Part 73 (1/2)

1894. Evensen, master of another Hamburg whaler, brought back further information of the American Quadrant on the Pacific Ocean side.

1895. H. J. Bull organized a whaling venture and with Leonard Kristensen, master of the s.h.i.+p, revisited the Ross Sea area where a landing was made at Cape Adare (Australian Quadrant). This was the first occasion on which any human being had set foot on the Antarctic continent.

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Antarctic land Discoveries Preceding 1896 (A. J. Hodgeman)

1897. Adrien de Gerlache sailed from Belgium on a scientific exploring expedition to the American Quadrant. Important additions were made to the map, but the s.h.i.+p became frozen into the pack-ice and drifted about for a whole year south of the Antarctic Circle. The members of this expedition were the first to experience an Antarctic winter. Antarctic exploration now entered upon a new era.

1898. Carstens Egeberg Borchgrevink led an expedition, fitted out by Sir George Newnes; its objective being the Ross Sea area. Further details were added to the map, but the most notable fact was that the expedition wintered at Cape Adare, on the mainland itself. The Great Ross Barrier was determined to be thirty miles south of the position a.s.signed by Ross in 1839.

1898. Chun of Leipsig, in charge of the 'Valdivia' Expedition, carried out oceanographical researches far to the south, in the vicinity of Enderby Land (African Quadrant), though he did not come within sight of the continent.

1901. Robert Falcon Scott, in command of the 'Discovery' Expedition, organised by the Royal Geographical Society and Royal Society with the co-operation of the Admiralty, in accordance with a scheme of international endeavour, pa.s.sed two winters at the southern extremity of the Ross Sea and carried out many successful sledging journeys.

Their main geographical achievements were: the discovery of King Edward VII Land; several hundred miles of new land on a ”farthest south” sledging journey to lat.i.tude 82 degrees 17' S.; the discovery of the Antarctic plateau; additional details and original contributions to the geography of the lands and islands of the Ross Sea.

1901. A German national expedition, led by Erich von Drygalski, set out for the region south of the Indian Ocean. After a small party had been stationed on Kerguelen Island, the main party proceeded south close to the tracks of the Challenger. They came within sight of Antarctic sh.o.r.es but were frozen into the pack-ice for a whole year. Kaiser Wilhelm II Land was discovered close to the junction between the Australian and African Quadrants.

1901. A Swedish national expedition, planned and led by Otto Nordenskjold, wintered for two years on Snow Hill Island in the American Quadrant, and did much valuable scientific work.

1902. William Speirs Bruce organized and led a Scottish expedition to the Weddell Sea, southward of the Atlantic Ocean. The party effected notable oceanographic researches and wintered at the South Orkney Islands, but were foiled in their attempt to penetrate the pack-ice.

During the second season, conditions were more favourable and the s.h.i.+p reached Coats Land in 74 degrees 1' S. Iat.i.tude.

1903. Jean Charcot organized and led a French expedition to the American Quadrant and there added many details to the existing chart.

1907. Ernest Henry Shackleton organized and led a British expedition with the main object of reaching the South Geographical Pole. His party wintered at Cape Royds, McMurdo Sound, and two main sledging parties set out in the early summer. E. H. Shackleton's party ascended the Antarctic plateau and penetrated to within ninety seven geographical miles of the South Pole, discovering new land beyond Scott's ”farthest south.” T. W. Edgeworth David's party reached the South Magnetic Polar Area, filling in many details of the western coast of McMurdo Sound.

1908. Jean Charcot organized and led a second French expedition to extend the work accomplished in 1903 in the American Quadrant. He was successful in discovering new land still further to the south.

Loubet, Fallieres and Charcot Lands, towards and beyond Alexander I Land, were added to the map of Antarctica.

1910. Roald Amundsen organized an expedition for scientific research in the vicinity of the North Pole but changed his plans, eventually heading for the South Pole. The expedition wintered on the Ross Barrier near King Edward VII Land, from which point he set out and attained the South Geographical Pole, mapping in new land on the way.

Another party visited King Edward VII Land.

1910. Robert Falcon Scott led a second Antarctic expedition, the main object of which was to reach the South Geographical Pole. The princ.i.p.al party wintered near his old winter quarters at Hut Point, McMurdo Sound. A second party was landed at Cape Adare. Scott reached the Pole soon after the Norwegian Amundsen, but he and his party perished on the return journey. Other parties added details to the map of Victoria Land. Oates Land was sighted from the s.h.i.+p to the westward of Cape Adare in the Australian Quadrant.

1910. A j.a.panese expedition sailed to the Ross Sea, but on account of the lateness of the season was forced to turn back without landing.

The winter was spent at Sydney, New South Wales. Next year a summer visit was made to the South, but no additional land discoveries were made.

1911. A German expedition, led by Wilhelm Filchner, proceeded to the Weddell Sea; the South Pole being its objective. The party succeeded in reaching further south in that region than any previous navigators and discovered new land, to be named Prince Luitpold Land.

They were driven northwards amongst the pack in a blizzard and spent the winter frozen in south of Coats Land.

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A Map of the Antarctic Regions as Known at the Present Day [1915]

APPENDIX IV