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133-511: The Scottish National Antarctic Expedition ( SNAE ), 1902–1904, was organised and led by William Speirs Bruce , a natural scientist and former medical student from the University of Edinburgh . Although overshadowed in terms of prestige by Robert Falcon Scott 's concurrent Discovery Expedition , the SNAE completed a full programme of exploration and scientific work. Its achievements included

266-568: A hydrographic survey around Spitsbergen . The ship sailed up the west coast of the main island of the Spitsbergen group, and visited Adventfjorden and Smeerenburg in the north. During the latter stages of the voyage Bruce was placed in charge of the voyage's scientific observations. The following year Bruce was invited to join Prince Albert on another oceanographic cruise to Spitsbergen. At Red Bay , latitude 80°N , Bruce ascended

399-556: A Scottish physician, and his Welsh wife Mary, née Lloyd. His middle name came from another branch of the family; its unusual spelling, as distinct from the more common "Spiers", tended to cause problems for reporters, reviewers and biographers. William passed his early childhood in the family's London home at 18 Royal Crescent, Holland Park , under the tutelage of his grandfather, the Revd William Bruce. There were regular visits to nearby Kensington Gardens , and sometimes to

532-543: A basis for examining climate change in South Georgia. This expedition predicted "dramatic conclusions" relating to global warming from its research, and saw this contribution as a "fitting tribute to Britain's forgotten polar hero, William Speirs Bruce". An hour-long BBC television documentary on Bruce presented by Neil Oliver in 2011 contrasted his meticulous science with his rivals' aim of enhancing imperial prestige. A new biographer, Peter Speak (2003), claims that

665-549: A century later, when the matter was raised in the Scottish Parliament . On 4 November 2002 MSP Michael Russell tabled a motion relating to the SNAE centenary, which concluded: "The Polar Medal Advisory Committee should recommend the posthumous award of the Polar Medal to Dr William Speirs Bruce, in recognition of his status as one of the key figures in early 20th century polar scientific exploration". After

798-473: A cruise which explored the Barents Sea , the dual islands of Novaya Zemlya, and the island of Kolguyev , before a retreat to Vardø in northeastern Norway to reprovision for the voyage to Spitsbergen. In a letter to Mill, Bruce reported: "This is a pure yachting cruise and life is luxurious". But his scientific work was unabated: "I have been taking 4-hourly observations in meteorology and temperature of

931-607: A decade of Arctic and Antarctic travel, required a permanent home. Bruce himself needed a base from which the detailed scientific reports of the Scotia voyage could be prepared for publication. He obtained premises in Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, in which he established a laboratory and museum, naming it the Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory , with the ultimate ambition that it should become

1064-667: A few days later, and reported that the funding for a second ship was now assured, making his first explicit references to a "Scottish Expedition". This alarmed Markham, who replied with some anger: "Such a course will be most prejudicial to the Expedition ;[...] A second ship is not in the least required [...] I do not know why this mischievous rivalry should have been started". Bruce replied by return, denying rivalry, and asserting: "If my friends are prepared to give me money to carry out my plans I do not see why I should not accept it [...] there are several who maintain that

1197-575: A fully equipped Antarctic research ship , renamed Scotia . He then appointed an all-Scottish crew and scientific team. Scotia left Troon on 2 November 1902, and headed south towards Antarctica, where Bruce intended to set up winter quarters in the Weddell Sea quadrant, "as near to the South Pole as is practicable". On 22 February the ship reached 70°25′S, but could proceed no further because of heavy ice. She retreated to Laurie Island in

1330-681: A further letter to Mill he outlined his wishes to go South again, adding: "the taste I have had has made me ravenous". Within months he was making proposals for a scientific expedition to South Georgia, but the RGS would not support his plans. In early 1896 he considered collaboration with the Norwegians Henryk Bull and Carsten Borchgrevink in an attempt to reach the South Magnetic Pole . This, too, failed to materialise. From September 1895 to June 1896 Bruce worked at

1463-561: A grave injustice, a slight on his country and on his expedition. Some of the aversion of the London geographical establishment may have arisen from Bruce's overt Scottish nationalism, reflected in his own prefatory note to Rudmose Brown's expedition history, in which he said: "While Science was the talisman of the Expedition, Scotland was emblazoned on its flag; and it may be that, in endeavouring to serve humanity by adding another link to

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1596-732: A hunting voyage to the Arctic waters around Novaya Zemlya and Spitsbergen , in the private yacht Blencathra . This offer had originally been made to Mill, who was unable to obtain leave from the Royal Geographical Society, and once again suggested Bruce as a replacement. Andrew Coats was a member of the prosperous Coats family of thread manufacturers, who had founded the Coats Observatory at Paisley . Bruce joined Blencathra at Tromsø , Norway in May 1898, for

1729-535: A lengthy letter to the Royal Geographical Society in London, applying for a scientific post on the major Antarctic expedition (later to be known as the Discovery Expedition), which the RGS was then organising. His recent experiences made it "unlikely that there was any other person in the British Isles at that time better qualified". Bruce's letter, which detailed all his relevant qualifications,

1862-524: A long letter to his Member of Parliament, Charles Price, detailing Sir Clements's malice towards him and the Scottish expedition, ending with a heartfelt cry on behalf of his old comrades: "Robertson is dying without his well won white ribbon! The Mate is dead!! The Chief Engineer is dead!!! Everyone as good men as have ever served on any Polar Expedition, yet they did not receive the white ribbon." No action followed this plea. No award had been made nearly

1995-695: A new centre should be created as a memorial to Murray. There was unanimous agreement to proceed, but the project was curtailed by the outbreak of war, and not revived. The Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory continued until 1919, when Bruce, in poor health, was forced to close it, dispersing its contents to the Royal Scottish Museum , the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS), and the University of Edinburgh. On 17 March 1910 Bruce presented proposals to

2128-472: A party of six under Robert Mossman at Omond House. On 2 December 1903, the expedition reached Port Stanley, where they received their first news from the outside world since leaving the Cape Verde Islands. After a week's rest, Scotia departed for Buenos Aires , where she was to be repaired and provisioned for another season's work. Bruce had further business in the city; he intended to persuade

2261-556: A permanent weather station, under Argentinian control. Renamed Orcadas Base , the site has been continuously in operation since then, and provides the longest historical meteorological series of Antarctica. In January 1904 Scotia sailed south again, to explore the Weddell Sea. On 6 March, new land was sighted, part of the sea's eastern boundary; Bruce named this Coats Land after the expedition's chief backers. On 14 March, at 74°01′S and in danger of becoming icebound, Scotia turned north. The long voyage back to Scotland, via Cape Town ,

2394-402: A post on Robert Falcon Scott 's Discovery Expedition , but delays over this appointment and clashes with Royal Geographical Society (RGS) president Sir Clements Markham led him instead to organise his own expedition, and earned him the permanent enmity of the geographical establishment in London. Although Bruce received various awards for his polar work, including an honorary doctorate from

2527-415: A scientific assistant. Between 1897 and 1899 he made further Arctic trips, to Spitsbergen and to Novaya Zemlya , first on a private trip organised by Major Andrew Coats, later as a scientist on the Arctic survey vessel Princess Alice . This vessel was owned by Prince Albert of Monaco , a renowned oceanographer who became a friend and supporter of Bruce. After returning from the Arctic in 1899, Bruce sent

2660-703: A second ship is highly desirable". Unappeased, Markham wrote back: "As I was doing my best to get you appointed (to the National Antarctic Expedition) I had a right to think you would not take such a step [...] without at least consulting me". He continued: "You will cripple the National Expedition [...] in order to get up a scheme for yourself". Bruce replied formally, saying that the funds he had raised in Scotland would not have been forthcoming for any other project. There

2793-493: A site for a meteorological station – their relative proximity to the South American mainland opened the prospect of establishing a permanent station. It took a month of hard sailing before Scotia reached the islands. After several foiled attempts to locate a suitable anchorage , and with its rudder seriously damaged by ice, the ship finally found a sheltered bay on the southern shore of Laurie Island ,

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2926-416: A target of £6,000) was subscribed to finance the costs of a detailed prospecting expedition in 1909, in a chartered vessel with a full scientific team. The results were "disappointing", and the voyage absorbed almost all of the syndicate's funds. Bruce paid two further visits to Spitsbergen, in 1912 and 1914, but the outbreak of war prevented further immediate developments. Early in 1919 the old syndicate

3059-589: A transcontinental Antarctic march via the South Pole were abandoned because of lack of public and financial support. In 1892 Bruce gave up his medical studies at the University of Edinburgh and joined the Dundee Whaling Expedition to Antarctica as a scientific assistant. This was followed by Arctic voyages to Novaya Zemlya , Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land . In 1899 Bruce, by then Britain's most experienced polar scientist, applied for

3192-561: A wide correspondence with experts, including Sir Joseph Hooker , who had travelled to the Antarctic with James Clark Ross in 1839–43, and to whom Bruce dedicated his short book Polar Exploration . In 1914 discussions began toward finding more permanent homes, both for Bruce's collection and, following the death that year of oceanographer Sir John Murray, for the specimens and library of the Challenger expedition. Bruce proposed that

3325-528: A wooden hut was constructed for magnetic observations and a cairn was built, 9 ft (2.7 m) high, on top of which the Union Flag and the Saltire were displayed. Scotia was made seaworthy again, but remained icebound throughout September and October; it was not until 23 November that strong winds broke up the bay ice, allowing her to float free. Four days later she departed for Port Stanley, leaving

3458-523: A year, under Robert Mossman, as the first stage of an annual arrangement. He then formally handed over the Omond House building, its furnishings and provisions, and all magnetic and meteorological instruments , to the Argentine government. The station, renamed Orcadas Base , has remained operational ever since, having been rebuilt and extended several times. Several of the original crew left during

3591-498: Is imperishably enrolled among the world's great explorers, and the martyrs to unselfish scientific devotion." Rudmose Brown's biography was published in 1923, and in the same year a joint committee of Edinburgh's learned societies instituted the Bruce Memorial Prize , an award for young polar scientists. Thereafter his name continued to be respected in scientific circles, but Bruce and his achievements were forgotten by

3724-441: Is no pleasant job to dabble in icy-cold water, with the thermometer some degrees below zero, or to plod in the summer through snow, slush and mud many miles in search of animal life, as I have known Mr Bruce frequently to do". Jackson named Cape Bruce after him, on the northern edge of Northbrook Island, at 80°55′N. Jackson was less pleased with Bruce's proprietorial attitude to his personal specimens, which he refused to entrust to

3857-941: Is no record of profitable extraction. Its assets and claims were finally acquired by a rival concern. During his lifetime Bruce received many awards: the Gold Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in 1904; the Patron's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society in 1910; the Neill prize and Medal of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1913, and the Livingstone Medal of the American Geographical Society in 1920. He also received an honorary LLD degree from

3990-575: Is the dominant penguin species in this remote area because of their adaptation to the harsh environment. A colony of more than 100,000 pairs of Adélies can be found on volcanic Paulet Island . Around 1997, the northernmost emperor penguin colony was discovered just south of Snowhill Island in the Weddell Sea. As the Weddell Sea is often clogged with heavy pack-ice, strong ice-class vessels equipped with helicopters are required to reach this colony. In 2021, sponges and other unidentified suspension feeders were reported to have been found growing under

4123-582: The Antarctic and Arctic regions, and by 1899 was Britain's most experienced polar scientist. In March of that year, he applied to join the Discovery Expedition; however, his proposal to extend that expedition's field of work into the Weddell Sea quadrant, using a second ship, was dismissed as "mischievous rivalry" by Royal Geographical Society (RGS) president Sir Clements Markham . Bruce reacted by obtaining independent finance; his venture

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4256-725: The Antarctic Chilean Territory . At its widest the sea is around 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) across, and its area is around 2.8 million square kilometres (1.1 × 10 ^  sq mi). Various ice shelves, including the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, fringe the Weddell sea. Some of the ice shelves on the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula , which formerly covered roughly 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi) of

4389-587: The Argentine government to assume responsibility for the Laurie Island meteorological station after the expedition's departure. During the voyage to Buenos Aires, Scotia ran aground in the Río de la Plata estuary, and was stranded for several days before floating free and being assisted into port by a tug, on 24 December. During the following four weeks, while the ship was dry-docked , Bruce negotiated with

4522-580: The Ben Nevis summit meteorological station, where he gained further experience in scientific procedures and with meteorological instruments. In June 1896, again on the recommendation of Mill, he left this post to join the Jackson–Harmsworth Expedition , then in its third year in the Arctic on Franz Josef Land . This expedition, led by Frederick George Jackson and financed by newspaper magnate Alfred Harmsworth , had left London in 1894. It

4655-731: The British Museum with the expedition's other finds. This "tendency towards scientific conceit", and lack of tact in interpersonal dealings, were early demonstrations of character flaws that in later life would be held against him. On his return from Franz Josef Land in 1897, Bruce worked in Edinburgh as an assistant to his former mentor John Arthur Thomson, and resumed his duties at the Ben Nevis observatory. In March 1898 he received an offer to join Major Andrew Coats on

4788-579: The Cape Verde Isles before an unsuccessful attempt was made to land at the tiny, isolated equatorial archipelago known as St Paul's Rocks . This attempt almost cost the life of the expedition's geologist and medical officer, James Harvie Pirie, who was fortunate to escape from the shark-infested seas after misjudging his leap ashore. Scotia reached Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands on 6 January 1903, where she re-provisioned for

4921-549: The Firth of Forth , were under the direction of Patrick Geddes and John Arthur Thomson , and included sections on botany and practical zoology . The experience of Granton, and the contact with some of the foremost contemporary natural scientists, convinced Bruce to stay in Scotland. He abandoned his place at UCL, and enrolled instead in the medical school at the University of Edinburgh . This enabled him to maintain contact with mentors such as Geddes and Thomson, and also gave him

5054-501: The Liberton Hospital , Edinburgh, where he died on 28 October 1921. In accordance with his wishes he was cremated, and the ashes taken to South Georgia to be scattered on the southern sea. Despite his irregular income and general lack of funds, his estate realised £7,000 (2024 value about £390,000). After Bruce's death his long-time friend and colleague Robert Rudmose Brown wrote, in a letter to Bruce's father: "His name

5187-499: The Natural History Museum ; according to Samuel Bruce these outings first ignited young William's interest in life and nature. In 1879, at the age of 12, William was sent to a progressive boarding school, Norfolk County School (later Watts Naval School ) in the village of North Elmham , Norfolk. He remained there until 1885, and then spent two further years at University College School , Hampstead , preparing for

5320-593: The Saldanha Bay area, Scotia sailed for home on 21 May. On the voyage home the party called at Saint Helena and visited Napoleon 's exile home which they found neglected and in disrepair. On 7 June the ship reached Ascension Island where they were impressed by the sight of giant turtles, some of them 4 ft (1.2 m) across. The final port of call was at Horta in the Azores , where they stopped briefly on 5 July before heading for home. The expedition

5453-408: The Scotia voyages, and also during Bruce's earlier Arctic and Antarctic travels. It was also a base from which the scientific reports of the SNAE could be prepared, and it served as general headquarters where polar explorers could meet – Nansen , Amundsen and Shackleton all visited – and where other Scottish polar ventures could be planned and organised. Although Bruce continued to visit

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5586-522: The South Orkneys chain, and wintered there in a bay he named Scotia Bay. A meteorological station , Omond House (named after Robert Traill Omond ), was established as part of a full programme of scientific work. In November 1903 Scotia retreated to Buenos Aires for repair and reprovisioning. While in Argentina , Bruce negotiated an agreement with the government whereby Omond House became

5719-505: The University of Aberdeen , neither he nor any of his SNAE colleagues were recommended by the RGS for the prestigious Polar Medal . Between 1907 and 1920 Bruce made many journeys to the Arctic regions, both for scientific and for commercial purposes. His failure to mount any major exploration ventures after the SNAE is usually attributed to his lack of public relations skills, powerful enemies, and his Scottish nationalism. By 1919 his health

5852-482: The University of Aberdeen . The honour that eluded him was the Polar Medal, awarded by the Sovereign on the recommendation of the Royal Geographical Society. The Medal was awarded to the members of every other British or Commonwealth Antarctic expedition during the early 20th century, but the SNAE was the exception; the medal was withheld. Bruce, and those close to him, blamed Markham for this omission. The matter

5985-420: The matriculation examination that would admit him to the medical school at University College London (UCL). He succeeded at his third attempt, and was ready to start his medical studies in the autumn of 1887. During mid-1887, Bruce travelled north to Edinburgh to attend a pair of vacation courses in natural sciences. The six-week courses, at the recently established Scottish Marine Station at Granton on

6118-465: The natural sciences and oceanography , by studying at summer courses under distinguished tutors such as Patrick Geddes and John Arthur Thomson . He also spent time working voluntarily under the oceanographer Dr John Murray , helping to classify specimens collected during the Challenger expedition . In 1892 Bruce gave up his medical studies altogether, and embarked on a voyage to the Antarctic in

6251-483: The whaler Balaena , as part of the 1892–1893 Dundee Whaling Expedition . On his return, he began organising an expedition of his own to South Georgia , claiming that "the taste I have had has made me ravenous", but he could not obtain funding. He then worked at a meteorological station on the summit of Ben Nevis , before joining the Jackson–Harmsworth Arctic Expedition to Franz Josef Land as

6384-638: The Antarctic journey ahead. On 26 January, Scotia set sail for Antarctic waters. The crew had to manoeuvre round heavy pack ice on 3 February, 25 miles (40 km) north of the South Orkney Islands . Next day, Scotia was able to move southward again and land a small party on Saddle Island, South Orkney Islands , where a large number of botanical and geological specimens were gathered. Ice conditions prevented any further progress until 10 February, after which Scotia continued southward, "scudding along at seven knots under sail". On 17 February

6517-544: The Arctic for scientific and commercial purposes, he never led another Antarctic expedition, his plans for a transcontinental crossing being stifled through lack of funding. The SNAE scientific reports took many years to complete; most were published between 1907 and 1920, but one volume was delayed until 1992. A proposal to convert the Laboratory into a permanent Scottish National Oceanographic Institute failed to come to fruition and, because of difficulties with funding, Bruce

6650-748: The Argentine government over the future of the weather station. He was assisted by the British resident minister , the British Consul, and Dr W. G. Davis who was director of the Argentine Meteorological Office. When contacted by cable , the British Foreign Office registered no objection to this scheme. On 20 January 1904, Bruce confirmed an agreement whereby three scientific assistants of the Argentine government would travel back to Laurie Island to work for

6783-480: The Botany Department at the British Museum , was the party's botanist . Dr James Harvie Pirie , who had worked in the Challenger office under John Murray, was geologist, bacteriologist , and the expedition's medical officer. Robert Mossman directed meteorological and magnetic work, and Alastair Ross, a medical student, was taxidermist . Bruce appointed Thomas Robertson as Scotia' s captain. Robertson

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6916-485: The Buenos Aires interlude, some through illness and one discharged for misconduct, and replacements were recruited locally. Scotia left for Laurie Island on 21 January, arriving on 14 February. A week later, having settled the meteorological party, who were to be relieved a year later by the Argentine gunboat Uruguay , Scotia set sail for her second voyage to the Weddell Sea. Scotia headed south-east, towards

7049-484: The North Atlantic and are caused by differences in temperature and salinity of the water. In the Weddell sea, this is brought about mainly by brine exclusion and wind cooling. In 1823, British sailor James Weddell discovered the Weddell Sea. Otto Nordenskiöld , leader of the 1901–1904 Swedish Antarctic Expedition , spent a winter at Snow Hill with a team of four men when the relief ship became beset in ice and

7182-495: The Royal Geographical Society in London. Although it would finally curtail his medical studies, Bruce did not hesitate; with William Gordon Burn Murdoch as an assistant he took up his duties on Balaena under Capt. Alexander Fairweather. The four ships sailed from Dundee on 6 September 1892. The relatively short expedition—Bruce was back in Scotland in May 1893—failed in its main purpose, and gave only limited opportunities for scientific work. No right whales were found, and to cut

7315-695: The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) for a new Scottish Antarctic expedition. His plan envisaged a party wintering in or near Coats Land, while the ship took another group to the Ross Sea , on the opposite side of the continent. During the second season the Coats Land party would cross the continent on foot, via the South Pole , while the Ross Sea party pushed south to meet them and assist them home. The expedition would also carry out extensive oceanographical and other scientific work. Bruce estimated that

7448-474: The SNAE was "by far the most cost-effective and carefully planned scientific expedition of the Heroic Age". The same author considers reasons why Bruce's efforts to capitalise on this success met with failure, and suggests a combination of his shy, solitary, uncharismatic nature and his "fervent" Scottish nationalism. Bruce seemingly lacked public relations skills and the ability to promote his work, after

7581-680: The SNAE, Bruce led no more Antarctic expeditions, although he made regular Arctic trips. His focus on serious scientific exploration was out of fashion with his times, and his achievements, unlike those of the polar adventurers Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen , soon faded from public awareness. The SNAE's permanent memorial is the Orcadas weather station , which was set up in 1903 as "Omond House" on Laurie Island , South Orkneys , and has been in continuous operation ever since. During his student years – the 1880s and early 1890s – William Speirs Bruce built up his knowledge of

7714-704: The Scottish National Oceanographic Institute. It was officially opened by Prince Albert of Monaco in 1906. Within these premises Bruce housed his meteorological and oceanographic equipment, in preparation for future expeditions. He also met there with fellow-explorers, including Nansen, Shackleton, and Roald Amundsen . His main task was masterminding the preparation of the SNAE scientific reports. These, at considerable cost and much delay, were published between 1907 and 1920, except for one volume—Bruce's own log—that remained unpublished until 1992, after its rediscovery. Bruce maintained

7847-475: The Scottish thistle itself", according to a lifelong friend), and tended to make powerful enemies. In the words of oceanographer Professor Tony Rice, his expedition fulfilled "a more comprehensive programme than that of any previous or contemporary Antarctic expedition". The expedition ship Scotia was requisitioned during the Great War , and saw service as a freighter . On 18 January 1916 she caught fire, and

7980-493: The South Orkneys and find an anchorage there. In contrast to his stated object, to winter as far south as possible, the South Orkneys were more than 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from the South Pole, but the northerly location had advantages. The relatively brief period during which the ship would be frozen in would allow more time for trawling and dredging operations early in the year. Also, the islands were well-situated as

8113-552: The Tweed, they think dead". During his Spitsbergen visits with Prince Albert in 1898 and 1899, Bruce had detected the presence of coal, gypsum and possibly oil. In the summers of 1906 and 1907 he again accompanied the Prince to the archipelago, with the primary purpose of surveying and mapping Prince Charles Foreland , an island unvisited during the earlier voyages. Here Bruce found further deposits of coal, and indications of iron. On

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8246-707: The United Free Church of Scotland, in Chapelhill within the Parish of Nigg on 20 January 1901, being attended and witnessed by their parents. Perhaps, due to Bruce's secretive nature presenting limited details even among his circle of close friends and colleagues, little information about the wedding has been recorded by his biographers. In 1907 the Bruces settled in a house at South Morton Street in Joppa near

8379-481: The Weddell Sea part of the basin escaped compressional tectonics and remained an oceanic basin. The Weddell Sea is one of few locations in the World Ocean where deep and bottom water masses are formed to contribute to the global thermohaline circulation which has been warming slowly over the last decade. The characteristics of exported water masses result from complex interactions between surface forcing, significantly modified by sea ice processes, ocean dynamics at

8512-463: The Weddell Sea, had completely disappeared by 2002. The Weddell Sea has been deemed by scientists to have the clearest water of any sea. Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute , on finding a Secchi disc visible at a depth of 80 metres (260 ft) on 13 October 1986 , ascertained that the clarity corresponded to that of distilled water. In his 1950 book The White Continent , historian Thomas R. Henry writes: "The Weddell Sea is, according to

8645-440: The basis of these finds, Bruce set up a mineral prospecting company, the Scottish Spitsbergen Syndicate, in July 1909. At that time, in international law Spitsbergen was regarded as terra nullius —rights to mine and extract could be established simply by registering a claim. Bruce's syndicate registered claims on Prince Charles Foreland and on the islands of Barentsøya and Edgeøya , among other areas. A sum of £4,000 (out of

8778-514: The coastal Edinburgh suburb of Portobello , in the first of a series of addresses in that area. They named their house "Antarctica". A son, Eillium Alastair, was born in April 1902, and a daughter, Sheila Mackenzie, was born seven years later. During these years Bruce founded the Scottish Ski Club and became its first president. He was also a co-founder of Edinburgh Zoo . Bruce's chosen life as an explorer, his unreliable sources of income and his frequent extended absences, all placed severe strains on

8911-451: The collection of biological and geological specimens. The major task completed during this time was the construction of living accommodations for those who would remain on Laurie Island to operate the proposed meteorological laboratory. The 20-by-20-foot (6 by 6 m) building – its walls built from local materials using the dry stone method, and roof improvised from wood and canvas sheeting – had two windows and

9044-403: The collection of sea water and sea-bottom samples, and for meteorological and magnetic observations . The hull was reinforced to withstand the pressures of Antarctic ice, and the ship was re-rigged as a barque with auxiliary engines. This work increased the cost of the ship to £16,700 (approximately £2,290,000 as of 2024), which was met by the Coats family who altogether donated £30,000 towards

9177-447: The continental shelf break, and slope and sub-ice shelf water mass transformation. Circulation in the western Weddell Sea is dominated by a northward flowing current. This northward current is the western section of a primarily wind-driven, cyclonic gyre called the Weddell Gyre . This northward flow serves as the primary force of departure of water from the Weddell Sea, a major site of ocean water modification and deep water formation, to

9310-400: The distinctions between the treatment of SNAE and that of English expeditions. When the war finished he attempted to revive his various interests, but his health was failing, forcing him to close his laboratory. On the 1920 voyage to Spitsbergen he travelled in an advisory role, unable to participate in the detailed work. On return, he was confined in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and later in

9443-431: The east side of the Antarctic Peninsula can appear in two different types of synoptic-meteorological situations: an intense cyclone over the central Weddell Sea, a broad east to west flow of stable cold air in the lowest 500-to-1000-metre layer of the atmosphere over the central and/or southern Weddell Sea toward the peninsula. These conditions lead to cold air piling up on the east edge of the mountains. This process leads to

9576-478: The eastern waters of the Weddell Sea, in calm weather. No pack ice was encountered before they were south of the Antarctic Circle , and they were able to proceed smoothly until, on 3 March, heavy pack ice stopped the ship at 72°18'S, 17°59'W. A sounding was taken, revealing a sea-depth of 1,131 fathoms (6,786 ft; 2,068 m), compared to the 2,500 fathoms (15,000 ft; 4,600 m) which had been

9709-467: The establishment of a staffed meteorological station , the first in Antarctic territory, and the discovery of new land to the east of the Weddell Sea . Its large collection of biological and geological specimens, together with those from Bruce's earlier travels, led to the establishment of the Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory in 1906. Bruce had spent most of the 1890s engaged on expeditions to

9842-552: The establishment of a winter station "as near to the South Pole as is practicable", deep sea and other research of the Antarctic Ocean , and systematic observations and research of meteorology, geology, biology , topography and terrestrial physics . The essentially Scottish character of the expedition was expressed in The Scotsman shortly before departure: "The leader and all the scientific and nautical members of

9975-473: The expedition are Scots; the funds have been collected for the most part on this side of the Border; it is a product of voluntary effort, and unlike the expedition which will be simultaneously employed in the exploration of the Antarctic, it owes nothing to Government help". As the work of the expedition would be mainly at sea, or within the confines of the winter station, only a few dogs were taken, to facilitate

10108-546: The expedition's losses a mass slaughter of seals was ordered, to secure skins, oil and blubber. Bruce found this distasteful, especially as he was expected to share in the killing. The scientific output from the voyage was, in Bruce's words "a miserable show". In a letter to the Royal Geographical Society he wrote: "The general bearing of the master (Captain Fairweather) was far from being favourable to scientific work". Bruce

10241-465: The fashion of Scott and Shackleton; a lifelong friend described him as being "as prickly as the Scottish thistle itself". On occasion he behaved tactlessly, as with Jackson over the question of the specimens brought back from Franz Josef Land , and on another occasion with the Royal Geographical Society, over the question of a minor expense claim. As to his nationalism, he wished to see Scotland on an equal footing with other nations. His national pride

10374-403: The following months, the ship was completely rebuilt as an Antarctic research vessel , with two laboratories, a darkroom , and extensive specialist equipment. Two huge revolving cylinders, each carrying 6,000 fathoms (36,000 ft; 11,000 m) of cable, were fitted to the deck to enable deep-sea trawling for marine specimens. Other equipment was installed for making depth soundings , for

10507-525: The formation of a high-pressure ridge over the peninsula (mainly east of the peak) and, therefore, a deflection of the originally westward current of air to the right, along the mountain wall. The Weddell Sea is abundant with whales and seals. Characteristic fauna of the sea include the Weddell seal and killer whales , humpback whales , minke whales , leopard seals , and crabeater seals are frequently seen during Weddell Sea voyages. The Adélie penguin

10640-453: The general measurement up to that date. This suggested that they were approaching land. A few hours later, they reached an ice barrier , which blocked progress towards the south-east. Over the following days, they tracked the edge of this barrier southwards for some 150 miles (240 km). A sounding 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (4.0 km) from the barrier edge gave a depth of only 159 fathoms (954 ft; 291 m), which strongly indicated

10773-446: The general public. Occasional mentions of him, in polar histories and biographies of major figures such as Scott and Shackleton, tended to be dismissive and inaccurate. The early years of the 21st century have seen a reassessment of Bruce's work. Contributory factors have been the SNAE centenary, and Scotland's renewed sense of national identity. A 2003 expedition, in a modern research ship "Scotia", used information collected by Bruce as

10906-597: The golden chain of science, we have also shown that the nationality of Scotland is a power that must be reckoned with". A significant consequence of the expedition was the establishment by Bruce, in Edinburgh , of the Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory, which was formally opened by Prince Albert of Monaco in 1906. The Laboratory served as a repository for the large collection of biological, zoological and geological specimens amassed during

11039-409: The government for financial backing failed. Bruce suspected that his efforts were, as usual, being undermined by the aged but still influential Markham. Finally accepting that his venture would not take place, he gave generous support and advice to Ernest Shackleton, who in 1913 announced plans, similar to Bruce's, for his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition . Shackleton not only received £10,000 from

11172-500: The government, but raised large sums from private sources, including £24,000 from Scottish industrialist Sir James Caird of Dundee . Shackleton's expedition was an epic adventure, but failed completely in its main endeavour of a transcontinental crossing. Bruce was not consulted by the Shackleton relief committee about that expedition's rescue, when the need arose in 1916. "Myself, I suppose," he wrote, "because of being north of

11305-401: The gyre circulation was assumed to be driven by Sverdrup transport . The Weddell Sea is a major site for deep water formation. Thus, in addition to a wind-driven gyre component of the boundary current, a deeper circulation whose dynamics and transports reflect an input of dense water in the southern and southwestern Weddell Sea are expected. Available data does not lend to the quantification of

11438-401: The highest peak in the area, which the prince named "Ben Nevis" in his honour. When Princesse Alice ran aground on a submerged rock and appeared stranded, Prince Albert instructed Bruce to begin preparations for a winter camp, in the belief that it might be impossible for the ship to escape. Fortunately she floated free, and was able to return to Tromsø for repairs. It is uncertain how Bruce

11571-517: The huge icebergs that are often seen here. Snowhill Island, located east of the Antarctic Peninsula is almost completely snow-capped, hence its name. The Swedish Antarctic Expedition under Otto Nordenskiöld built a cabin on the island in 1902, where Nordenskiöld and three members of the expedition had to spend two winters. In 1915, Ernest Shackleton 's ship, Endurance , got trapped and was crushed by ice in this sea. After 15 months on

11704-584: The ice for more than a year since leaving their ship Fram for a dash to the North Pole , and it was pure chance that had brought them to the one inhabited spot among thousands of square miles of Arctic wastes. Bruce mentions meeting Nansen in a letter to Mill, and his acquaintance with the celebrated Norwegian would be a future source of much advice and encouragement. During his year at Cape Flora Bruce collected around 700 zoological specimens, in often very disagreeable conditions. According to Jackson: "It

11837-426: The idea of a distinctive Scottish National Antarctic expedition was born. Bruce was supported by the wealthy Coats family , who were prepared to give whole-hearted financial backing to a Scottish expedition under his leadership. However, as a result, he had acquired the lasting enmity of Markham. In late 1901, Bruce purchased a Norwegian whaler, Hekla , at a cost of £2,620 (approximately £360,000 as of 2024). During

11970-542: The marriage, and the couple became estranged around 1916. They continued to live in the same house until Bruce's death. Eillium became a Merchant Navy officer, eventually captaining a Fisheries Research Ship which, by chance, bore the name Scotia . On 15 March 1899 Bruce wrote to Sir Clements Markham at the RGS, offering himself for the scientific staff of the National Antarctic Expedition , then in its early planning stages. Markham's reply

12103-544: The mercy of the ice floes . The sea is named after the Scottish sailor James Weddell (1787-1834), who entered the sea in 1823 and originally named it after King George IV ; it was renamed in Weddell's honour in 1900. Also in 1823, the American sealing captain Benjamin Morrell claimed to have seen land some 10–12° east of the sea's actual eastern boundary. He called this New South Greenland , but its existence

12236-429: The most easterly of the South Orkneys chain. On 25 March the ship safely anchored, settling into the ice 1 ⁄ 4  mi (400 m) from shore. She was then rapidly converted to winter quarters, with engines dismantled, boilers emptied, and a canvas canopy enclosing the deck. Bruce instituted a comprehensive programme of work, involving meteorological readings, trawling for marine samples, botanical excursions, and

12369-520: The occasional sledge journey. Rudmose Brown records that of the original eight dogs, four survived the expedition; they "pulled well in harness, their only weak point being their paws which... were apt to be cut when on rough ice". Scotia left Troon , Scotland, on 2 November 1902. On her way southward she called at the Irish port of Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire ), at Funchal in Madeira , and then

12502-843: The onset of the Andean orogeny in the Jurassic extensional tectonics created the Rocas Verdes Basin , a back-arc basin whose surviving southeastward extension forms the Weddell Sea. In the Late Cretaceous the tectonic regime of Rocas Verdes Basin changed leading to its transformation into a compressional foreland basin – the Magallanes Basin – in the Cenozoic . While this happened in South America

12635-476: The opportunity to work during his free time in the Edinburgh laboratories where specimens brought back from the Challenger expedition were being examined and classified. Here he worked under Dr John Murray and his assistant John Young Buchanan, and gained a deeper understanding of oceanography and invaluable experience in the principles of scientific investigation. The Dundee Whaling Expedition , 1892–93,

12768-609: The outbreak of war in 1914, Bruce's prospecting ventures were on hold. He offered his services to the Admiralty , but failed to obtain an appointment. In 1915 he accepted a post as director and manager of a whaling company based in the Seychelles , and spent four months there, but the venture failed. On his return to Britain he finally secured a minor post at the Admiralty. Bruce continued to lobby for recognition, highlighting

12901-517: The pack-ice Shackleton and his men managed to reach Elephant Island and safely returned home. In March 2022, it was announced that the well-preserved wreck of the Endurance had been discovered four miles (6.4 km) from its anticipated location, at a depth of 3,008 metres (9,869 ft). As with other neighboring parts of Antarctica, the Weddell Sea shares a common geological history with southernmost South America . In southern Patagonia at

13034-438: The position was 64°18′S, and five days later they passed 70°S, deep within the Weddell Sea . Shortly after this, with new ice forming and threatening the ship, Robertson turned northward, having reached 70°25′S. Having failed to find land, the expedition had to decide where to winter. The matter was of some urgency, since the sea would soon be freezing over, with the risk of the ship becoming trapped. Bruce decided to head back to

13167-428: The presence of land behind the barrier. The outlines of this land soon became faintly visible, and Bruce named it Coats Land after his chief sponsors. This was the first positive indicator of the eastern limits of the Weddell Sea at high latitude, and suggested that the sea might be considerably smaller than had been previously supposed. A projected visit to Coats Land by a sledging party was abandoned by Bruce because of

13300-607: The remainder of the World Ocean. The Weddell Gyre is a cold, low salinity surface layer separated by a thin, weak pycnocline from a thick layer of relatively warm and salty water referred to as Weddell Deep Water (WDW), and a cold bottom layer. Circulation in the Weddell Sea has proven difficult to quantify. Geopotential surface heights above the 1000 dB level, computed using historical data, show only very weak surface currents. Similar computations carried out using more closely spaced data also showed small currents. Closure of

13433-486: The sea surface [...] have tested salinity with Buchanan's hydrometer; my tow-nets [...] have been going almost constantly." Blencathra sailed for Spitsbergen, but was stopped by ice, so she returned to Tromsø. Here she encountered the research ship Princesse Alice , purpose-built for Prince Albert I of Monaco , a leading oceanographer. Bruce was delighted when the Prince invited him to join Princesse Alice on

13566-444: The state of the sea ice. On 9 March 1904, Scotia reached its most southerly latitude of 74°01'S. At this point, the ship was held fast in the pack ice, and the prospect loomed of becoming trapped for the winter. It was during this period of inactivity that bagpiper Gilbert Kerr was photographed playing the bagpipes to a penguin. On 13 March the ship broke free and began to move slowly north-eastward under steam. Throughout this part of

13699-528: The temperature regime east of the peninsula but also because they force the drift of ice northeastward into the South Atlantic Ocean as the last branch of the clockwise circulation in the lower layers of the atmosphere along the coasts of the Weddell Sea. The sharp contrast between the wind, temperature, and ice conditions of the two sides of the Antarctic Peninsula has been well known for many years. Strong surface winds directed equatorward along

13832-458: The testimony of all who have sailed through its berg-filled waters, the most treacherous and dismal region on Earth. The Ross Sea is relatively peaceful, predictable, and safe." He continues for an entire chapter, relating myths of the green-haired merman sighted in the sea's icy waters, the inability of crews to navigate a path to the coast until 1949, and treacherous "flash freezes" that left ships, such as Ernest Shackleton 's Endurance , at

13965-530: The total cost would be about £50,000 (2024 value about £6,450,000). The RSGS supported these proposals, as did the Royal Society of Edinburgh , the University of Edinburgh, and other Scottish organisations, but the timing was wrong; the Royal Geographical Society in London was fully occupied with Robert Scott's Terra Nova Expedition , and showed no interest in Bruce's plans. No rich private benefactors came forward, and persistent and intensive lobbying of

14098-615: The total expedition costs of £36,000. Renamed Scotia , the ship was ready for her sea trials in August 1902. The expedition's scientific staff consisted of six persons, including Bruce. The zoologist was David Wilton who, like Bruce, had been a member of the Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition. He had acquired skiing and sledging skills during several years living in northern Russia. Robert Rudmose-Brown , of University College, Dundee , and formerly an assistant in

14231-514: The volume transports associated with this western boundary region, or to the determination of deep convective circulation along the western boundary. The predominance of strong surface winds parallel to the narrow and tall mountain range of the Antarctic Peninsula is a remarkable feature of weather and climate in the area of the western Weddell Sea. The winds carry cold air toward lower latitudes and turn into southwesterlies farther north. These winds are of interest not only because of their effect on

14364-562: The voyage a regular programme of depth soundings, trawls, and sea-bottom samples provided a comprehensive record of the oceanography and marine life of the Weddell Sea. Scotia headed for Cape Town by a route that took it to Gough Island , an isolated mid-Atlantic volcanic projection that had never been visited by a scientific party. On 21 April, Bruce and five others spent a day ashore, collecting specimens. The ship arrived in Cape Town on 6 May. After carrying out further research work in

14497-541: The world's climate. According to the oceanographer Tony Rice, it fulfilled a more comprehensive programme than any other Antarctic expedition of its day. At the time its reception in Britain was relatively muted; although its work was highly praised within sections of the scientific community, Bruce struggled to raise the funding to publish his scientific results, and blamed Markham for the lack of national recognition. Bruce's collection of specimens, gathered from more than

14630-558: Was a British naturalist , polar scientist and oceanographer who organised and led the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (SNAE, 1902–04) to the South Orkney Islands and the Weddell Sea . Among other achievements, the expedition established the first permanent weather station in Antarctica . Bruce later founded the Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory in Edinburgh , but his plans for

14763-408: Was a non-committal one-line acknowledgement, after which Bruce heard nothing for a year. He was then told, indirectly, to apply for a scientific assistant's post. On 21 March 1900 Bruce reminded Markham that he had applied a year earlier, and went on to reveal that he "was not without hopes of being able to raise sufficient capital whereby I could take out a second British ship". He followed this up

14896-556: Was acknowledged but not properly answered until more than a year had passed. By then, Bruce's ideas had progressed away from his original expectation of a junior post on the scientific staff. He now proposed a second ship for the expedition, separately financed from Scottish sources, which would work in the Weddell Sea quadrant while the main ship was based in the Ross Sea . This proposal was denounced by RGS president Sir Clements Markham as "mischievous" and, after some heated correspondence, Bruce resolved to proceed independently. In this way

15029-413: Was an attempt to investigate the commercial possibilities of whaling in Antarctic waters by locating a source of right whales in the region. Scientific observations and oceanographic research would also be carried out in the four whaling ships: Balaena , Active , Diana and Polar Star . Bruce was recommended to the expedition by Hugh Robert Mill , an acquaintance from Granton who was now librarian to

15162-736: Was an experienced Antarctic and Arctic sailor who had commanded the whaling ship Active on the Dundee Whaling Expedition. The rest of the 25 officers and men, who signed for three-year engagements, were all Scotsmen, many used to sailing in icy waters on whaling voyages. The objectives of the expedition were published in the Scottish Geographical Magazine and in the RGS Geographical Journal , in October 1902. They included

15295-578: Was burned out on a sandbank in the Bristol Channel . One hundred years after Bruce, a 2003 expedition, in a modern version of Scotia , used information collected by the SNAE as a basis for examining climate change in South Georgia during the past century. This expedition asserted that its contribution to the international debate on global warming would be a fitting testament to the SNAE's pioneering research. William Speirs Bruce William Speirs Bruce FRSE (1 August 1867 – 28 October 1921)

15428-423: Was completed on 21 July 1904. This expedition assembled a large collection of animal, marine and plant specimens, and carried out extensive hydrographic, magnetic and meteorological observations. One hundred years later it was recognised that the expedition's work had "laid the foundation of modern climate change studies", and that its experimental work had showed this part of the globe to be crucially important to

15561-496: Was crushed. The crew managed to reach Paulet Island where they wintered in a primitive hut. Nordenskiöld and the others were eventually picked up by the Argentine Navy at Hope Bay . All but one survived the ordeal. The Antarctic Sound is named after the expedition ship of Otto Nordenskiöld. The sound that separates the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula from Dundee Island is also referred to as "Iceberg Alley", because of

15694-564: Was denied access to charts, so was unable to establish the accurate location of phenomena. He was required to work "in the boats" when he should have been making meteorological and other observations, and no facilities were allowed him for the preparation of specimens, many of which were lost through careless handling by the crew. Nevertheless, his letter to the RGS ends: "I have to thank the Society for assisting me in what has been, despite all drawbacks, an instructive and delightful experience." In

15827-432: Was disproved when the sea was more fully explored in the early 20th century. Weddell got as far south as 74°S ; the furthest southern penetration since Weddell but before the modern era was made by William Speirs Bruce in 1903. The Weddell Sea is an important area of deep water mass formation through cabbeling , the main driving force of the thermohaline circulation . Deepwater masses are also formed through cabbeling in

15960-481: Was employed after his return from Spitsbergen in late 1899. In his whole life he rarely had settled salaried work, and usually relied on patronage or on influential acquaintances to find him temporary posts. Early in 1901 he evidently felt sufficiently confident of his prospects to get married. His bride was Jessie Mackenzie, who had worked as a nurse in Samuel Bruce's London surgery. Bruce's marriage took place in

16093-680: Was engaged in a detailed survey of the Franz Josef archipelago , which had been discovered, though not properly mapped, during an Austrian expedition 20 years earlier. Jackson's party was based at Cape Flora on Northbrook Island , the southernmost island of the archipelago. It was supplied through regular visits from its expedition ship Windward , on which Bruce sailed from London on 9 June 1896. Windward arrived at Cape Flora on 25 July where Bruce found that Jackson's expedition party had been joined by Fridtjof Nansen and his companion Hjalmar Johansen . The two Norwegians had been living on

16226-499: Was failing, and he experienced several spells in the hospital before his death in 1921, after which he was almost totally forgotten. In recent years, following the centenary of the Scottish Expedition, efforts have been made to give fuller recognition to his role in the history of scientific polar exploration. William Speirs Bruce was born at 43 Kensington Gardens Square in London, the fourth child of Samuel Noble Bruce,

16359-486: Was fitted for six people. It was christened "Omond House" after Robert Omond , director of the Edinburgh Observatory and a supporter of the expedition. Rudmose Brown wrote: "Considering that we had no mortar and no masons' tools it is a wonderfully fine house and very lasting. I should think it will be standing a century hence ..." In general, the party maintained excellent health. The exception

16492-457: Was forced to close it down in 1919. He died two years later, aged 54. By this time, the Scotia expedition was barely remembered, even in Scotland, and it has remained overshadowed in polar histories by the more glamorous adventures of Scott and Shackleton. In these histories it is usually confined to a brief mention or footnote, with little attention given to its achievements. Bruce lacked charisma, had no public relations skills ("...as prickly as

16625-627: Was intense; in a Preparatory Note to The Voyage of the Scotia he wrote: "While 'Science' was the talisman of the Expedition, 'Scotland' was emblazoned on its flag". This insistence on emphasising the Scottish character of his enterprises could be irksome to those who did not share his passion. He retained the respect and devotion of those whom he led, and of those who had known him longest. John Arthur Thomson, who had known Bruce since Granton, wrote of him when reviewing Rudmose Brown's 1923 biography : "We never heard him once grumble about himself, though he

16758-543: Was neither to hold or bend when he thought some injustice was being done to, or slight cast on, his men, on his colleagues, on his laboratory, on his Scotland. Then one got glimpses of the volcano which his gentle spirit usually kept sleeping." Online sources Weddell Sea The sea is contained within the two overlapping Antarctic territorial claims of Argentine Antarctica , the British Antarctic Territory , and also resides partially within

16891-587: Was no further correspondence between the two, beyond a short conciliatory note from Markham, in February 1901, which read "I can now see things from your point of view, and wish you success" —a sentiment apparently not reflected in Markham's subsequent attitude towards the Scottish expedition. With financial support from the Coats family, Bruce had acquired a Norwegian whaler , Hekla , which he transformed into

17024-521: Was no official acknowledgement from London, where under the influence of Markham the work of the SNAE tended to be ignored or denigrated. Its members were not awarded the prestigious RGS Polar Medals, which were bestowed on members of the Discovery Expedition when it returned home two months after Scotia . Polar Medals would also be awarded after each of Sir Ernest Shackleton's later expeditions, and after Douglas Mawson 's Australasian expedition . Bruce fought unavailingly for years to right what he considered

17157-604: Was raised, repeatedly, with anyone thought to have influence. Robert Rudmose Brown , chronicler of the Scotia voyage and later Bruce's first biographer, wrote in a 1913 letter to the President of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society that this neglect was "a slight to Scotland and to Scottish endeavour". Bruce wrote in March 1915 to the President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, who agreed in his reply that "Markham had much to answer for". After Markham's death in 1916 Bruce sent

17290-488: Was replaced by a larger and better-financed company. Bruce had now fixed his main hopes on the discovery of oil, but scientific expeditions in 1919 and 1920 failed to provide evidence of its presence; substantial new deposits of coal and iron ore were discovered. Thereafter Bruce was too ill to continue with his involvement. The new company had expended most of its capital on these prospecting ventures, and although it continued to exist, under various ownerships, until 1952, there

17423-530: Was supported and promoted by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society . The expedition has been described as "by far the most cost-effective and carefully planned scientific expedition of the Heroic Age ." Despite this, Bruce received no formal honour or recognition from the British Government, and the expedition's members were denied the prestigious Polar Medal despite vigorous lobbying. After

17556-487: Was the ship's engineer, Allan Ramsay, who had been taken ill with a heart condition in the Falklands during the outward voyage. He chose to remain with the expedition, but he grew steadily weaker as winter progressed. He died on 6 August, and was buried on the island. As winter turned to spring the level of activity increased, and there were numerous sledge journeys, including some to neighbouring islands. Near Omond House,

17689-687: Was warmly received on its return to the Clyde on 21 July 1904. A formal reception for 400 people was held at the Marine Biological Station, Millport , at which John Murray read a telegram of congratulation from King Edward VII . Bruce was presented with the Royal Scottish Geographical Society's gold medal, and Captain Robertson with the silver medal. Following the expedition, more than 1,100 species of animal life, 212 of them previously unknown to science, were catalogued; there

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