350 SIEGE OF THE SOUTH POLE 
Probably investigations in those latitudes may be dif- 
ficult; it must be remembered however that the marine 
fauna of those regions is nearly unknown, that it must 
bear a most interesting relation to the fauna of high 
northern latitudes, that the region is inaccessible except 
under such circumstances as the present, and that every 
addition to our knowledge of it will be of value.” 
One more quotation may be allowed, this time from 
the detailed instructions given to Captain Nares in 1872 
by the Admiralty, where, after telling him when on his 
way from Kerguelen to Australia to “ look at ” Heard or 
McDonald Island and then strike southward in the neigh- 
borhood of 90° E., he is informed that: 
“ Captain Moore reached to the parallel of 65° in this 
meridian in 1845 ar *d observed the appearance of land to 
the westward. It is not desirable however that you 
should pursue any extended hydrographical exploration 
in this region with a single unfortified ship.” 
The Challenger sailed on 21st December, 1872, pursu- 
ing her course across the North Atlantic and back again 
several times, calling at most of the island groups on the 
way and gaining experience in the use of deep-sea instru- 
ments by the usual unroyal road. Then she crossed 
the South Atlantic to Bahia and at length reached the 
Cape of Good Hope on October 28th, 1873. After an 
interval for rest and refitting the Challenger sailed from 
Simon s Bay on December 17th, for the portion of her 
voyage to which the early part of this chapter has been 
introductory. It was scarcely an Antarctic expedition, 
yet more real knowledge of the nature of the Antarctic 
regions was obtained in the course of it than in any other 
voyage up to that time, Ross’s excepted. This was not 
because the ship went far, but because the opportunities 
