Imagine the city of Dundee on 21 March 1901. Amongst the jute mills and foundries of the city known as 'Juteopolis', a crowd of invited guests makes its way to the Dundee Shipbuilders Company, there to witness a historic event. The guest of honour is Lady Markham, wife of Sir Clements Markham, who, amidst tumultuous cheering is about to launch Discovery, and in so doing christen one of the most famous vessels in British history. Discovery was one of the last three-masted wooden ships to be built and was also the first ship to be built in Britain purely for scientific research. Built of oak and elm, 172ft long, with an ice casing of green heart, she had a gross tonnage of 1,570 and her destination was Antarctica. She was based on the lines of a whaler but was specially strengthened to withstand the pack-ice making Discovery probably the strongest ship afloat in her day.
展开▼
