CHAPTER LIV 
REVIVAL OF ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION 
After the return of Sir James Ross a quarter of a 
century elapsed and the Antarctic regions remained 
neglected. While Sherard Osborn and I were working 
for the despatch of an Arctic expedition, we were equally 
resolved to use every effort for the revival of Antarctic 
research and to see Sir James Ross's splendid discoveries 
continued by a worthy successor. From 1872 Osborn 
was collecting data for an Antarctic expedition, but my 
accomplished and energetic old messmate died in 1875. 
Still I had others to help, Sir Vesey Hamilton, Sir Joseph 
Hooker, who was always encouraging, and above all 
Captain Davis, who served with distinction under Sir 
James Ross as surveyor and artist. On February 26th, 
1869, Captain Davis read a paper on antarctic discovery, 
proposing Sabrina Land, discovered by Balleny, as a 
station for the transit of Venus. He also presented the 
Geographical Society with a large map of the Antarctic 
regions, showing the tracks of explorers. Then on 
March 19th, 1870, Sir Vesey Hamilton read a critical 
paper on a book purporting to be the voyages of an 
American, Captain Morrell, showing that the statements 
were impossible, and the whole story apocryphal and of 
no use to us for reference or in any other way. These 
papers aroused some interest, and in September, 1885, the 
British Association appointed an Antarctic Committee 
which in 1887 reported in favour of further exploration. 
Sir Graham Berry, the representative of the Colony 
of Victoria in London, took a great interest in our efforts, 
and induced the colonial authorities to promise a vote 
of £5000 if Her Majesty's Government would give another 
£5000. I saw Sir Graham on November 30th, 1887, and 
arranged to have private representations made to the 
Ministers concerned. But on January 3rd, 1888, Her 
Majesty's Government refused to join the Colony of 
