CHAPTER I

In and about Rio de Janeiro 3

II From Rio de Janeiro to Montevideo 16

III Organisation of the Expedition 39

IV The _Belgica_, her Equipment, her Comforts and Discomforts 50

V Montevideo to Punta Arenas 59

VI Punta Arenas, the Southernmost Town 82

VII From Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, Through the Fuegian Channels 92

VIII A Race of Fuegian Giants 98

IX Discoveries in a New World of Ice 119

X Discoveries in a New World of Ice (continued) 135

XI From Dancoland to Alexander Islands 150

XII Across the Antarctic Circle--First Efforts to Penetrate the Pack 161

XIII Along the Edge of the Pack-Ice 174

XIV Over Unknown Waters into the Frozen Sea 193

XV Helpless in a Hopeless Sea of Ice 208

XVI Bird’s-Eye View of the Pack--Autumnal Tempests 216

XVII The Fading Days of the Autumn 227

XVIII The Autumn (continued). Work and Pastime 241

XIX The Fading Days of the Autumn (continued) 253

XX The Days of Twilight Preceding the Long Night 267

XXI The South Polar Night--Departure of the Sun 281

XXII The South Polar Night (continued). Days of Discontentment 295

XXIII The South Polar Night (continued). The Death of Danco 308

XXIV The South Polar Night (continued). Midnight to Dawn 323

XXV Spring--Sunrise--Twilight of Dawn 339

XXVI The Spring (continued). Return of Light--A Sledge Journey 350

XXVII Summer 365

XXVIII Summer (continued) 378

XXIX Freed from the Ice-Embraces--Return to Civilisation 390

APPENDIX

I General Results of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition 409

Geography and Geology Astronomy and Magnetism Meteorology Ice Oceanography Zoölogy and Botany

II The Antarctic Climate 425

III The Bathymetrical Conditions of the Antarctic Regions 436

IV Nautical Positions and Magnetic Deductions 444

V The Navigation of the Antarctic Ice-Pack 448

VI The Possibilities of Antarctic Exploration 453

[Illustration:

OFFICIAL MAP OF THE

BELGIAN ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION CHARTED BY CAPTAIN GEORGE LECOINTE

SECOND IN COMMAND.]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

An Antarctic Iceberg (_colour_) _Frontispiece_

PAGE Official Map of the Expedition xx

The Crow’s Nest 3

Rio Harbour from Mt. Corcovado _facing_ 16

Rio de Janeiro „ 16

Part of Montevideo „ 36

The _Belgica_ 49

Fuegian Boys (_colour_) _facing_ 68

Indian Mission Huts „ 74

Part of Punta Arenas „ 74

The Wind-Swept Rocks of the Western Fuegian Islands „ 79

Terminating Ridge of the Cordilleras, Beagle Channel „ 80

Ona Women in Full Dress, with Papoose Strapped to the Shoulders „ 89

Ona Men on the Chase „ 89

Types of Onas, Chief Colchicoli and one of his Wives „ 90

An Ona Home „ 95

Onas on the March „ 95

Ona Archery „ 96

Comparative Sizes of an Ona and a Caucasian 98

Ona Hunter Ready for Action _facing_ 105

A Bull Sea-Lion at Rest „ 106

Den of Sea-Lions, Staten Island „ 106

Dr. Frederick A. Cook „ 111

Sunrise over Brabant Island „ 112

Mount William, Antwerp Island „ 121

Mount Allo, Liege Island „ 121

Weddell Sea-Leopards of Belgica Strait „ 122

Cormorants at Home „ 127

Arctowski gathering Geological Specimens, observed by a Megalestris (Cape Lancaster in the Background) „ 127

A Penguin Rookery, Isle Cobalescou „ 128

Penguins--A Family Gathering on the Pack-Ice „ 128

Sunrise and Sunset together over the Eastern Shore of Belgica Strait „ 137

View Eastward from Neumayer Channel (Part of Wiencke Island--Sierre Du Fief in the Background) „ 138

Brooklyn Island „ 138

Lemaire Channel--Wandel Island „ 143

Cape Cloos „ 143

Ascending Icy Mountains „ 144

An Encampment „ 144

Cape Eivind Astrup--Northern Point of Wiencke Island „ 153

Cape Renard, Dancoland „ 154

Stratified Tabular Iceberg, off Cape Rasmussen, to the lee of which the _Belgica_ rested during the night of Feb. 12 „ 159

Iceberg in Belgica Strait with a Great Tunnel through it „ 159

One of the Wauwermans Islands „ 160

Sophie Rocks, Dancoland „ 160

Snowy Petrel 161

Midnight at Midsummer over the Antarctic Mainland (_colour_) _facing_ 166

The Belgica Pressing Southward through the Drift-Ice „ 169

Iceberg off Cape Tuxen „ 169

Penguins on a Sea-worn Iceberg resembling a Whale „ 170

A Tabular Iceberg, seen at the Pack-edge in the South Pacific (about 200 feet high) „ 175

Bird’s-eye View of the Pack-ice near the Outer Edge „ 176

Lecointe Making Observations. The Nautical Observatory „ 185

Dobrowolski Measuring the Depth of the Snow-Fall „ 185

Hauling Snow to Augment the Water-Supply „ 186

Making Soundings „ 186

The Sailor’s Recreation „ 191

Bow of the _Belgica_ after a Collision with an Iceberg „ 191

The Hummocks of a Pressure-Angle „ 192

Cestrugi „ 192

A Lake. The Sporting Place of Whales, Seals and Penguins „ 201

Moonlight Photograph of the _Belgica_, May 20, 1898 „ 201

Moss and Lichens „ 202

Moon Faces 204

Moon Faces (_continued_) 205

M. van Rysselberghe at the Condenser, which was converted into a Snow Melter _facing_ 207

Racovitza at the Microscope „ 208

Arctowski in the Laboratory „ 208

Eight Successive Phases of an Exhibit of Aurora Australis, March 19, 1898 „ 217

A Page of _Belgica_ Boots „ 224

_Belgica_ Mittens „ 233

Samples of Darnings „ 233

Whale Blow-Hole „ 240

Seal Blow-Hole „ 240

Iceberg in the Edge of the Pack-Ice „ 249

Penguin Tracks „ 249

Crab-Eater „ 256

Ross Seal „ 256

True Sea-Leopard „ 256

Weddell Sea-Leopards on the Pack-Ice „ 265

Arctowski and Amundsen ready for a Stroll 266

The Ross Seal with Trachea Inflated _facing_ 272

Heads of Sea-Leopards and Crab-Eaters „ 281

An Old Lead „ 288

A New Crevasse „ 288

Penguin Interviews „ 297

The Small Pack Penguin „ 304

The Royal Penguin „ 304

“Saennagras” 307

Penguins’ Heads and Feet „ 313

Petrels and Megalestris „ 322

Nansen, the Mascot 325

Amundsen after a _Ski_ Run _facing_ 327

The _Belgica_ in September. The New Tent and the Pack Travelling Outfit „ 328

Twilight amid the Antarctic Ice (_colour_) „ 332

A Hunter Taking a Sun Bath „ 337

The Last to Enter the Three-Man Sleeping Bag „ 337

The Four O’Clock Tea Discussion „ 338

Distorted Faces of the Rising Sun 340

Distorted Faces of the Rising Sun (_continued_) 341

Crossing Hummocks and Crevasses. Edge of the Belgica Field in October _facing_ 343

Edge of the Antarctic Pack „ 344

The Midnight Sun Over the Pack-Ice „ 353

Ice-Flowers „ 354

The Assembled Discs of Ice Crystals which give Origin to Polar Ice „ 354

An Iceberg held by the Ensnaring Influence of the Pack-Ice, forming the so-called “barrier” „ 356

The Midsummer Christmas Dinner „ 359

Portraits of Cook, Amundsen and Racovitza “before and after” „ 360

Snow-Goggles 365

An Old Wind-Swept Hummock _facing_ 369

The Sand-like Drift Snow „ 369

The Tabular Iceberg, the Largest Berg within the Horizon of the _Belgica’s_ Drift „ 370

On January 1st, 1899, the _Belgica_ was still hopelessly held in a Field of Ice „ 375

Old Hummocks „ 376

A Tonite Explosion Used in Efforts to Free the _Belgica_ „ 376

Removing the Upper Sheet Preparatory to Sawing the Hard Undersheets „ 385

Cutting a Canal through the Ice to Release the _Belgica_ from her Year’s Imprisonment „ 385

Floating Mountains of Ice „ 386

View from the Top of a Tabular Iceberg „ 386

A Penguin’s Friend „ 389

Curious Weather-worn Icebergs, 300 Feet High „ 391

Star-Fish and Sea-Urchins from the Bottom of the Antarctic Sea „ 392

A New Shrimp of the Genera of Euphausia, Discovered by Racovitza „ 392

A Group of Penguins,--Visitors to the _Belgica_ „ 401

The Sailors at the End of the Long Night „ 402

Figure 1 428

Figure 2 429

Figure 3 430

Map of the _Belgica’s_ Trip 437

Soundings in the Pack 438

Method of Sounding 441

Sledge-sailing 453

THROUGH THE FIRST ANTARCTIC NIGHT

##