The Antarctic.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7066, 19 January 1891, Page 2

The Antarctic.

Dr Nansen's great rival is Nordenskjold the Professor. The Professor's exploits o£ discovery along the Siberian coast stimulated the Doctor to that wonderful, most original voyage across the wilds of Greenland, from coast to coast, the only one ever mado by mortal man, and by methods whioh are a revolution in Arctic travelling. While the Doctor is about to sail to the North Pole on the great ice drift, the Professor ib preparing for an exploration of the Antarctic continent. The Swedish Government contributes -25000, on condition that Australasia finds a similar sum. This the Antarctic Society of Victoria, which works under the wing of the Royal Society, is endeavouring to raise. The sum subscribed already is £800. What are the objects? We know that the whales of the Antarctic are inferior and not profitable by reason of the doarth of whalebone. The scientific men say that the great ranges of Victoria Land may be auriferous, as they run in the right direction ; that the continent may for many reasons be worth having ; that the exploration of the Antarctic* may throw light upon the variations of the compass so fatal to ships ; that it is possible there may be castaways, the survivors of lost shipsHold ! That iB enough for us— we Bee a proceßßion of lost ships that Bailed from our shores and never were heard of more— Glenmark, Motoaka, Raglan, Marlborough, Dunedin — theße we Bee ; for very anguish we can look no more. " Twenty degrees of latitude," sayß prudence; "how can they have got bo far out of their course ?" Prudence is a Philistine: away with the Philistines ! Let us subscribe to this fund without asking any more questions.