A Study of the Large--Scale Distribution of Galaxies in the South Galactic Pole Region: I. The Data

We present the data from an extensive, moderately deep (b_J = 19.5) spectroscopic survey of $\sim 600$ galaxies within four regions of sky located near the South Galactic Pole. About 75% of the measured galaxies are in a 3deg x 1.5deg region dominated by the rich cluster Klemola 44 (Abell 4038). The other three smaller areas cover about 1 square degree each. Here we discuss in detail the observing and data reduction strategies, the completeness and errors on the measured redshifts. The data collected are being used for: (1) a study of the large--scale redshift distribution of the galaxies in each field, and (2) a thorough dynamical investigation of Klemola 44. Results from these analyses will be presented in forthcoming papers.