THE REVIVAL OF ANTARCTIC INTEREST
Modern Means and Methods--Private Enterprise leads--The
_Valdavia_--The _Belgica_ Expedition--International Action
adopted--The German Expedition--An Ice-bound Land--Fresh
Trade-Winds.
Towards the end of the last century there was a distinct revival, in
European scientific circles, of interest in the still unsolved problems
of the frozen South. Many causes contributed to this. The gradual
narrowing of the northern sphere, and the activity displayed in that
region by the Americans, to whom it especially appealed, led the
European geographers to remember the great amount of work yet to be done
in the South. The achievements of the Ross expedition, which had
satisfied public curiosity for the time being, now only stimulated
curiosity as to how much more could be ascertained by the use of modern
steamships and all the other improved appliances that had done so much
to help in Arctic work.
For a time private enterprise operated, and several vessels were
despatched, from time to time, some with excellent results; but
something more than private enterprise, working individually, was
required if all the benefits of a thorough exploration were to be
obtained. In her brief experience in 1874, H.M.S. _Challenger_ examined,
by means of sounding and dredging, the floor of the ocean to the south
of Kerguellen Island. The evidence collected pointed to the existence,
still further to the south, of an area of land approaching continental
dimensions. In 1898 a German steamer, the _Valdavia_, with Professor
Carl Chun on board, left Cape Town, rediscovered Bouvet Island, which
had not been visited from the time it was first seen by Captain Cook,
and collected further evidence, by sounding and dredging, of the
existence of extensive land nearer the Pole.
A Belgian, M. Adrien de Gerlache, fitted out a ship, the _Belgica_, and
sailed from Antwerp, in 1897, to explore the area lying to the south of
South America. In the early part of the voyage a new strait was
discovered between Danco Land and Palmer Land, but in February 1898 the
ship became involved in the ice and remained in it for a year, drifting
between 69 deg. 40' and 71 deg. 35' S. latitude and 80 deg. 30' and 102 deg. 10' W.
longitude. During the winter they had a period of seventy days'
darkness, spent on board, the effect of which was extremely depressing
to their spirits and injurious to their health. It was found that the
sea floor had shoaled up to the shallow depth of from 200 to 300
fathoms, suggesting the proximity of a large area of land, the actual
existence of which, however, the members of the expedition were not
able to observe.
An international agreement was then arrived at, through the influence of
the International Geographical Conference, under which three nations,
Germany, Sweden, and Great Britain, undertook to despatch to the
Antarctic, three separate expeditions, one from each country. They were
to sail from Europe in 1901, and while working on similar lines, and as
much in common as was possible, each was to have its distinct sphere of
operations. The British undertook the exploration of that area south of
Australia, where Ross had located the volcanoes Mount Erebus and Mount
Terror; the Swedes selected the lands lying to the south of South
America, while the Germans gave their attention to the seas already
visited by the _Valdavia_.
[Illustration: POLAR OUTFIT USED BY THE _BELGICA_ EXPEDITION.
Tent, Sledge and Snow Shoes.]
The German expedition sailed from Kiel on August 11, 1901, on board the
_Gauss_, and was under the command of Professor Erich von Drygalski.
Their first objective was Kerguellen Island, and the chief work carried
out was of a purely scientific character. It was originally intended
that all the expeditions should return to Europe after passing one
winter in the Antarctic. The Germans did so, but both the Swedes and the
British were unable to carry out this part of the programme, the former
in consequence of the loss of their ship in the ice, the latter because
their ship was hard and fast in the southern ice. The Germans were more
fortunate in escaping the ill effects of what was an unusually severe
ice season; but the other nations, by the longer stay they had in the
frozen regions, were able to return with a much more comprehensive
collection of information.
Leaving a small party at Kerguellen Island, the _Gauss_ sailed to her
allotted area, already revealed by the voyages of Cook, Bellinghausen,
Biscoe, and Kemp. The ice barrier prevented her reaching a very high
latitude, but the connection between Knox Land and Kemp Land, appearing
as isolated coasts on the old maps, was proved. On this land, during the
winter, large quantities of ice are formed, to drift out to sea in the
form of huge packs which effectually guard the shore from intrusion.
Forcing a way through the pack, the _Gauss_ found a brief stretch of
open water, the depth of which was found to shoal rapidly from 1500 to
120 fathoms. This led them to a rugged, steep coast line, occupying the
position of what Ross had defined in 1841 as "ice cliffs." The land was
too high and steep to permit them to land, and the ship, becoming
involved in the ice within sight of it, winter quarters were established
on the ice.
Severe gales hampered them in their work, but otherwise the winter
passed without any untoward incidents. The rocks composing the cliffs of
the coast were found to be ancient crystalline formations. The interior
of the land was entirely covered, so far as could be seen, by a solid
ice-cap forming one of the most extensive glacial regions now known to
exist. It seemed to be slightly receding, though no definite evidence of
this could be obtained in so short a time as that at the disposal of the
explorers.
One of the most useful observations made was that relating to the
direction of the winds. The trade-winds blowing in the "roaring
forties," and which serve so good a purpose in carrying ships round Cape
Horn and the Cape of Good Hope to and from Australia, blow from the west
towards the east. At the position occupied by the _Gauss_, inside the
Antarctic Circle, it was noticed that the prevailing winds were from
east to west. Thus, if a clear passage could be found, vessels sailing
round the southern ocean could select either an easterly or a westerly
route as suited them best, instead of having, as at present, to follow
that indicated by the wind.
At the expiration of the period allotted to them for their stay, the
explorers were able to get free from the ice, and return to Germany. In
this, as has been said, they were the only one of the three expeditions
keeping to time. They arrived home after an absence of twenty-eight
months, fourteen of which were passed in the South Polar ice.