434 Arctic and Antarctic Exploration [part ii 
funds to enable him to buy a suitable ship in Norway— 
the Patria of 241 tons, built at Svelvig near Drammen 
in 1884. She was very thoroughly refitted and strength- 
ened at Sandefjord, and on June 19th I spent the day 
there and was very favourably impressed by the efficiency 
and ability of the Belgian Commander and above all 
by his modesty. Lieutenant Lecointe was his second in 
command, Argtowski went as geologist, Racovitza as 
naturalist, Danco as magnetic observer, and Dr Cook, 
who had been with Peary in Whale Sound, as surgeon. 
Roald Amundsen was 2nd Lieutenant. The Patria was 
re-named the Belgica. 
The expedition of de Gerlache approached , the South 
Shetlands at the western end of the group by Smith 
and Low Islands to the Gulf of Hughes, which is an 
expansion of the Orleans Channel discovered by Dumont 
d'Urville. The Belgica then proceeded down a channel 
with the north-west coast of Graham Land on one side, 
and four large islands on the other which de Gerlache 
named Liege, Brabant, Gand, and Anvers. The channel, 
which was named after de Gerlache, led into the Pacific 
Ocean. The scenery on both sides was magnificent. 
Captain de Gerlache gave as many opportunities of 
landing as possible, and M. Argtowski, the geologist, was 
specially eager to examine the rocks and the glaciation. 
At his first landing he found eruptive rocks of great density, 
of a deep green colour. He next landed on Trinity or 
Palmer Island. The rocks were erratic, from a moraine, 
and consisted of granite, and also of numerous ancient 
eruptive rocks. The latitude was 63 0 57' S. The landings 
of Argtowski and his messmates were, in fact, very 
numerous as the Belgica steamed down Gerlache Channel, 
with interesting glacial and geological results ; the officers 
meanwhile making surveys of the coast. Argtowski 
thought that the channel and the islands were once 
covered with a vast glacier. He found some evidence 
that the glaciers were now receding. 
On leaving the channel the Belgica ran south along 
the western coast of Graham Land, passing many flat- 
topped icebergs. The Circle was crossed and the Antarctic 
regions entered on the 14th February, 1898. De Gerlache 
tried to approach the Alexander Island of Bellingshausen, 
