THE VICTORIAN ERA 
191 
and Physics which drew up an admirable programme of 
scientific work, and before the American expedition had 
reached the southern ice, though after D'Urville had 
completed his appointed exploration in the Antarctic re- 
gions, the British expedition was being fitted out. 
The complete scheme sanctioned by Government in- 
cluded the establishment of magnetic observatories at 
Toronto, St. Helena, the Cape of Good Hope and Hobart 
Town, which were to remain in activity during the period 
of the Antarctic cruise so as to obtain simultaneous obser- 
vations over a large part of the southern hemisphere. The 
scheme was thought out completely and full instructions 
drafted by the hearty cooperation of the whole scientific 
world. The British expedition differed from the others 
already in the field by the singleness of its aim and the 
perfect adaptation of the means employed to secure the 
ends intended. No doubt the rivalry between the three 
expeditions made each the keener in its work; but un- 
fortunately it went too far to be altogether beneficial from 
the point of view of the advancement of science. Had 
the three great expeditions of France, the United States 
and Great Britain been arranged to act simultaneously 
and in concert, with similar equipment and according to 
a 'common plan, the results would unquestionably have 
been far greater than those w r hich were actually obtained. 
There would also have been less room for the unfortu- 
nate criticism by each commander of the action of his 
contemporaries and their predecessors, a criticism which 
degenerated into personal charges of professional incom- 
petence of a very painful kind, and somewhat obscured 
the substantial gains to human knowledge contributed by 
the various expeditions. 
To make it clear how the four expeditions were en- 
