Antarctic exploration is no new subject for discussion at
the meetings of the Royal Society of Tasmania. Our founder
was the hero of Arctic research, and our records contain
papers by another of our distinguished Fellows—the facile
princeps of Antarctic explorers, Sir James Ross—of whose
expeditions Hobart was the base of operations. In later times
one of the best records of Antarctic exploration up to date is
contained in the paper read before us in 1886 by the late
Deputy Surveyor-General, Charles Sprent. That paper is so
complete a history of what had been done that I should not
have again called your attention to the subject but for the
additional information that has lately been obtained in
connection with voyaging among ice under conditions totally
different to those under which Ross achieved so much. The
information is derivable from papers that have been recently
read, and discussions that have taken place upon them at the
meetings of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal
Scottish Geographical Society. I need hardly say that the new
conditions under which voyaging among ice floes and bergs
is being done are those connected with the use of steam.
Up to the present time no properly equipped and
constructed steam vessel has crossed the Antarctic circle.
The Challenger is the only steam vessel that has crossed the
circle ; and, as she was not intended for service in high
latitudes, she was wholly unprotected for ice work. But the
experience gained by the Dundee and Norwegian steam
whalers during the 1892-93 season in the neighbourhood of
Graham's Land and the South Shetlands, just north of the
Antarctic circle, show very clearly under how much more
favourable conditions Antarctic research can now be undertaken
than when Cook and Weddell and Ross penetrated
beyond the 70th parallel of south latitude
