Scientific expedition

“ When our army was distributed on the frontiers of the land, he everywhere enlisted our scholarly officers into the service of science, and he transformed the military post into a station of research, an Indian campaign into a scientific expedition. Scott, Marcy, McClellan, Thomas, and many other of the great generals of America, were students of natural history and collectors for Baird. When our navy cruised around our shores, its officers were inspired with that love of Nature which made every voyage of military duty a voyage of discovery in the realms of natural science. ”

“ The scientific expedition of which Lieutenant Wilkes was given command was intended, to quote the words of Congress, "for the purpose of exploring and surveying the southern ocean, as well to determine the existence of all doubtful islands and shoals as to discover and accurately fix the position of those which lie in or near the track of our vessels in that quarter and may have escaped the observation of scientific navigators." ”

“ Better than all this, however, is the lively and general interest taken in the exploration of the country itself. Every scientific expedition sent out by the government to the interior, or to the Western States of Oregon and California, is accompanied by a scientific commission,—zoologists, geologists, and botanists. By this means magnificent collections, awaiting only able investigators to work them up, have been brought together. ”

“ The leader of the expedition should be a scientific man, and should certainly be one who has gained knowledge by having carried on scientific research in one or more departments in the service of some previous expedition. He must also be practically acquainted with the handling of an oceanographical ship. Without such experience, be he landsman or seaman, failure must be the result.
The scientific staff must include well-trained men able to organise the work of their various departments under the co-ordination of the leader. ”

“ And while these various works can only after their publication admit of a just opinion being formed as to what has been achieved in this respect by the Expedition, the numerous and valuable collections of objects of natural history already give an idea of the activity and research of each member of the scientific staff in the course of the voyage. ”

“ In fact, in Polar exploration especially, people are beginning to see the comparative uselessness of such journeys, and rarely can any Polar expedition get money unless the leader announces that such and such scientific investigations are to be made by a staff of experts, and that such and such scientific results are likely to accrue. ”

“ My various lists, personnel, food, equipment, scientific objects, etc. had all been sketched out. The remaining weeks of April were devoted to the detail of complete organization, all of which I attended to personally.
Since I have already spoken of the E.U. list of names, I may as well dispose of the subject at this time. Quite naturally it was composed, in the main, of scientific men, men famed each in his particular field. I knew them by their works, and a casual glance at the list convinced me that our expedition would compare with the best in its scientific departments. ”

“ These, and numerous lesser, discoveries did for electricity what the chemical discoveries of Priestley, Cavendish, Scheele, Boyle, Lavoisier, and others had done for chemistry.
The numerous voyages of discovery in the eighteenth century helped to develop the geographical sciences. Special expeditions were fitted out for the acquirement of geographical knowledge without any thought of trading profits. The Jesuits carried out a valuable survey of China and Mongolia early in the century. A Danish scientific expedition studied Arabia, the results of which were published by Niebuhr in 1772. ”

“ Scientific and economic research being the only legitimate objects of Polar exploration, the claims of the various sciences and industries to recognition will be satisfied to the fullest possible extent. ”

“ The abundant materials collected in the departments of natural history, statistics, and commercial policy, will be prepared by the various gentlemen who accompanied the Expedition, and comprise as many sections as there were scientific branches represented on board ship during the voyage. These publications will embrace, in a collected form, the observations, investigations, and results obtained in the course of the entire campaign, relating to Geology, Zoology, Botany, Ethnography and Anthropology, Medicine, Statistics, and Trade. ”

“ The French Institute was the mouthpiece of popular opinion, in demanding from the government the organization of an expedition to the southern continent. As a result of their representations, twenty-four scientific men were selected to participate in the voyage.
No previous expedition had been so fortunate in the number of scientific men attached to the staff. Astronomers, geographers, mineralogists, botanists, zoologists, draughtsmen, and gardeners, all mustered four or five strong. Foremost amongst them we may mention, Leschenaut de Latour, Francois Péron, and Borg de Saint Vincent. ”

“ Many a vast and pompous expedition has gone forth regardless either of expense or waste—ay, many a one that has returned without having accomplished the object intended. “Too many cooks spoil the dinner,” is a familiar old adage, very applicable to exploring expeditions; and it is a question, whether unaided individual enterprise has not effected more in the way of scientific and geographical discovery, than has been done by the more noisy demonstrations of governments. ”

“ On board a vessel of this kind explorers may settle themselves quite as comfortably as in a fixed scientific station. They can carry their laboratories with them, and the most delicate experiments of all kinds can be carried out. I hope that such an expedition may be undertaken ere long, and if it goes through Bering Strait and thence northward, or perhaps slightly to the northeast, I shall be very much surprised if observations are not taken which will prove of far greater scope and importance than those made by us. ”

“ The English expedition has the advantage of a well-known entry into its central area, in which the most fruitful work will be scientific observations taken with the highest degree of accuracy and in the fullest detail. For pioneer geographical work it will be dependent on sledge expeditions inland, and at sea on how far it can push eastward from the Ross Sea into the southern Pacific. ”

“ A large company of artists, men of science, and gardeners accompanied the expedition for the collection of specimens, the making of charts and drawings, and the systematic observation of phenomena. There were two astronomers, two hydrographers, three botanists, five zoologists, two mineralogists, five artists, and five gardeners. Probably no exploring expedition to the South Seas before this time had set out with such a large equipment of selected, talented men for scientific and artistic work. ”

“ Meanwhile, the expedition having been accompanied by a body of scientific experts, who had been instructed to prepare the most detailed and elaborate accounts of everything that could throw light upon the state of the country and its people, and the capacity of each for development, these men were set to work, each with a definite task to fulfil. ”

“ Some of the surveys made by his expedition may be of service to navigators, and it must be owned that the hydrographical researches which alone could be undertaken in the absence of scientific men were carefully made, and resulted in the obtaining of numerous and accurate data. We can but sympathize with the commander of the Thetis, in his expression of regret, in the preface to his journal, that neither the Government nor the Académie des Sciences had seen fit to turn his expedition to account to obtain new results supplementary of the rich harvest gleaned by his predecessors. ”

“ Your committee believe that this expedition is thoroughly safe and practicable; that it is desirable for scientific purposes; and that no part of the arctic regions gives promise of greater opportunities for extensive discoveries with a minimum of danger, hardship, and expense. (National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C)
Whereas a systematic exploration of Ellesmere Land is projected, always within easy reach of a base of supplies: resolved, that the Anthropological Society of Washington heartily indorse both the exploration and the plan of operations proposed by Mr. Robert Stein. ”

“ The principal object of my expedition was scientific. I desired to examine the geography, natural history, and statistics of that country, by taking directions on the road with the compass, and by determining the principal points by astronomical observations. I made a rich collection of quite new and undescribed plants. ”

“ Under more favourable political auspices, a joint expedition by the various naval powers would be the best means of solving the problem, and a fleet of some ten or twelve ships 328commencing upon a definite plan, might obtain results such as might hand down the scientific renown of our age and century to all future generations. ”

“ And notwithstanding the great number of surveys and scientific expeditions which have been made during the present century, with the exception of Great Britain, Canada, parts of Europe and the United States, the geology of the accessible portion, even, of the earth is still very little known, large parts of Africa, Asia, and South America being as yet, comparatively speaking, unexplored. Civilization, through its railroad-building, tunneling, canal-making, and mining operations, furnishes a large amount of the material on which the Geologist bases his science. ”

“ I said. “To be of any value it must be scientific.”
“Positively, dear boy, positively. I’ll give you a lot of stuff to read up on after luncheon. Old Harper took trouble to wire me to be sure to have an authentic, coherent report made of the expedition’s findings. Well, that’s where you came in. I haven’t got brains, but you have, Gardy, and you’re going to help me out. We sail tonight, by the way, and we won’t be back until cold weather, so ye who have tears prepare to shed them between now and midnight.”
“But who is the scientist of the expedition?”
“Brack. ”

“ Whatever the new plans may be, the public and men of science must ask that the plan be not confined to a single expedition. The best results will be gained by considering the exploration of the polar regions as one continuous task, and fitting every new expedition into the far-seeing scheme of a thorough investigation of all the problems subject to Arctic researches. ”

“ The scientific gain, it is expected, will be exceedingly valuable. The chief object will, however, be to attempt in the spring of 1873, after pushing as far as possible northward by vessel, to proceed, by sleighs drawn by reindeer, in the direction of the pole, and if possible to reach that point.
An Austrian expedition, which has the enthusiastic support of Dr. ”

“ That is the accomplishment of an athletic feat only to be carried out by those who have splendid physical development. But if it refers to expeditions well equipped with every means for the scientific survey of a definite section of the world—be it land or sea—then the answer is different. To add to the store of human knowledge means increased power of adding to human comfort. It also means making another step into the forever unfathomable unknown, and it is the duty of the scientific explorer as a pioneer to investigate a definite area of the unknown with a staff of competent specialists. ”

“ Expeditions, such as that of the Challenger,' equipped, not for geographical exploration and discovery, but for the purpose of throwing light on problems of physical and biological science, have been sent out by our own and other Governments, and have obtained stores of information of the greatest value. ”

“ It is quite possible that by favorable circumstances an expedition might succeed in getting far north, or discovering large areas of the unknown regions, as has happened in former years. However, the risk which the adventurers run can not be compared with the probable results. By deliberate perseverance, though the progress may be slower, the exploration of the Arctic will be accomplished in greater safety and with far greater results for science. ”

“ There were men devoted to geographical discovery, and an enthusiastic sympathy attended them, whether struggling with the Ice-king in his Polar strongholds or with the fiery demons of the Desert, dealing sunstrokes and launching the simoom among tropical sands. Then more and more scientific objects arose; and more and more men went forth to accomplish them. ”

“ Of course much progress remained to be accomplished in the making of maps and globes, in the improvement of instruments, and in the calculation of tables during the period of discovery. The awakened scientific interest which had already shown itself as part of the Renaissance found scope in the practical requirements of distant voyages. While men were discovering new continents and seas, they were at the same time solving many problems of geographical science and perfecting the equipment by which further advance was made practicable. ”

“ The extension of the laws of the United States over these vast countries, and the consequent protection and personal safety, have induced the visits of scientific travellers;—numerous Government expeditions for the purposes of exploration and survey have been necessary, and have been despatched on such missions with the utmost promptness and vigilance of the public good by all administrations of the General Government, in the period to which we allude, and have almost invariably been accompanied by officers specially charged with making observations and collections in Natural History. ”

“ One after another the great nations of the world have taken up the task, until to-day the volume of scientific travel is immense. Darwin's famous voyage in the Beagle, [12] and Wallace's years of travel in the East Indies have revolutionized much of the science of our times, and show how great may be the outcome of travel when directed toward a purely ideal end. As part and parcel of this growth of science as an inspiration to travel, we have the splendid records of the search for the Poles. ”