388 SIEGE OF THE SOUTH POLE 
what appeared to be the mainland from an archipelago of 
large islands forming the remainder of Palmer Land. 
Three weeks were spent in this strait, to which the name 
of the ship was first given, but afterwards that of the 
commander. No less than twenty landings were made 
and magnificent collections of geological and natural 
history specimens secured. For the first time the sub- 
Antarctic land was invaded by men of science who could 
take full advantage of their opportunities. Too much 
perhaps was attempted, but a great deal was done, and 
a double line of Belgian names scattered down the map 
from 64° to 65° S. fixed the features of the coast, which 
was charted with enough care to give us more confidence 
in the positions of the various islands, headlands and 
channels, than was possible before in any part of that 
region. 
The scenery was typical of Antarctic land, black rocks 
projecting from sweeping snow-fields which ran down 
into a ledge of glacier ice along the shore, with here and 
there a beach of pebbles where a landing could be made. 
During the excursions on the snowfields in bright 
weather the heat of the sun was so intense as to become 
almost unbearable, a fact which makes the volume of the 
snow the more remarkable. Near the sea, where the 
rocks were bare and trickling with water, lichens and 
mosses were found in some abundance, and even a few 
insects of a very humble type. Never before had a 
single degree of latitude in the immediate neighbourhood 
of the Antarctic circle received so minute an investiga- 
tion, but the scientific men were insatiable and remained 
unsatisfied. Argtowski describes one of the landings in 
these words : 
“The commandant showed himself very obliging; but 
