Antarctic Exploration.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 243, 25 February 1888, Page 5

Antarctic Exploration.

Tiik project for an Antarctic Expedition has fallen through ; bub ifc is plain that the great vastnesses around the South Pole ■will attract adventurous spirits to explore them ore long. It was suggested that a sum of money should bo spent in exploring Victoria Lnnd. This land was discovered by Sir James Ross, the commander of the expedition, composed of two ships, tho Erebus and Terror, fitted out Dy tho British Government in 1839. The highest point previously attained was in lat. 74deg. 4min. south, or within a little moro than 100 miles of the Magnetic Pole. Several islands had already been discovered by various navigators within the Antartic circle, but it was reserved for Sir James Ross to add to these an extensive continent, which ho named South Victoria, a discovery which confirmed in a remarkable manner tho sagncious conjectuie of Captain Cook— that the greater cold of the Antartic than the Arctic legions was atttibutablo to I lie exibtonce of a largo tract of laud between lut. 70deg. south and tho Pole. The interest attuchod to tho disco\ cry and description of Victoria Land, which had never befoie been looked on by human oyo or trod by human foot, will bo best maintained by giving the languago of the discoverer himself :--" On tho morning of January 11th, 1841, when m lat. 70deg. Almin south and lon. 172deg. 36min. east, land Mas disco \ered at tho distance of nearly 100 miles, dhoctly on the courte wo weie steering, and therefore directly between us and the I'He. Continuing our cour«<e towards this land for many hours-, we teemed bcavcoly to approach it. It ruse in lofty mountain peaks of from 9,000 to 12,000 feet in height, perfectly corned with eternal snow; tho glacieis that descended fiom near the mountain summits projected many miles into the ocean and presented a perpendicular face of lofty dills." Having taken formal possession of this land in the name of Queen Victoijn, Sir James proceeded to trace its coast line. He pioceeds: "Still steering to the south, early the next morning, the 28th, a mountain of 12,400 feet above the lc\cl of the fceu. was teen emitting flame and smoke in splendid profusion. The magnificent volcano (150 ft. higher than Mount .-Etna) was called Mount Erebus, after one ot tho .'hips of the expedition. It is in lat. 77dcg. 32min. south and long. I67dcg. Omin. east." A little further east another, but an extinct, volcano was seen, 10,900 ft. high, and named after the other ship, Mount Terror. Sir James traced Victoiia Land from Int.. 71deg. to nearly lat. 78deg. south, when his further progress was inteirupted by a barrier of ice, presenting a perpendicular face of 150 ft. in height, and far overtopping the ships' masts. Tins apparently endless and unbroken line of icy wall is described as one of tho most imposing objects imaginable, ' Although the further progress of the ships j was thus arrested, it was not until they had approached the Pole more nearly by several hundred miles than any preceding navigator. Sir James was of opinion that no vegetation exists in these high latitudes, no trace of it having been visible on j Franklin Island, 12 miles long and 6 miles broad, situated in lat. 76deg. Bmin. south, | long. 168deg. 12min. cost. It would appear, also, that the seas are comparatively shallow in these regions, tho soundings of the Erebus and tho Terror rarely exceeding 400 fat hams, and being more fiequently about fiom 200 to 300.