This scientific volume, published by the Royal Society in 1902, presents the meteorological and magnetic observations recorded during the Southern Cross Antarctic Expedition of 1898–1900, led by Carsten Egeberg Borchgrevink. A pioneer of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, Borchgrevink commanded the first expedition to overwinter on the Antarctic mainland and achieved a new Farthest South record at 78°50′S.
The volume contains detailed data collected by expedition scientists, including atmospheric pressure readings, temperature fluctuations, cloud formations, wind patterns, and geomagnetic variations. A frontispiece color map by William Colbeck shows Robertson Bay, South Victoria Land. Numerous folding tables supplement the text, providing a valuable early dataset for the study of polar meteorology.
Carsten Egeberg Borchgrevink (1864–1934) was a Norwegian polar explorer and a key forerunner of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Christiania (now Oslo) to a Norwegian father and English mother, Borchgrevink was educated in Norway and Germany before emigrating to Australia, where he became involved in surveying and science education. His career in polar exploration began in 1894 when he joined a Norwegian whaling voyage to Antarctica, becoming one of the first men to set foot on the Antarctic mainland at Cape Adare.
Borchgrevink’s major achievement came as leader of the Southern Cross Expedition (1898–1900), the first to overwinter on the Antarctic continent and the first to land on and travel over the Great Ice Barrier (later known as the Ross Ice Shelf), reaching a new Farthest South at 78° 50′. Though financed by British publisher Sir George Newnes and sailing under a British flag, Borchgrevink’s expedition was largely Norwegian in composition. Despite pioneering several key techniques and locations for future Antarctic exploration—including the use of dogs, Primus stoves, and base-camp wintering—his contributions were long overshadowed by those of Scott, Shackleton, and Amundsen. His leadership was at times questioned, and his published account was criticized for its grandiosity.
After a brief return to scientific reporting, including work on the 1902 Mount Pelée eruption, Borchgrevink lived much of his later life quietly in Norway. His achievements were eventually recognized, and in 1930, the Royal Geographical Society awarded him its prestigious Patron’s Medal, acknowledging the significance of his work and the unjust neglect of his legacy. His early efforts helped open Antarctica to sustained scientific and exploratory efforts, laying the groundwork for the more famous expeditions that followed.