The British National Antarctic Expedition (the Discovery expedition) of 1901 to 1904 was the first official British expedition to Antarctic waters for 60 years. It was organised by a joint committee of the Royal Society of London and the Royal Geographical Society. Funds raised for the Expedition included a substantial amount from the Royal Geographical Society which was matched by the British Government. Departing in August 1901 under the command of Robert Scott, the crew of the Expedition was largely Royal Navy personnel. The Expedition arrived in McMurdo Sound early in 1902, then proceeded to explore along the length of the Ice Barrier (now known as the Ross Ice Shelf) and reaching further south than any previous expedition. Winter quarters were established at Hut Point on Ross Island. Discovery was iced-in, not being freed (with the assistance of some dynamite) until February 1904. The scientific program of the Expedition included tidal, seismic, auroral and magnetic observations. Trekking journeys were undertaken on the Polar Plateau and towards the South Pole. Marine biological specimens, mostly taken from shallow depths in McMurdo Sound under the supervision of biologist Thomas Hodgson, were deposited in the British Museum (Natural History). The first Emperor Penguin colony was discovered at Cape Crozier. Geographic discoveries included ice-free valleys, and that the Ice Barrier was a floating ice shelf. The scientific results of the Expedition were published by the Royal Society in 1908-9.
Members of the Expedition included:
Robert F. Scott, Leader
Louis Bernacchi, Physicist
William Colbeck, Captain, relief ship SY Morning
James Dell, Able seaman
James Doorly, 3rd Officer, relief ship S.Y. Morning
Hartley Ferrar, Geologist
Thomas Hodgson, Marine biologist
Reginald Koettlitz, Surgeon and botanist
Ernest Shackleton, 3rd Officer
Frank Wild, Able seaman
Edward Wilson, Assistant doctor and zoologist