STEAM WHALERS 
377 
been expected, and the sealers were, naturally enough, 
not particularly sympathetic with proceedings they did 
not understand. It became quite clear that unless under 
a very exceptional captain a commercial voyage can yield 
comparatively little of scientific value. 
The Germans seem to have been better pleased with the 
results of their seal-hunting, for the following year found 
Captain Larsen back again with the Jason in Weddell 
Sea for the Oceana Company, while the Hertha, Captain 
Evensen, and the Castor, Captain Pedersen, tried their 
fortune on the other side of the land in the sea previously 
traversed only by Bellingshausen and Biscoe. These 
voyages really advanced exploration, and Larsen in 
particular made some interesting discoveries. After 
sealing for some time among the floes east of Seymour 
Island, he steered southeastward, and on December 1st, 
1893, was close to high land covered with snow, in lati- 
tude 66° S., longitude 6o° W. In accordance with cus- 
tom he named it after his sovereign, Oscar II. Land ; the 
prominent cape was called Cape Framnes, and a lofty 
mountain, Mount Jason. This was to all appearance the 
eastern coast of Graham Land, and no doubt the New 
South Greenland of the early Yankee sealers. Part of 
the slopes of Mount Jason were free from snow, and the 
land looked tempting to explore, with great glaciers 
running down from vast snowfields to the sea. Larsen 
sighed for his ski and a clear conscience to land and travel 
over the snowy expanse, but duty kept him to his ship 
and the search for whales and seals. He continued to 
coast southward along the broad strip of ice fast to the 
land, the sea ice proving most favourable to his advance, 
and on December 3rd the Jason had the honour of being 
the second steamer to cross the Antarctic circle. The 
