CONTENTS PAGE Introduction vii 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