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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 193, 8 September 1888, Page 2

The exploration of the Antarctic regions is to be'takeu out bt out hands, and those of 'Australia (observes The'Times). Jt will be remembered that some time ago a half hearted proposal came from Australia that the Home Government should contribute £5.000 to. wards an Antarctic expedition, to which Aus. tralia would contribute a like sum, A dis. oouraging reply was returned. It was represented, and rightly, that £lO,OOO would go a very little way towards the exploration of this enormous area of unknown surface ; but that it was the intention of Her Hajesty’s Government “at a future time" to take up the undertaking, and then Australia would be invited to co-operate. But the few persons iu AUstraJia really interested in the Antarctic exploration were nqt s^tisf| e d w * t ' l since then have been casting about to find some means of carrying on the work independent of the mother country. But so tar their success has not been great. By the time Her Majesty’s Government is ready to consider the subject the work will have been done by Germany, and as in recent enterprises, our enthusiasm will be kindled when it is top late. It' is intended to place in the Prussian estimates a very consider’. able sum for an Antarctic expedition. A large party of the beat men obtainable will be engaged, naval and scientific, and the or< ganlaatlou o! the expedition has been placed in the hands of Dr Neumayer, of the Hamburg Observatory, which is, perhaps, the greatest authority living on Antarctic matters. It is intended, we understand, that th,o. expedition will stay out until or knowledge -of .this almost unknown rer'f has been’substantlally extended. At pr 8 , ’ it is believed that within the Antarctic-' I ™* there must be a very largo area of la^'., J know that there is a long range 01 , “‘B, mount rins, and at least one pvolcanic peak It will be , e members of the expedition shall -koH themselvM to the utmost to explore tN region, so that within a few years we ma< expect to have another great blank in We globe filled up, and not by the couniry of Roas, whoso Australian colonies hero » practical interest in the physiography of the Antarctic, but by a nation whose inrirest in the subject ia of a purely scientific character. The expedition, wb believe, will tail In a few weeks.