MAWSON'S RETURN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1994, 27 February 1914, Page 7

MAWSON'S RETURN.

AURORA AT ADELAIDE, NEWS NOT AVAILABLE, GOES TO LONDON FIRST. INDtGHAfiON IN AUSTRALIA By Selegrash-Press Astooiation-Cfpiiyrisln (Rett. February, 27, 1.5 a.m.) Adelaide, Febmarv 26, The Lieutenant-Governor (Sir J3. J, Was) received a telegram this morning intimating that the Aurora, convoying D.r, Mawsoii's party, passed Capo Bcrda, South Australia.

A fitting reception will be tendered tire party:'

The Aurora, on arrival later in the day, anchored at Semaphore, News is Mot available to-night, a coiitraet providing that it must bo sent to London twelve hours before being distributed in Australia.

The. vessel's return aroused little enthusiasm, ois'ly a, small erowd watching the arrival. ■ . ,

A number of launches—one bearing representatives of the Tjiuyersity, and another laden wi*h pressmen—went to the syiohorage, and greeted the explorers.

The pressmen had the journey for nothing, l)r< .MawsGii inforriwug tficnj that much, information, which otherwise Would have been interesting, was exclusive, and could.not. be given out. Considerable indignation was expressed that Australia, which provided a, l4rge_ portion of the funds for the expedition: should be robbed of the right ■of publishing the early information of the doings of the explorers, and bo compelled to wait until a London paper had <iSprcis.od its exclusive rights of publication. .

So far ns is known, all tho explorers have returned safe, and nsiieh' valuable data has been so-cured, hut oven on tljoso points nothing really definite was obtainable.

Pi'ob.fbly the.story will bo ,ivailablo to-manw. . «

antarcMc mysteries. Dv, Douglas Mawso-n, who led an Australian expedition to the Aiifare.ttc in 1912 and 'ivi-io .has j-ii-st returned, outlined his piiiiis Sii a' lecture before the Rovat, Geographical Society in April, J-Oti. "An raised tho neeossary funds in Australia and New Zealand.- from -which countries life parly of ahout fiftv scientists was recruited. One of his chief aims was to ■mvesfagato the question of tlio former coniteetion of AnfaMtiea with Australia, South. Africa, and South America. '"Wie geology ef Victoria Land, I ''" he said, ."corresponds with that of Australia and Tasmania, while, in the same wgioiu Andean types m represented further to rue eastward among the. Pacific islands. I a-TH n*f by iiii.v means tiio first to uMer* tain tkis «ka of an ijivc-rtcd Sonth Aiueriea;- ■■'.■;■ ' . '

ilio Anteetic Kontinoirt has pvobfthly ian area of alxytit five nuilio-n square ■ males, the major part ef which is a .plateau of great height, aiinipses Oiiiv of the past iMstory of .Antarctica arc' vet Kiiotfij, \\<! Ituow fhut there wwe periodd when ice was almost unknown, when groat formations <jf wnter4ep©pitc4 IwH aceiimnlated,- assoelated with coaMjenriiK strata:_ th-pse limls bave their exact prnto"- : j types in lasni-ania—in fact, where t-as- } niaina leaves etf South Victoria Land be* a-ius. VW behev)? Hint in net loa? k-oo-I kwealty. tttnate times tho intw-veiiiiv K j-.lf>Bji :«jiiifnlfeil-; AuSfrhliftU ami Sew foaJand tv-pfe ■!? ho «;.o/em«rk«Wo affinity with those of houth Aj'Mfiefl, and South Africa.' : Fu'rjher. Hie fossil evidence is abkeliifflv in ' iflvoui; .of a ■centiftttity-.Jwtwosn South . and Australia. ' . The- cridsjjpe fe condiißive,. ffierefoi-e, in Hie -mi-mlMf scientviifi men. that in the TiJifA M h P m !W >*# Hlew '<*'« a_iialHtß.ljl.o Antarctic <lontiueiit with rat": sttohghmpr tip to ntest with WhM aJo . tow Tasmania, South America, New Zcaland and South Africa. Finally, an ice j ace of alttipt miptrecdented sovcritv overwJirtmed tho residwal Ajrtarttio coii'tinent i«nd ( svvcp.t every hum of life into the I southern ofcenn. "It.,is otir Mif:ention to. land several • nh-vfrie.'s.with. stores and hnts, to winter between Cape Adiire and Gauss Berg. «jid ■ the ship will return to Australia and' New Zealand for tlie water. It, had been cur : intention ol dreppmg a few men at' Cine. Adare for thrf is tlm easiest and- roost , ncccs*iMcjMhluw! ott m Antarctic con*ment. Tlio 1 fftrilities .there ftfWfel of eoal Wd Stows left by BorchsrevinclA expedition wo«ld have further- simplified matters. In. Hie light of reemi-t ■events : -of eouwe this'iw-nst ho eltjninated from our programme. "It is our special desire to aceomplis.h a. fiomtsefe.coast survey between the hvi ■ points montioived, ami complete the uto-r". nntic clwrtinct of the l-csrion. north of the BOHth magnetic pole; The several wisterms Buttons will sjiatdtniißousty dispatch coastal sledging parties wi 'either ■ fmsid. thus divulifie up the taik A sn» «al journey will U mado inland from ■ our roam toe on (he north coast to fiie south ifl.agnetis pole." • .- " Dr. Mart-son's pxpMlition left in jflu f or scientifio researcli at two different haws m the_ Ahtarctic .Continent west of South vu'tflTia Land. A wiretes messaßc n>ceivpd towards the e-ml of February, jflja. annonnced. that two <if fho Tceilor's oom-pamons-LkMit. -WUmis, a British'.officeh and Dr. .Keriss, p. Swiss-had AM of a.c----cideH-t or hardsliln durins n sledr* ex- : {sedition,, and. that he himself hid only I <:omo th-ro-tirii as fey a. miracle. Not 'linv- [ ill? refurwd ivhen the- shis «ame to lake him oft, h.e- had been forced to remain an. other, winter in tjiat )'ulwsftikly)e voMmi with six commwiojis'. Those at the Second base, under Jt-r. WiM, had. b?eii happily l-esetied by Captain Davis after one of the most da-ngerous voyages ever carried' out mnone the A.iita.rctre stoi-ms and ice. The outcome of the whole- esneditioii i's to define for the first time with some precision about 1000 miles of the eoast-line a! Antarctica,' to shed important light on the glanial features, geological structare. aiid occurreii-fie of economic minerals; and to SUPTiIy lie* d.ril'a on the S-tthjecl of tow-ess. trial magnetism through a successful iOii.rnev to the -South Miwiietio Polar area.' Important soithdiflg wet'fe Was done ditri«g the voTa-geS *if the Aurora to and from the Antarotifc.