Page:Polar Exploration - Bruce - 1911.djvu/246

242 master of the ship must be subject to the leader, and the crew entirely responsible to the master, the leader strongly supporting the master in this position. It is questionable how far commercial advantage would be derived from such an expedition, probably none immediately, though almost certainly some to a future generation if not to our own. But the increase of human knowledge by the thorough survey of a definite area of our globe in a systematic manner is sufficient to warrant such an expedition being carried out.

This is the chief piece of work (in the North Polar Regions) that remains to be done on an extensive scale, and which must extend over a long period of time without a break, and it is understood that this forms more or less the programme of Captain Amundsen, who left Norway in 1910, although by telegrams received on the outward voyage of the Fram, which is his ship, it appears doubtful whether he is not going to confine his attentions to the Antarctic Regions instead! But there is much Arctic work to be done in other directions, such as, for instance, the work that the Prince of Monaco has been carrying on in the exploration of the upper atmosphere, or the detailed survey of a definite area of land or sea, and general oceanographical research; also such detailed survey work as has been carried out by the three