The author, who discovered the north magnetic pole on an earlier expedition, here describes his Antarctic voyages, in part in search for the south magnetic pole, in the ships Erebus and Terror. ‘Ross’ experience, daring and good luck combined to provide the first detailed, close-up and prolonged examination of Antarctica. . . He penetrated 7 degrees further south than Cook and 4 degrees further south than Weddell. Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen and Byrd all followed in his large footsteps. . . These men were heroes.’ Joseph Hooker was aboard as naturalist and John Edward Davis was responsible for many of the illustrations.
Volume I:
p. xxvii-xxviii: orders to Clark Ross signed by Lord Minto, 14 Sept. 1839: …on your arrival in England, you are forthwith to repair to this office in order to lay before us a full account of your proceedings, taking care before you leave the ship to demand from the officers and all other persons on board, the logs and journals they had kept, and the charts, drawings, and observations which they had made, and which are all to be sealed up; and you will issue similar directions to Commander Crozier and his officers, &c.; the said logs, journals, and other documents to be thereafter disposed of as we may think proper to determine.
p. xlvii, acknowledgement to Joseph Hooker for botanical contributions beautifully executed for “Flora Antarctica.”
p. 61: The 17th, being Sunday, are people had a day of rest from their labours. I may here mention that it was our invariable practice every Sunday to read the Church service, and generally a short sermon afterwards; and it is remarkable how very seldom during the whole period of our voyage, that either the severity of the weather, or the circumstances of the expedition, were such as to interfere with the performance of this duty. Few could have had more assurances of the providential interpositions of a merciful God….
109p. 114: while in Hobart Ross read local accounts of d’Urville’s expedition.
p. 209, Jan. 22, 1841 on achieving a furthest south: an extra allowance of grog was issued to our very deserving crew; and, being Saturday night, the seaman’s favourite toast of “Sweethearts and wives” was not forgotten in the general rejoicing on the occasion.