Voyage of the Scotia 1902-04

The Antarctic

The botany of the South Orkney Islands

A ten-page pamphlet describing the botany of the South Orkney Islands, where the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition wintered from March to November 1903, was reprinted from Vol 23 part one (1904-1905) of the Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh.

The front cover of this particular copy was inscribed to: "Prof Patrick Geddes with the author's compliments".

Professor Geddes was an excellent teacher, with a broad range of interests. He had been a strong influence on the young William Bruce, leader of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, giving him an early interest in marine biology through a course conducted at Granton in an old canal barge named Elizabeth (but nicknamed The Ark by the course participants).