Voyage of the Belgica - Fifteen Months in the Antarctic

Publisher: new trans. by Dr. Maurice Raraty Bluntisham Books, Erskine Press, 1998 £ 37.50

From the late 18th century when Cook first crossed the Antarctic Circle, and at last showed that Australia and New Zealand were NOT part of the great Terra Australis Incognito, the Antarctic was largely the preserve of sealers who were by no means keen to share their discoveries. Then, in the late nineteenth century, there was a resurgence of nationally sponsored expeditions.

The voyage of the Belgica was one of the more successful and productive of these. It is a fascinating account of how a relatively young and junior officer of the Belgian Navy planned, funded (just), and mounted a major expedition. The translation is very readable while retaining the slightly stilted prose of the era, but the book suffers from the poor quality of the photographs which cannot compare with the recently published Hurley photos of the Shackleton voyage twenty years later. The other let-down is inadequate maps. The few tiny bits of contemporary maps are of interest, but not much help to the reader - particularly one used to charts and used to good quality.

A book of great interest to anyone expanding their knowledge of Antarctic exploration and what was involved in mounting such an expedition a hundred years ago, it does not quite make an un-put-downable book for the weekend. -TBG

Page prepared 17 May 1999