THE MYSTERY. OF KING EDWARD LAND.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1891, 28 October 1913, Page 7

THE MYSTERY. OF KING EDWARD LAND.

EXPLORERS TO FIND THE DREAM MOUNTAINS. Preparations are far advanced for a now and important British Antarctic expedition. This lot est exploration party will bo under the- command of Mr. J. jFoster Stackhouso, a nephew of tlie famous physician, tlie late Sir Jonathan Hutchinson. Mr, Stackhouso was intimately associated with Captain Scott, and it was an understood thing that if Scott returned from his last voyage, the instruments ho used and the information lie gathered would be placed at the command of tho new expedition. The objective of Sir. Stackhouso and his colleagues will lie King .Edward the Seventh's Laud and tho unknown area to tho cast of it. King Edward's Land was discovered by Captain Scott in 1002. Tho explorer, however, did not land there, and although the territory beare the' nam© of an Sovereign, 110 Englishman, so far as is 'known, haa ever trodden its soil. Sir Ernest Shackleton attempted to land in tlio county, and even had King Edivarrl the Seventh's Land stamps printed by the Now Zealand Government. But it is 0110 o£ the ouriositios of philately that these stamps have never been iised in tho country whose imprint they carry. Tho Alexandra Mountains, it was picturesquely explained to ii "Daily News" representative, are supposed to bo in King Edward's Land. But they roay.be dream mountains, for all the exact knowledge that wo have of them. 'They havo never been sten," the interviewer was told,/"and their existence is Only ■suspected' In fact, King Edward's Land is/at present little more than a name."/ Mr. Staekhouse hopes that his expedition will discover and map eat at least from 800 to 1000 miles of new coastline, so that what tho venture may lack in spectacular interest it should make up in geographical importance. For tho purpose of the voyage a special boat—the Polaris —has been built in Norway, according to designs approved by Nansen, Charcot, and dc Gerlaeho Captain Scott, tqo, saw the plans, and made suggestions regarding them. Tho desirability of placing a- wireless telegraphy installation on tho vessel is now under discussion. It nmy be recalled that tho Australian explorer, Mawson, who is noin the Antarctic, has such an installation with him. Mr. Stackhouso intends to tafce'withhim a staff of scientists, which may include some of those who accompanied Scott 011 his last journey. According to present arrangements, the exDedition will start from the Thames somewhere about August 15 next year, and enter tho ieo at latitude 70deg. ,S. and longitude 100 dog. W. It will winter in the pack ice, and stay, if necessary, a. second or third winter. This is a somewhat bold course, but it should help to determine the drift of tho great moving region of ice. Tho return journey will bo by way of the Panama Canal. 1