ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION

Evening Star, Issue 20051, 17 December 1928, Page 5

ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION

THE WILKINS EXPEDITION BAD WEATHER ENCOUNTERED. Press Association—By TeDgnph—Copyright LONDON, December 15. Sir Hubert Wilkins, reporting from Deception Island on December 15, says: “The weather is so bad that the three whale catchers have spent the day in the harbour, and uot unwillingly, because the Norwegians here and their folks at home, and ourselves, respectfully paid a tribute to the memory of Captain Amundsen. A search failed to reveal a suitable snow-covered field for a take-off on skis with a heavy or any load. Records and statements of visitors here in the past ten years indicate that the season is a month earlier than usual. Normally the harbour ice would still be perfect for lauding, either on wheels or skis, but the ice has already disappeared Rain usually does not fall until after the new year, but this year we have had rain and soft snow. While Eileson and I were on board a whale catcher yesterday we vainly searched Snow Island for fifty miles for a take-off field, but the snow had melted on all'the flat surfaces, leaving black patches of volcanic tufa. Sloping surfaces wliere the snow accumulates were soo sloping or too scarred' with deep crevices. We will take the Los Angeles at the earliest possible moment, with the heaviest possible load, and make a trip into Weddell Sea. Hours of sunshine encouraged ns to pour 200 gal of gasoline into tho Los Angeles, which is now riding on floats. Wo also ro-stowed our personal belongings aboard the machine. Before the second hour passed long stratus clouds resembling milky streams streaked from tho west across the sky. Storm clouds, wind, and rain quickly followed. 1, with Crossan as pilot, will, at tho first indication of twelve hours of flying weather, start for Weddell Sea, if the machine will lift the load. There we hope to solve tho important geographical question whether Grahamsland is part of the Antarctic continent.—Australian Press Association.