TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4492, 21 October 1901, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

A COLD PROSPECT FOR NEW ZEALAND. It would scorn that Now Zealand has much more than an academic or even a sentimental interest in the subject of South Polar exploration, since upon upon the facts ascertained by scientific research in the far South the very existence of this country may depend. In a paper read by him before the Natives’ Association at Christchurch last Thursday evening, Mr C. Coleridge Farr referred to the attempts to locate the South Magnetic Polie. Ho doscribed how, in 1840, Gauss, who was ono of the most profound mathematicians the world has known, and after whom the German ship in the present expedition has been named, was the first to indicate a spot where he sup. posed the mysterious Pole should be. On the geographical maps published for tho benefit of tho general public the South Polo is placed in tho centre of the Antarctic Circle. Gauss, however, placed tho Polo far north of that point, and oast of Victoria Land. Ross followed, and his observations enabled him to assign the Pole a position some distance south of that given by the calculations of Gauss. The result of Borchgrovink’s observations in 1899 show that since tho time of Ross tho Polo has been moving in a north-wost-erly direction, and that explorer has fixed a third spot for tho Pole. The results of Mr Farr’s observations in Now Zealand, drawn from an entirely different direction, have led him to confirm Borchgrovink’s opinion, and he also is of opinion that tho Pole is moving in a northerly direction, towards New Zealand. Geologists tell us that, away down in the Older Pliocene period, a good many millions of years ago. New Zealand had a glacial period of its own. Is it possible that another one is approaching P