With the Aurora' in the Antarctic, 1911-1914. By J. K.
Davis. (Melrose. 18s. net.)—Lieutenant-Commander Davis was the master of the old Dundee whaler used by the Australian Antarctic Expedition under Dr. Mawson. The expe ,ition set itself the purely scientific task of exploring the coast-line Fest- ward from the Ross Sea and did not seek to reach the South Pole. This valuable book, virtually the master's log expanded and fully illustrated with small charts, plans, and photographs, describes with much precision the nature and results of the Aurora's' repeated cruises in the dangerous South Polaaseas. The author is at pains to show, by comparative charts, how far the explorations confirmed or refuted the observations of Dumont d'Urville and Wilkes in 1840, and of the very few other navi- gators who have tried to coast along this part of Antarctica. On the whole, the French and American explorers stood the test well, but Dumont's " Cote Clarie " had vanished. Dr. Mawson's ship and his land parties, working together, fixed for the first time the coast-line of Antarctica, in what is called the " Aus- tralian Quadrant." Lieutenant-Commander Davis's account of the work is well worth reading. He says incidentally that he found an Antarctic Robinson Crusoe—a sailor living very com- fortably by himself on Macquarie Island, where he was accumu- lating a store of oil from sea elephants.
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