Acknowledgment is due to the courtesy of Mr. John Murray and the Illustrated London News for the photograph taken at the South Pole; to Admiral Peary for that taken at the North Pole; and to Sir Ernest Shackleton and Mr. Heinemann for the colour-plate of the Nimrod. Permissions have also been granted by Mr. John Murray (for illustrations from Livingstone's books and Admiral McClintock's Voyage of the Fox); by Messrs. Macmillan (for the colour-plate of the Polos leaving Venice, from the Bodleian); and by Messrs. Sampson, Low, Marston, & Co. (for illustrations from Sir H. M. Stanley's books).

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT

[The Garden of Eden with its Four Rivers]
From the Hereford Map of the World.
[Babylonian Map of the World on Clay]
In the British Museum.
[The oldest known Ships: between 6000 and 5000 B.C.]
From a pre-Egyptian Vase-painting.
[Egyptian Ship of the Expedition to Punt, about 1600 B.C.]
From a Rock-carving at Der el Bahari.
[The Ark on Ararat, and the Cities of Nineveh and Babylon]
From LEONARDO DATI'S Map of 1422.
[A Phoenician Ship, about 700 B.C.]
From a Bas-relief at Nineveh.
[Map of the Voyage of the Argonauts]
[The Pillars of Hercules, as shown in a Mediæval Map]
HIGDEN'S Map of the World. 1360 A.D.
[The Pillars of Hercules, as shown in the Anglo-Saxon Map of the World, 10th century]
[A Greek Galley, about 500 B.C.]
From a Vase-painting.
[Jerusalem, the Centre of the World]
From the Hereford Map of the World, 13th century.
[A Merchant-Ship of Athens, about 500 B.C.]
From a Vase-painting.
[The Coast of Africa, after Ptolemy (Mercator's Edition), showing Hanno's Voyage]
[A Sketch Map of Alexander's Chief Exploratory Marches from Athens to Hyderabad and Gaza]
[Alexandria in Pizzigani's Map, 14th century]
[North Britain and the Island of Thule]
From MERCATOR'S edition of Ptolemy's Map.
[A Portion of an old Roman Map of the World, showing the roads through the Empire]
From the Peutinger Table.
[The World-Island according to Strabo, 18 A.D.]
[Hull of a Roman Merchant-Ship]
From a Roman model at Greenwich.
[A Roman Galley, about 110 A.D.]
From Trajan's Column at Rome.
[The First Stages of a Mediæval Pilgrimage, London to Dover]
From MATTHEW OF PARIS'S Itinerary, 13th century.
[Jerusalem and the East]
From MATTHEW OF PARIS'S Itinerary, 13th century.
[Ireland and St. Brandon's Isle]
From the Catalan Map, 1375.
[The Mysterious Isle of St. Brandon]
From MARTIN BEHAIM'S Map, 1492.
[The World-Map of Cosmas, 6th century]
The oldest Christian Map.
[The Mountain of Cosmas]
[A Viking Ship]
From Professor MONTELIUS'S book on Scandinavian archæology.
[A Khalif on his Throne]
From the Ancona Map, 1497.
[A Chinese Emperor giving Audience, 9th century]
From an old Chinese MS. at Paris.
[The Scene of Sindbad's Voyages]
From EDRISI'S Map, 1154.
[Sindbad's Giant Roc]
From an Oriental Miniature Painting.
[Jerusalem and the Pilgrims' Ways to it, 12th century]
From a Map of the 12th century at Brussels.
[Two Emperors of Tartary]
From the Catalan Map, 1375.
[A Tartar Camp]
From the Borgian Map, 1453.
[Initial Letter from the MS. of Rubruquis at Cambridge]
[How the Brothers Polo set out from Constantinople with their nephew Marco for China]
From a Miniature Painting in 14th century Livre des Merveilles.
[Marco Polo lands at Ormuz]
From a Miniature in the Livre des Merveilles.
[Kublai Khan]
From an old Chinese Encyclopædia at Paris.
[Marco Polo]
From a Woodcut in the first printed edition of MARCO POLO'S Travels, 1477.
[A Japanese Fight against the Chinese at the time when Marco Polo first saw the Japanese]
From an ancient Japanese Painting.
[Sir John Mandeville on his Travels]
From a MS. in the British Museum.
[An Emperor of Tartary]
From the Map ascribed to SEBASTIAN CABOT, 1544.
[A Caravan in Cathay]
From the Catalan Map, 1375.
[The Turin Map of the World, 8th century]
[A T-map, 10th century]
[A T-map, 13th century]
[The Kaiser holding the World]
From a 12th-century MS.
[The "Anglo-Saxon" Map of the World, drawn about 990 A.D.]
From the Cotton MSS. in the British Museum.
[Africa—from Ceuta to Madeira]
From FRA MAURO'S Map, 1457.
[The Voyage to Cape Blanco from Cape Bojador]
From FRA MAURO'S Map, 1457.
[A Portion of Africa illustrating Cadamosto's Voyage beyond Cape Blanco]
From FRA MAURO'S Map, 1457.
[Sketch of Africa]
From FRA MAURO'S Map of the World, 1457.
[Negro Boys]
From CABOT'S Map, 1544.
[The West Coast of Africa]
From MARTIN BEHAIM'S Map, 1492.
[The Parting of Columbus with Ferdinand and Isabella, 3rd August 1492]
From DE BRY'S account of the Voyages to India, 1601.
[Columbus's Ship, the Santa Maria]
From a Woodcut of 1493, supposed to be after a Drawing by COLUMBUS.
[Columbus landing on Hispaniola]
From a Woodcut of 1494.
[The first Representation of the People of the New World]
From a Woodcut published at Augsburg between 1497 and 1504.
[The Town of Isabella and the Colony founded by Columbus]
From a Woodcut of 1494.
[Vasco da Gama]
From a contemporary Portrait.
[Africa as it was known after da Gama's Expeditions]
From JUAN DE LA COSA'S Map of 1500.
[Calicut and the Southern Indian Coast]
From JUAN DE LA COSA'S Map, 1500.
[The Malabar Coast]
From FRA MAURO'S Map.
[A Ship of Albuquerque's Fleet]
From a very fine Woodcut in the British Museum.
[A Ship of Java and the China Seas in the 16th century]
From LINSCHOTEN'S Navigatio ac Itinerarium, 1598.
[One of the first Maps of the Pacific]
From DIEGO RIBERO'S Map, 1529.
[Magellan's Fleet]
From MERCATOR'S Mappe Monde, 1569.
[A Ship of the 16th century]
From AMORETTI'S translation of Magellan's Voyage round the World.
["Hondius his Map of the Magellan Streight"]
From a Map by JODOCUS HONDIUS, about 1590.
[The first Ship that sailed round the World]
Magellan's Victoria, from HULSIUS'S Collection of Voyages, 1602.
[Hernando Cortes, Conqueror of Mexico]
After the original Portrait at Mexico.
[The Battles of the Spaniards in Mexico]
From an ancient Aztec Drawing.
[Pizarro]
From the Portrait at Cuzco.
[Peru and South America]
From the Map of the World, 1544, usually ascribed to SEBASTIAN CABOT.
[Peruvian Warriors of the Inca Period]
From an ancient Peruvian Painting.
[Part of North America, showing Sebastian Cabot's Voyage to Newfoundland]
From the Map of 1544, usually ascribed to CABOT.
[Jacques Cartier]
From an old Pen-drawing at the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.
[Canada and the River St. Lawrence, showing Quebec]
From LESCARBOT'S Histoire de la Nouvelle France, 1609.
[New France, showing Newfoundland, Labrador, and the St. Lawrence]
From JOCOMO DI GASTALDI'S Map, about 1550.
[Ivan Vasiliwich, King of Muscovie]
From an old Woodcut.
[Anthony Jenkinson's Map of Russia, Muscovy, and Tartary]
Published in 1562.
[Greenlanders as seen by Martin Frobisher]
From Captain BESTE'S Account of Frobisher's Voyages, 1578.
[Sir Francis Drake]
From HOLLAND'S Heroologia, 1620.
[The Silver Map of the World]
From Medallion in British Museum.
[The Silver Map of the World]
From Medallion in British Museum.
[The Golden Hind at New Albion]
From the Chart of Drake's Voyages.
[The Golden Hind at Java]
From the Chart of Drake's Voyages.
[An Eskimo]
From a Water-colour Drawing by JOHN WHITE, about 1585.
[A Ship of the late 16th century]
From Ortelius, 1598.
[Nova Zembla and the Arctic Regions]
From a Map in DE BRY'S Grands Voyages, 1598.
[Barents in the Arctic—"Hut wherein we wintered"]
From DE VEER'S Account of the Voyages of Barents, 1598.
[Hudson's Map of his Voyages in the Arctic]
From his Book published in 1612.
[A Ship of Hudson's Fleet]
From his Voyages, 1612.
[Baffin's Map of his Voyages to the North]
From original MS., drawn by BAFFIN, in the British Museum.
[Sir Walter Raleigh]
[Raleigh's Map of Guinea, El Dorado, and the Orinoco Coast]
From the original Map, drawn by RALEIGH, in British Museum.
[The first Settlement at Quebec]
From CHAMPLAIN'S Voyages, 1613.
[The Defeat of the Iroquois by Champlain]
From a Drawing in CHAMPLAIN'S Voyages, 1613.
[An early Map of "Terra Australis" called "Java la Grande"]
From the "Dauphin" Map of 1546.
[The Wreck of Captain Pelsart's Ship, the Batavia, on the Coast of New Holland]
From the Dutch account of PELSART'S Voyages, 1647.
[Van Diemen's Land and two of Tasman's Ships]
From the Map drawn by TASMAN in his "Journal."
[Dampier's Ship, the Cygnet]
From a Drawing in the Dutch edition of his Voyage Round the World, 1698.
[Dampier's Strait and the Island of New Britain]
From a Map in DAMPIER'S Voyages, 1697.
[Chart of Behring's Voyage from Kamtchatka to North America]
From a Chart drawn in 1741 by Lieut. WAXELL.
[The Island of Otaheite, or St. George]
From a Painting by WILLIAM HODGES.
[A Maori Fort on the Coast between Poverty Bay and Cape Turnagain]
From an Engraving in the Atlas to COOK'S first Voyage.
[Captain Cook's Vessel beached at the Entrance of Endeavour River]
From an Engraving in the Atlas to COOK'S first Voyage.
[Captain James Cook]
From the Painting by DANCE in the Gallery of Greenwich Hospital.
[Port Jackson and Sydney Cove]
From the Atlas to the Voyage de l'Astrolabe.
[A Nile Boat, or Canja]
From BRUCE'S Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile.
[An Arab Sheikh]
From BRUCE'S Travels.
[The Camp of Ali, the Mohammedan Chief, at Benown]
From a Sketch by MUNGO PARK.
[Kamalia, a Native Village near the Southern Course of the Niger]
From a Sketch by MUNGO PARK.
[A Native Woman washing Gold in Senegal]
From a Sketch by MUNGO PARK, made on his last expedition.
[Vancouver's Ship, the Discovery, on the Rocks in Queen Charlotte's Sound]
From a Drawing in VANCOUVER'S Voyage, 1798.
[Parry's Ships, the Hecla and Griper, in Winter Harbour]
From a Drawing in PARRY'S Voyage for the North-West Passage, 1821.
[The North Shore of Lancaster Sound]
From a Drawing in PARRY'S Voyage for the North-West Passage, 1821.
[A Winter View of Fort Enterprise]
From a Drawing, by WILLIAM BACK, in Franklin's Journey to the Polar Sea, 1823.
[Franklin's Expedition to the Polar Sea on the Ice]
From a Drawing, by WILLIAM BACK, in Franklin's Journey to the Polar Sea, 1823.
[An Eskimo watching a Seal Hole]
From a Drawing in PARRY'S Second Voyage for a North-West Passage, 1824.
[Fort Franklin, on the Great Bear Lake, in the Winter]
From a Drawing in FRANKLIN'S Second Expedition to the Polar Sea, 1828.
[Franklin's Expedition crossing Back's Inlet]
From a Drawing, by Lieut. BACK, in Franklin's Second Expedition to the Polar Sea, 1828.
[The Boats of Parry's Expedition hauled up on the Ice for the Night]
From a Drawing in PARRY'S Attempt to Reach the North Pole, 1828.
[Major Denham and his Party received by the Sheikh of Bornu]
From a Drawing by Major DENHAM.
[The first European Picture of Timbuktu]
From a Drawing in CAILLÉ'S Tomboctou, 1829.
[Richard and John Lander paddling down the Niger]
From a Drawing in the account of LANDER'S Travels, 1835.
[The Rosses on their Journey to the North Magnetic Pole]
From a Drawing in ROSS'S Second Voyage for a North-West Passage, 1835.
["Somerset House," Ross's Winter Quarters on Fury Beach]
From a Drawing in ROSS'S Second Voyage for a North-West Passage, 1835.
[Matthew Flinders]
[Cape Catastrophe]
From FLINDERS' Voyages.
[The Huts of the Crew of the Porpoise on the Sandbank, Wreck Reef]
From FLINDERS' Voyages.
[Captain Sturt at the Junction of the Rivers Darling and Murray]
From the Narrative of Sturt's Expedition.
[The Burke and Wills Expedition leaving Melbourne, 1860]
From a Drawing by WILLIAM STRUTT, an acquaintance of Burke.
[Burke and Wills at Cooper's Creek]
From a Woodcut in a contemporary Australian account of the expedition.
[Part of the Great Southern Ice Barrier]
From ROSS'S Voyage in the Antarctic Regions.
[Eskimos at Cape York watching the approach of the Fox]
From McCLINTOCK'S Voyage in Search of Franklin.
[The Three Graves on Beechey Island]
From McCLINTOCK'S Voyage in Search of Franklin.
[Exploring Parties starting from the Fox]
From McCLINTOCK'S Voyage in Search of Franklin.
[Livingstone, with his Wife and Family, at the Discovery of Lake Ngami]
From LIVINGSTONE'S Missionary Travels.
[The "Smoke" of the Zambesi (Victoria) Falls]
After a Drawing in LIVINGSTONE'S Missionary Travels.
[Burton in a Dug-out on Lake Tanganyika]
After a Drawing by BURTON.
[Burton and his Companions on the march to Victoria Nyanza]
From a Humorous Sketch by BURTON.
[The Ma-Robert on the Zambesi]
After a Drawing in LIVINGSTONE'S Expedition to the Zambesi.
[M'tesa, King of Uganda]
From SPEKE'S Journey to Discover the Source of the Nile.
[The Ripon Falls on the Victoria Nyanza]
From SPEKE'S Journey to Discover the Source of the Nile.
[Captains Speke and Grant]
[Baker and his Wife crossing the Nubian Desert]
From BAKER'S Travels.
[Baker's Boat in a Storm on Lake Albert Nyanza]
From BAKER'S Albert Nyanza.
[The Discovery of Lake Bangweolo, 1868]
From LIVINGSTONE'S Last Journals, by permission of Mr. John Murray.
[Livingstone at Work on his Journal]
From a Sketch by H. M. STANLEY.
[Livingstone entering the Hut at Ilala on the Night that he Died]
From LIVINGSTONE'S Last Journals, by permission of Mr. John Murray.
[The last Entries in Livingstone's Diary]
[Susi, Livingstone's Servant]
From a Sketch by H. M. STANLEY.
[Stanley and his Men marching through Unyoro]
From a Sketch, by STANLEY, in Through the Dark Continent.
["Towards the Unknown": Stanley's Canoes starting from Vinya Njara]
From Through the Dark Continent.
[The Seventh Cataract—Stanley Falls]
From Through the Dark Continent.
[The Fight below the Confluence of the Aruwimi and Livingstone Rivers]
From a Sketch, by STANLEY, in Through the Dark Continent.
[Nordenskiöld's Ship, the Vega, saluting Cape Chelyuskin]
From a Drawing in HOVGAARD'S Nordenskiöld's Voyage.
[Menka, Chief of the Chukches]
[The Vega frozen in for the Winter]
From a Drawing in HOVGAARD'S Nordenskiöld's Voyage.
[The Potala at Lhasa]
From KIRCHER'S China Illustrata.
[Dr. Nansen]
After a Photograph.
[The Ship that went Farthest North: the Fram]
From a Photograph.

A BOOK OF DISCOVERY

CHAPTER I

A LITTLE OLD WORLD

No story is complete unless it begins at the very beginning. But where is the beginning? Where is the dawn of geography—the knowledge of our earth? What was it like before the first explorers made their way into distant lands? Every day that passes we are gaining fresh knowledge of the dim and silent past.