Introductory. 27 
He would avoid saying much. No doubt the possi- 
bilities of the expedition were enormous, and he 
reminded them of the paper read this year before the 
Кети босегу by Dr. Murray on ‘The scientific 
advantages . of an Antarctic expedition, Many 
eminent men declared their opinion that the thing 
ought to be done, and if the Royal Geographical 
Society undertook the task, Mr. Borchgrevink would 
be glad if they. followed his excellent example. Не 
took the opportunity to say that Mr. Borchgrevink 
and himself had received every courtesy at the hands 
of the Royal Geographical Society. The reasons of 
the expedition he would not go into. The scientific 
reasons were so obvious, and had been so much 
ОШООО that all who Баа studied the subject 
would admit the possibilities were enormous, and 
there might be a commercial side to them. (Hear, 
hear) At the meeting of the Royal Society the 
opinion was expressed that a big whaler should 
be selected and fitted out with the best modern 
appliances, and that was exactly what had been 
done, with the best crew experience could select. 
How long the Southern Cross would be away 
could not, of course, be foreseen, but he hoped that 
tidings would reach England in six months, and that 
in the year 1900 he would welcome Mr. Borchgrevink 
on his return. It was generally known that a Belgian 
expedition under Captain Gerlache had gone out in 
another direction, and was last heard of at the 
Falkland Islands. It had been thought possible that 
the expedition was in trouble and Sir Clements 
Markham had suggested that the Southern Cross 
should go to the Falkland Islands in search of them. 
