THROUGH THE ICE PACK.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 976, 17 November 1910, Page 4

THROUGH THE ICE PACK.

- SCIENCE'S FLEETING . OPPOR- ' TUNITY. Dr. E. A. Wilson, a member of Captain Sqott's South Polar Expedition, has been in.Wellington for the past two or three' days on business connected with the workof liis particular. department. The doctor is, as he himself confessed to a Dominion representative who interviewed him, a "Jack.of all trades, and master of none." Officially, he is Captain Scott's chief of staff in tho scientific department of the expedition, the link between tho commander and tho scientists. Dr. Wilson is making his second trip to tho Southern ice, and is there : fore ail important asset to the expedition. "The great thinx to have on an expedition like this," ho remarked, "is a knowledge that you may only get one chance 1 at whatever you are after. For example, tho members, of our party whose mission it is to securo data and specimens of the South Polar vertebrates, will have their opportunity when we are going through tho, pack ice, and at no other time, for these vertebrates are not found, further south, and when the Terra Nova returns north the pack ice will have gone —the season will be too late for additional prizes. On our previous expedition we wont through the pack in a week, and this meant day and night, work for the scientists. Well, when you get down to theso latitudes bed is very inviting after you have had about 28 hours of continuous work; yot one is compelled to keep up, if possible, for it is the only opportunity of securing what you are after. This time wo are making an earlier start, and will therefore be longer in getting through the' pack, which will bo more extensive than later in the season. Our big problem, so far as scieuco is concerned, is to do the best we can for the scientists without encroaching upon the ultimate aim of, the commander."