ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5777, 22 January 1897, Page 3

ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.

o Herr Borchgrevinck, who has just gone to Hobart to lay his scheme of Antarctic exploration before, the Premiers' Conference, will not have the southern seas all to himself next summer. An expedition is being fitted out in Antwerp, under the direction of Lieutenant De Gerlache, and is expected to be ready for sea about the middle of July. The Belgian Government has voted a sum of .£4OOO towards the expenses of the undertaking, and several wealthy private citizens have offered monetary assistance. The steam whaler Belgica has been selected for the voyage, and will carry a three years' supply of food. The scientific staff will consist of M. Archowsky, a Belgian geological chemist, who is attached to the General Institute of Chemistry at Liege ; M. Danco, a Belgian artillery lieutenant, to whom the magnetic and meteorological observations will be entrusted; M. Racovitza, a native of Rouniania, who has studied science at Paris, and already conducted dredging operations in deep water; and Dr Taquin, a Belgian, who, im addition to his duties as doctor to the expedition, will assist the other scientific members in their work. Lieutenant De Gerlache will be assisted in command of the vessel by two naval lieutenants, and the crew will consist of a boatswain, a carpenter, eight seamen, two engineers, a cook and a steward. The expedition will probably be absent about two years. During the first year the explorers will go to the east of Graliam Land, and then winter in Australia. The second year they will probably go in the direction of Victoria Land. They intend more especially to devote themselves to geological and zoological research, and hope to procure specimens from the various sea drifts and the submarine deposits. They will also ascertain the sea temperature at different depths, and, in short, make researches similar to those conducted by the Challenger and other Antarctic expeditions. Lieutenant De Gerlache will not, however, confino his attention entirely to scientific subjects. He will be accompanied by an experienced whaler, who will report upon the' prospects of opening up profitable fisheries in the Antarctic Sea. This is the feature of the expedition that will excite most general interest in Australasia, and perhaps it may induce the Premiers' Conference to turn a favourable ear to Herr Borchgrevinck's proposal to anticipate the efforts of his Belgian rivals.