IN ANTARCTICA

Hokitika Guardian, 30 December 1929, Page 6

IN ANTARCTICA

(By Russell Owen—Copyrighted 1929 by the New York Times Company, and St. Louis Post Despatch. All rights for publication reserved throughout tho world. Wireless to Now 7 \ T ork Times.) GEOLOGISTS FINDS AMUNDSEN’S CACHE. ' United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) BAY OF AVllAl.es, December 27. Amundson ’s cache at Alt. Befjty, at the foot of the Axel Heiberg Glacier, has been found by Doctor Larry Gould the leader of the geological party, in the Queen Aland Mountains. A note that was written by the famous Norwegian explorer and discoverer of the South Pole, was found in a can buried under a rock cairn j where it had been placed eighteen years ago, on liis return from the Pole journey.

The mountains to the east of the Axel Heiiberg have been found to be much different from those to the west. Doctor Gould has reported to Commander Byrd that the mountains of Alarie Byrd Land, east of 150th meridian, are so low that they do not form a massive rock rampart holding the interior polar plateau. Dr. Gould has found that the ice floods down from above, and forces the harrier up into great pressure ridges fifty miles out from [lie range. f)r. Gould’s discoveries suggest that possibly the Barrier covers a vast area east of the hitherto known limits.

He has also found copper and other minerals in the eastern mountains.

The finding of Amundsen’s message is described in the following message, to Commander Byrd by Dr. Gould: — “AA r e camped near Alount Betty, and before leaving for Storm Camp, we decided, as a last hope, to look at a low’ ridge from the main mountain. It was agreed that Alike Thorne and T would ski over, and take a look, and tlius' save bringing our teams. But this time w r o were not disappointed, so we signalled with our flags for Die rest to come, and it did not take them long to get there. Even the dogs felt the excitement that was in the air, and they hurried; for we had found Amundsen’s cache. AA T e stood about) the cairn, and w r e uncovered for a moment of silence in respect for the memory of that remarkable man whose hands had built it, before we even touched a stone; and then as though it were a sacred relic, we removed it. The cairn contained a five gallon tin of gasoline in excellent condition, besides two packages of matches. Then there was a tin can containing Amundsn’s note, and one other bit of paper, with the names and addresses of-Han-sen and AVisting. I . put a new note in the can, telling briefly about the Byrd Expedition and the Geological Party. AVo also took the liberty of tearing open one of-the packages of matches. Then we carefully replaced each rock, and we left the cairn as we found it, and just as Amundsen left it eighteen years ago. Amundsen’s message is in Norwegian. Translated, it is as follows: ‘January 6th, 1912: Arrived and encircled the South Pole on December 14th and 16th, 1911. Have confirmed Victoria Land, so it is most likely that King Edward the Seventh Land has no connection at 86 degrees south latitude with Victoria; also shows this land continues in a colossal mountain range towered south-east. Could see this enormous mountain range'to 8S degrees south latitude, and most likely. from their appearance, they continue further in the same direction over the Atlantic Continent. AVe passed this cache on our return from the South Pole, with provision for sixty days, two sleds and eleven dogs. All well.—Roald Amundsen.’ ”

Tlh> importance of Dr Gould’s discoveries to the eastward was emphasised by Commander Byrd. “I behove,” be said, “that geographers .-have thought of the area east of Amundsen’s trail south to the Queen A hand Mountains as being land forming part of a great continent. From an altitude of three thousand feet on days of good visibility, we scanned the Eastern Barrier, but we saw no land between Little America and 85 degrees south. Our photographer’s views, taken of the so-called Carmen Land, indicated that the mountains ran very little north of 85 degrees. There were some huge pressure ridges that gave the appearance of land, and fooled us at first. In other words, there was no evidence that the Great Ice Barrier does not run hundreds of miles to the eastward. Now Dr. Gould verifies this indication by his travelling on foot well beyond the mountain range, as indicated on the map, and he saw no range running north of 85 degrees 25 minutes. This means that one hundred miles of Carmen Land mountains will have to be taken ofF the maps. The barrier curves around the Charles Nob Mountains south olf easff beyond f-17 degrees west longitude, but it is impossible to see bow far. I wish to state emphatically that this is no reflection on Amundsen’s finding, as a foot traveller would naturally mistake the enormous pressure ridges for snow-capped mountains. The Amundsen message has greatly thrilled us in camp, especially one Norwegian in our expedition, Martin Bonne, who was with Amundsen on the Smith Pole expedition, and who made their wind-proof clothes and other articles, and who also made the North-East passage of the Arctic Ocean with Amundsen. Bonne came running into the library with bis autographed copy of Amundsen’s book of the South Pole journey, which the explorer bad given him. - “See!’’- It tells here!” he said, and began to