Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 July 2012
Previous to the voyage of the Endurance in 1914–1915, the depth and extent of the Weddell Sea were either based on or surmised from the deep-sea soundings made on the Scotia by Dr Bruce in 1903 and 1904; on Dr Otto Nordenskjöld's ship Antarctic in 1901–1902; and on the German Expedition ship Deutschland under the leadership of Lieut. Filchner in 1912–1913. The first set are confined to the eastern and north-eastern portion, and may be said to run diagonally across the mouth of the sea; the second set were made in the extreme north-western area; whilst those of the Deutschland are disposed right down the centre of the sea, and consist mainly of a south-to-north series approximately along the meridian of 43° W.