Norwegian Aid--A Northerly Station--Premature Enthusiasm--Cold Comfort--An Arctic Greeting--A Hasty Landing--Disorganised Plans--Homeless Dogs--Making Fresh Plans--The Leader Frost-bitten--The Start for the Pole--Driven Back by Cold--A Second Start--First Detachment Lost--Anxiety for the Second--A Struggle for Life--Third Detachment Overdue--Fears of Disaster--Safe at Last--Italy sets the Record 265 CHAPTER XIII THE ANTARCTIC REGION The Mystery of the South Pole--Ignored by Early Navigators--An Accidental Dutch Discovery--Captain Cook Sets Sail--Discouraged by the Ice--Turns back in Despair--A Second Accidental Discovery--Weddell breaks the Barrier--Antarctic Land revealed--British resume the Search 283 CHAPTER XIV VOYAGES OF THE _EREBUS_ AND _TERROR_ A Fortunate Choice--Characteristic Southern Bergs--First Sight of the Continent--More British Territory--A Mighty Volcanic Display--Nearing the Magnetic Pole--The Antarctic Barrier--A Myth dispelled--A Second Attempt--Held by the Ice--Third and Last Voyage--A Double Discovery 294 CHAPTER XV THE _SOUTHERN CROSS_ EXPEDITION British continue the Work--Carrier Pigeons in the Ice--Withstanding a Nip--A Sea-quake--Cape Adare Station--A Cosy Camp--Edible Fish--Death visits the Camp--Penguin Peculiarities--A Derelict Blue-bottle--The Welcome Postman--A Thrilling Episode 305 CHAPTER XVI THE REVIVAL OF ANTARCTIC INTEREST Modern Means and Methods--Private Enterprise leads--The _Valdavia_--The _Belgica_ Expedition--International Action adopted--The German Expedition--An Ice-bound Land--Fresh Trade-Winds 318 CHAPTER XVII THE SWEDISH EXPEDITION Sails in the _Antarctica_--Argentine Co-operation--First Antarctic Fossil--Building the Winter Station--A Breezy Corner--Electric Snow--A Spare Diet--New Year Festivities--The Missing Ship--Relief that never Came--A Devastating Nip--Castaway--The Unexpected Happens--A Dramatic Meeting--Rescued 323 CHAPTER XVIII BRITAIN HOLDS HER OWN A Capable Crew--A Modern Franklin--Early Discoveries--Frozen in--An Historic Journey--The Record of "Farthest South"--How the Record was Won--Speedy Travelling--Receding Ice Limits--A Dying Glacier--The Secret of the Barrier--A Fatal Gale--Lost in the Snow--An Antarctic Chute--Prolonged Slumber--Antarctic Coal--Home with Honour 339 List of Illustrations THE _STELLA POLARE_ NIPPED IN THE ICE _Frontispiece_ W. E. PARRY'S ATTEMPT TO REACH THE POLE _Facing page_ 28 AN IMMENSE ICEBERG " " 48 AN ADDITION TO THE EXPLORERS' SUPPLY OF PROVISIONS " " 78 SHOOTING MUSK OX IN THE ARCTIC REGIONS " " 116 GROUP OF SMITH SOUND ESKIMO " " 152 TWO NORTH GREENLAND HUNTERS " " 160