THE ANTARCTIC.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20488, 5 March 1932, Page 4

THE ANTARCTIC.

A NEW EXPEDITION. MR H. G. WATKINS'S PLANS. (IBOM OUB OWU COBBESFONDENT.) LONDON, January 21. Mr H. G. Watkins, the explorer who led the British Air Eoute expedition of 1930-31 to Greenland, is contemplating another expedition to the Antarctic this year. | In an interview with the "Daily Telerepresentative, Mr W atkins said:—' "I hope to discover liow far the Victoria Land mountains, which bound the Ross Barrier, extend across the continent—to establish whether or not the Ross Sea connects with the Weddell Sea, thus dividing the Antarctic land mas 3 into two large continents. "The Antarctic Continent consists of a mass of land, roughly circular in shape, with the pole at the centre of the circle. On opposite sides of the Continent are two large inlets —the Ross Sea and the Weddell Sea. "Scott, Shackleton, and Amundsen chose the Ross Sea as the base for their attacks on the South Pole. After this had been reached Shackleton conceived the idea of going into the Weddell Sea and crossing the Continent to the Ross Sea. He sent one ship to the Ross Sea to lay out depots, which would be used by the trans-Continental party on the last part of their journey across. Shackleton himself went with his ship to the Weddell Sea. Unfortunately, his ship was crushed in the ice and ho was unable to land on the Continent. Trans-Continental Trek. "A .German expedition untfor Filclmer attempted ,to establish a base on the Barrier ice at the head of the Weddell Sea, but this time the ice broke off and carried a largo pas of their equipment out to sea. They were forced to leave in their ship with their mission unfulfilled.

"The forthcoming British Antarctic oxpedition will attempt to force a way to the head of tho Weddcll Sea by the end of January, 1933. Hero tho transcontinental party will be landed, and after establishing the base the ship will move off to do the mapping of the southwest coast of tho Weddell Sea. "It will then return north until the following summor, when it will proceed to the Boss Sea to re-embarlc the transContinental party, who, by then, should have crossed to this point. If tho ice is too thick to allow tho ship to do the coastal mapping tho journey will be done by sledge parties in tho early spring." The party that is to be left at the head of the Weddell Sea with i(lr Watkins in command, will consist of eight men (surveyors, a geologist, and a physicist).

Motor and Dog Sledges. "After tho base has been established," Mr Watkins added, "reconnaissance flights will bo made along tho proposed route of tho trans-Continental journey, and with motor sledges depots will be set np to a distance of 300 or 400 miles. The party- will then go into winter quarters until tho following October, when the .•journey will begin. ; "The trans-Continental journey will not bo m-ado along tho route via tho Pole, as this would mean that the last half of the distance would follow ;she known route already covered by Scott, Shacklcton, Amundsen, and Byrd. Instead, tho party will start south-south-west from the head of the Weddcll Sep, aiming to reach Amundsen's base on tho Boss. Sea. By this means 1400 miles out of a total of 1500 will be over entirely new ground." Mapping, geological, magnetic, and meteorological work will be carried out over the entire journey. Tho 7nain portion of tho journey will not be made by air, as this would be too rapid to permit of useful scientific observations. •Eigjit teams, of fifteen dogs each, will be used for tho transport of stores. It is estimated by Mr Watkins that with these dog teams it should bo possible to traverso tho 1500 miles acrosß the Continent in about four months—that is unless mountain ranges aro found in the interior. The existence of such ranges would bo disappointing, for the party in that, case would be greatly delayed, and might even be forced to turn back.