Logo
Prev
Bookmark
Rotate
Print
Next
Contents
All Pages
Related Articles
Browse Issues
Help
Search
Home
'
National Geographic : 1913 Jan
Contents
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE THE ACTIVITIES OF MR. BRYCE And while others were exerting them selves in far-off lands, most of us Wash ingtonians were staying at home, anxious for news, but very quiet in this beautiful city. Some exceptions there were, how ever, one being my British colleague, who was present at the other dinner and is also with us tonight; he did not re main dormant; it is not his fashion. Sure it is that he has in the interval increased the number of his travels, of his books, of his speeches, but not, to all appear ances, the number of his years. Between the dates of the two dinners memorable deeds have been accom plished, causing the unique event which we are going to witness to be possible. Those hands will clasp before us that have planted the flag of their country at the extremities of the world. We went yesterday to the Masonic Temple, holding tickets in our hands. The carefully devised inscription on them read: "Admit to the South Pole," and we were indeed admitted there. With his clear, plain, straightforward manner of expressing himself, Captain Amundsen truly led us to the pole. We took part in his undertaking, his dog breeding establishment, his clever prepa ration, and his long, long journey across unknown solitudes, till at last the goal was reached, Queen Maud's Land was baptized, and Norway's flag planted where no man had set his foot before. The orator spoke calmly; we can scarcely do the same when talking of what he has achieved. In its kindness the National Geo graphic Society has desired to associate a French name to the famous ones we are honoring tonight, the name of Dr. Jean Charcot. THE EARLY FRENCH EXPLORERS IN AMERICA In the dash to the pole, France, it is true, took no decisive part. There is, however, some dash, I dare say, in my nation, but the kind of discoveries which have ever been the special aim of her sons are the inland ones. While others were exploring coasts we, from the first, have taken a particular pride in assum- ing the often hard task of exploring the interior of countries. This was con spicuously done on this continent when those singularly bold expeditions of our early explorers took place which are just now the subject of admirable arti cles by President Finley. The valley of the Mississippi was as a whole first ex plored by French people, and the names of Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans first appeared on French maps. The same in Asia with Bonvalot, Dutreuil de Rhins, Pavie, Lefevre-Pontalis, and all the others; the same in Africa with Fou reau, Lamy, Brazza, and their peers. We did not, however, entirely neglect the polar regions; witness those sailors whose names have just been recalled by that good judge in such matters, Ad miral Peary, witness especially the work done before Charcot by Dumont d'Ur ville, with his tiny frigates, the Astrolabe and the Zelee, and his visit, toward the end of 1837, to the Great Barrier. As he sailed along he sighted a rift and drove his ship through the narrow chasm, which closed behind him. For five days he was there a prisoner, with no apparent hope for his life and that of his crew, when a lucky storm caused a cleavage in the ice which, with the help of saws and axes, they were. able so to increase as to bring the ships safe again to the open sea. THE FRENCH IN THE ANTARCTIC On a second expedition, in 1840, he explored vast antarctic regions yet un known, some still bearing on every map the names he gave them; in particular that of his dearly admired wife, Adelie, the god-mother of Adelie Land. On his return, in 1841, he was presented with a medal by our Geographic Society, the same medal which the same society pre sened the other day to Captain Amund sen in Paris. Dr. Jean Charcot has proved a worthy successor to Dumont d'Urville, and I offer on his behalf sincere thanks for the way in which you tonight so kindly show your appreciation of what he has done. What he wanted was at all risks to be useful, and he succeeded in perfecting our knowledge of an unknown part of 124
Links
Archive
1913 Feb
1912 Dec
Navigation
Previous Page
Next Page
