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president’s address. 
in an adjacent hill is two feet thick, of a dull brownish black 
colour ; and it is said to burn very well. 
When Captain Cook visited Kerguelen in the height of summer 
(1768), the land was covered with snow, and only five plants in 
flower were collected. 
The observations were made by Surgeon Robert McCormick and 
Assistant-Surgeon Joseph D. Hooker, of the “Erebus” (1839-43). 
Hooker records 150 living plants (18 flowering plants, 3 ferns, 
25 mosses, 10 Jungermannice, 1 fungus, the rest (93) lichens and 
seaweeds). 
Mr. R. McCormick who accompanied Ross, wrote: — “ Since the 
successive overflowings of volcanic matter destroyed the forests which 
at one period clothed this land, of which the fossil trees and 
numerous beds of coal afford abundant proof, it has remained in 
a state of almost vegetable desolation ever since.” 
Writing of Victoria Land, Sir James Ross in February, 1841, 
said : “ Had it been possible to have found a place of security 
upon any part of this coast where we might have wintered in 
sight of the brilliant burning mountain (Erebus), and at so short 
a distance from the magnetic pole ; both of these interesting spots 
might easily have been reached by travelling parties in the following 
spring. It was, however, some satisfaction to know that we had 
approached the pole some hundreds of miles nearer than any of our 
predecessors.” 
And here I may record that on March 26th, 1903, Relief Ship 
“ Morning” sends us good news from Port Lyttleton, Hew Zealand ; 
and we know that Commander Scott with his crew in the 
“ Discovery,” entered the Antarctic Ice-pack on 23rd December, 
1901, lat. 67° South, reached Cape Adare on 9th January, 1902, 
Wood Bay on 18th January, and landed on 20th in an excellent 
harbour, lat. 76° 30 m. South, visited Cape Crozier on 22nd, 
examined the Ice Barrier, and took soundings in long. 165° and 
found that the ice-barrier trended northwards. High snow slopes 
rose towards the glaciated lands with occasional bare precipitous 
peaks. They followed the coast as far as lat. 76°, long. 150° 30 min. ; 
aud then retired to Winter Quarters in McMurdo Bay, Victoria Land. 
