It is extremely difficult to arouse anything like enthusiasm in a colony where there is so much practical work to be dbne, on behalf of a scheme 8f such doubtful utility as the explora. tion of the Antarctic regions. And yet more than a century ago the British Government considered the examina tion of the South Polar region as of sufficient importance to despatch the greatest of British navigators, Captain Cook, to explore the inclement and unknown areas within the Antarctic circle. Cook made two excursions in the Resolution in search of a supposed Southern continent. He, however, never reached further south than lati tude 7i°is' when he was stopped by an impenetrable barrier •of ice; his report of this voyage states that he counted ninety-seven icebergs, which looked like a range of mountains. The voyage resulted in the discovery of several islands, but had no other im portant results.
Nothing of Consequence in the way of Antarctic exploration was done be tween the 'date of Cook's voyage in 1773 and the expedition under Cap tain Ross in 1839. Captain Widdell, R.N., penetrated as far South as 74°i5', but beyond increasing the meagre stock of geographical know ledge of these unexplored regions, nothing of importance resulted from the voyage..
