Post-expedition years William Speirs Bruce

1 post-expedition years

1.1 scottish oceanographical laboratory
1.2 further antarctic plans
1.3 scottish spitsbergen syndicate

post-expedition years

sir john murray, mentor bruce


scottish oceanographical laboratory

bruce s collection of specimens, gathered more decade of arctic , antarctic travel, required permanent home. bruce himself needed base detailed scientific reports of scotia voyage prepared publication. obtained premises in nicolson street, edinburgh, in established laboratory , museum, naming scottish oceanographical laboratory, ultimate ambition should become scottish national oceanographic institute. officially opened prince albert of monaco in 1906.

within these premises bruce housed meteorological , oceanographic equipment, in preparation future expeditions. met there fellow-explorers, including nansen, shackleton, , roald amundsen. main task, however, masterminding preparation of snae scientific reports. these, @ considerable cost , delay, published between 1907 , 1920, except 1 volume—bruce s own log—that remained unpublished until 1992, after rediscovery. bruce maintained wide correspondence experts, including sir joseph hooker, had travelled antarctic james clark ross in 1839–43, , whom bruce dedicated short book polar exploration.

in 1914 discussions began toward finding more permanent homes, both bruce s collection and, following death year of oceanographer sir john murray, specimens , library of challenger expedition. bruce proposed new centre should created memorial murray. there unanimous agreement proceed, project curtailed outbreak of war, , not revived. scottish oceanographical laboratory continued until 1919, when bruce, in poor health, forced close it, dispersing contents royal scottish museum, royal scottish geographical society (rsgs), , university of edinburgh.

further antarctic plans

on 17 march 1910 bruce presented proposals royal scottish geographical society (rsgs) new scottish antarctic expedition. plan envisaged party wintering in or near coats land, while ship took group ross sea, on opposite side of continent. during second season coats land party cross continent on foot, via south pole, while ross sea party pushed south meet them , assist them home. expedition carry out extensive oceanographical , other scientific work. bruce estimated total cost £50,000 (2017 value £4,680,000).

the rsgs supported these proposals, did royal society of edinburgh, university of edinburgh, , other scottish organisations. however, timing wrong; royal geographical society in london occupied captain scott s terra nova expedition, , showed no interest in bruce s plans. no rich private benefactors came forward, , persistent , intensive lobbying of government financial backing failed. bruce suspected efforts were, usual, being undermined aged still influential markham. accepting venture not take place, gave generous support , advice ernest shackleton, in 1913 announced plans, similar bruce s, imperial trans-antarctic expedition. shackleton not received £10,000 government, raised large sums private sources, including £24,000 scottish industrialist sir james caird of dundee.

shackleton s expedition epic adventure, failed in main endeavour of transcontinental crossing. bruce not consulted shackleton relief committee expedition s rescue, when need arose in 1916. myself, suppose, wrote, because of being north of tweed, think dead .

scottish spitsbergen syndicate

map of spitsbergen archipelago (now named svalbard), showing islands prince charles foreland, barentsøya , edgeøya

during spitsbergen visits prince albert in 1898 , 1899, bruce had detected presence of coal, gypsum , possibly oil. in summers of 1906 , 1907 again accompanied prince archipelago, primary purpose of surveying , mapping prince charles foreland, island unvisited during earlier voyages. here bruce found further deposits of coal, , indications of iron. on basis of these finds, bruce set mineral prospecting company, scottish spitsbergen syndicate, in july 1909.

at time, in international law spitsbergen regarded terra nullius—rights mine , extract established registering claim. bruce s syndicate registered claims on prince charles foreland , on islands of barentsøya , edgeøya, among other areas. sum of £4,000 (out of target of £6,000) subscribed finance costs of detailed prospecting expedition during summer of 1909, in chartered vessel full scientific team. results, disappointing , , voyage absorbed of syndicate s funds.

bruce paid 2 further visits spitsbergen, in 1912 , 1914, outbreak of war prevented further immediate developments. however, in 1919 old syndicate replaced larger , better-financed company. bruce had fixed main hopes on discovery of oil, scientific expeditions in 1919 , 1920 failed provide evidence of presence, although substantial new deposits of coal , iron ore discovered. thereafter bruce ill continue involvement. new company had expended of capital on these prospecting ventures, , although continued exist, under various ownerships, until 1952, there no record of profitable extraction. assets , claims acquired rival concern.

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