Voyage of the Belgica: Fifteen Months in the Antarctic

Abstract

This book, translated from the original French version by Maurice Rarity, is reprinted on the occasion of the onehundredth anniversary of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897–99. It recounts the events preceding and following the first overwintering (and camping) expeditions in the Antarctic regions. The expedition, of a purely scientific nature, was to set out for the southern oceans, following the recommendations of the Sixth International Geographical Congress held in London in July 1895. “Howling & Scowling,” “Bear Attacks,” “Antlers as Status Symbols,” and so forth. This is a laudable way to present much of the complex biology of northern mammals as well as topical issues. However, this book raises a rather fundamental issue: is encyclopaedic material best presented by one author, or by a panel of experts, whose writings are closely edited by an able, visionary editor? After reading this book, I would choose the second option. My expertise resides primarily with hoofed mammals. The sections of this book dealing with these species are, unfortunately, peppered with annoying inaccuracies and dated ideas. This being the case for hoofed mammals, I wonder about the trustworthiness of the other sections. Had the author invited the participation of experts and acted as editor, a role for which he is eminently qualified, the result would have been a better book. I also take issue with the statement (p. 9) that “North Americans are lucky enough to live in a region that still supports wolves, grizzly bears, pronghorn, caribou, orcas— mammals that need large wild spaces.” A sentence such as this misinforms, because the abundance of wildlife we enjoy today has nothing to do with luck: this is wildlife restored through the efforts of three generations of North Americans. Over much of our continent, at the turn of the century, wildlife was depleted to the point of extinction. The return of wildlife was achieved by a remarkable continental co-operative effort that made the United States and Canada adopt identical policies of wildlife conservation. It is in my eyes the greatest environmental success story of the 20th century, and one of the great cultural achievements of North American society. More important still is the fact that wildlife is maintained by deep-rooted populist conservation movements, the product of grassroots democracy, and a splendid example of a great public good.