CHRISTMAS IN THE ICE.

Evening Star, Issue 20058, 26 December 1928, Page 6

CHRISTMAS IN THE ICE.

Ix his ship the City of New York Commander Richard Byrd and his party are spending Christmas amid a white field of snow-covered ice. Slowly the little craft is pushing her way to her main base at the Bay of Whales. So far all has gone well, in past days the polar expeditions disappeared into the silence. Tlicu began a period of waiting. One, two, or three years would pass. Sometimes a party would return safe and sound with a measure of suepess achieved, in other cases the despatch of relief expeditions had to be undertaken, and almost invariably these came back with tales of suffering and disaster. Now there is no silence. Thanks to the discoveries of science, Commander Byrd and that other intrepid explorer Sir Hubeit Wilkins hnye adventured to the snowy wastes provided with quick means of communicating with the world they left behind. The messages that have come by radio from the City of New York arc interesting and entertaining, but so far they have told us nothing that is not already known. The incidents attendant on pushing through the pack ice have a familiar ring, and as good fortune has attended the expedition so far life on board the ship has proceeded without disturbance, hi the cramped and close quarters and the general discomfort inevitable' from such' a voyage the importance of keeping the ship’s company in good spirits is of the first importance, and so far, judging from the accounts supplied, life lias gone merrily on board the City of New York. Sir Hubert Wilkins, friend and rival of Commander Byrd, lias already done some really serious work, and has made an important discovery. He once more demonstrated the value of the airplane in polar exploration, for in loss than half a day he observed an area that would have taken a dog team months to traverse. His (light has thrilled geographers and other scientific men. One noted foreign explorer said: -I 1 will not be surprised if Sir Hilbert Wilkins is able to claim the honour of being the first to correct the vague charts of the Antarctic Sea. He may even go further and be the first to fly over the South Pole.” And a noted geologist commented; ”He has been able to do something that we have all wanted to sec done ever since the Amundsen, Sliackleton and Scott expeditions.” Both Byrd and Wilkins have stated that their chief aim is to make contributions to science, and that the flight over the Pole in their eyes is of secondary importance. To help meteorologists is one of the main objects of the expeditious, and another is the more accurate mapping ol these vast trackless wastes. Neither leader would be human did he not cherish the desire to be the first to fly ovpr the South Pole, but the interests of science, it may be assumed, will not be subordinated to this ambition. It is often said that there is now' very little left in the world for explorers to do, but if there are no new lands to discover there is much detail work to be accomplished in the polar areas, in South America, and in Africa and Asia. Even in the sixteenth century the same thought persisted. Before setting out on the search for the North-west Passage to Cathay in 1576 Sir Martin Frobisher used the words: ‘‘Knowing this to be the ouely thing of the worlde that was left yet undone whereby a notable mind mighte be made famous and fortunate.” In those spacious days of Queen Elizabeth the fearless and hardy sea adventurers did many notable deeds. The tradition of those times has been maintained. In later days Franklin, Cook, Scott, Sliackleton, Amundsen, Nansen, Mawson, and a host of others have had triumphs and disasters. The mantle has fallen on no unworthy shoulders in those of Byrd and Wilkins, and everyone will wish them good fortune in the hazardous work that lies ahead