CHAPTER XXI 
THE RAISING OF THE SIEGE 
“ Reculer pour mieux sauter ” 
T HE siege of the South Pole has been a spasmodic 
operation, proceeding by magnificent efforts separ- 
ated by long intervals of inertness and inattention. 
Half a century elapsed before Bellingshausen resumed 
the attack commenced by Cook, twenty years separated 
Bellingshausen from the period of D’Urville, Wilkes and 
Ross, and no less than fifty-four years passed before the 
task abandoned by the Erebus and Terror was taken up 
by the Belgica and the expeditions of the new century. 
As we have seen, the long intervals between the short 
periods of the great expeditions were partially filled by 
incidental voyages, each interesting, but affording little 
real help towards the solution of the problem of explora- 
tion. The end of each spasm of endeavour found the 
edges of Terra Incognita rolled back a little towards the 
centre, as the series of six small diagrammatic maps 
shows with all necessary distinctness; but the ground 
gained by the sudden forward movements was never 
occupied in a scientific sense, and each fresh expedition 
had to begin at the beginning, acquiring its own experi- 
ence too often by repeating the errors of its predecessors. 
There was no body in any country particularly entrusted 
with the solution of the problem of the South Pole. The 
British Admiralty did most, and all its work was well 
done, but it was merely executive and never took the ini- 
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