The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume X, No. 6 [‎88r] (28/186)

THE PRESIDENT’S OPENING ADDRESS.
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Oar friend and associate, Mr. Fitzgerald, is also returning from his
arduous examination of Aconcagua, which is believed to be the loftiest
peak in the Chilian Andes. Personally I have taken a great interest
in this last enterprise of the gallant young explorer, because I have
known the mountain of Aconcagua by sight better than any other in
the world, gazing at it daily during many months that I was at
Valparaiso, and once having had a nearer view of it, from a shoulder of
the Campana de Quillota. That Mr. Fitzgerald will give us an
exceedingly valuable account of his labours in the Andes we, who know
his powers of description, can have no doubt. I may add that there is
no region in the world less known than, and which offers so many
geographical problems for solution as, portions of the Chilian Andes
to the south of Aconcagua.
There will, so far as I am aware, be no new work from the antarctic
regions during the ensuing season, unless, as I hope, the Belgian
Expedition, commanded by M. de Gerlache, should be able to send
news of any discovery before the close of the session. But the efforts
of our Council to procure the despatch of a British Antarctic Expedi
tion have never ceased. Last June we had a conference, and subsequent
correspondence with the Australasian premiers and agents-general on
the subject; and an appeal has since been made to Lord Salisbury.
Meanwhile Sir George Newnes has supplied funds for an enterprise,
to be conducted by Mr. Borchgrevink, who, it will be remembered,
visited Victoria Land in 1895, on board the whaler Antarctic, com
manded by Captain Kristensen. I understand that his plan is to sail
from England next July, land at Cape Adare in Victoria Land,
winter there, and attempt to make a journey into the interior in the
spring. We wish Mr. Borchgrevink all possible success in his under
taking.
In the arctic regions there has been much activity this summer,
and it is reported that it was the most open season that has been known
for many years. We hear this from Mr. Jackson; from Mr. Pike, who
sailed round Wyche’s Land to the east of Spitsbergen; and from Colonel
Feilden, who has been in the Kara sea and along the east side of
Novaya Zemlya. We look forward to an account of his second visit to
Spitsbergen from Sir Martin Conway; and to interesting papers from
Colonel Feilden and Mr. Arnold Pike, who will describe to us the very
remarkable absence of ice this season in two distant parts of the
northern seas.
In my report on our existing knowledge of the arctic regions, which
was printed in our Proceedings for September, 1877, just twenty years
ago, I pointed out that there were four important portions which
needed exploration : First, the regions north and west of the Parry
islands, to be reached by way of Jones sound ; second, the north side of
Greenland; third, the North-East Passage; and fourth, the exploration
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