Discovering the unknown continent - Antarctica: Global Science from a Frozen Continent - page 11

Figure 1.9 Omond House, Laurie Island,

February 1904, with the Scottish National
Antarctic Expedition on the left (Martin,
Harvey-Pirie, Ross, Cuthburtson,
Mossman and Smith) and the Argentine
meteorologists on the right (Acuña,
Szmula and Valette). (Courtesy National
Archives, previously published in The Log

of the Scotia , Edinburgh University Press,

1992)

With all these countries already active French nationalism insisted
they must not be left out. Jean Charcot, a doctor with private means and an
interest in sailing, persuaded the French Government to help with funding
the French Antarctic Expedition aboard the Français . Charcot explored the west
coast of the Antarctic Peninsula from 1903 to 1905. This whetted his appetite
for polar work and he returned again in the Pourquoi-Pas? (1908 10) to extend

his mapping of the coastline. In true French fashion Charcot recognised the
importance of food to an expedition. Not for them the rigours of hard tack.
Instead he laid in signi

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cant quantities of wine, rum and brandy as well as
French delicacies, and hired a cook who could provide regular fresh bread
and croissants on Sundays!
Still to come were the British expedition led by Ernest Shackleton that made
the first ascent of Mt Erebus and failed to reach the South Pole, the Norwegian

expedition lead by Roald Amundsen that successfully made it to the Pole, the
second Scott expedition that made it to the Pole but died on the return journey,
the first Japanese expedition lead by Lieutenant Nobu Shirase that achieved little,

the second German expedition lead by Wilhelm Filchner aboard the Deutschland ,