described as extraordinary, and far 

 exceeding the most sanguine anticipa- 

 tions. Few who considered the moun- 

 tainous coast line of Victoria Land and 

 its complete glaciation, as reported by 

 Sir James Ross from his distant view, 

 thought that it would prove practicable 

 not only to ascend those mountains, but 

 to reach to heights much surpassing 

 them behind. 



The reason that it proved feasible is 

 that, while there are occasional heavy 

 snowstorms, the annual snowfall is small, 

 and the surface, therefore, is generally 

 unencumbered with soft deep snow. 



And what did Captain Scott find after 

 his memorable struggle up the glacier 

 through the mountains? 



An enormous plateau at an elevation 

 of about 9,000 feet, nearly level, smooth, 

 and featureless, over which he traveled 

 directly inland for more than 200 miles, 

 seeing no sign at his farthest point of 

 any termination or alteration in charac- 

 ter. So far as could be seen from other 

 journeys, glacial discharge from this 

 great ice- sheet is very small, and prac- 

 tically it appears to be dead. Its accre- 

 tion by fresh snowfall is insignificant, 

 while on all sides along the flanks of the 

 coastal mountains there are signs of 

 diminution in the mass of ice. 



THE GREAT ICE MASS IN THE ANT- 

 ARCTICS IS APPARENTLY 

 DISAPPEARING 



The great ice-barrier east of Ross 

 Island tells the same tale. This mag- 

 nificent feature presents to the sea a face 

 of perpendicular ice cliffs varying from 

 60 to 240 feet in height and 450 sea miles 

 long. Sir J. Ross mapped its position 

 in 1 84 1, and Captain Scott finds that it 

 has retreated on an average 1 5 miles, 

 varying much in different parts. 



