THE NAUTILUS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 July 1931, Page 8

THE NAUTILUS

POLAR ADVENTURE. “At Bergen the Nautilus should be completely equipped and manned.” wrote Sir Wilkins lor an American journal shortly before setting out on the Atlantic journey in his Polar submarine. The vessel is now lying at Plymouth undergoing repairs made necessary by her breakdown in midocean. Sir Hubert continued:—“We shall then proceed north, through picturesque fiords and channels, heading for icecovered seas. North of Norway we will pause to bare our heads, and in silent prayer we shall .honour the memory of that great hero and adventurer, the gallant Roald Amundsen, who, with Lincoln Ellsworth, carried out the first. trans-Arctic journey in an entirely new vehicle. In the Norge they Hew on a course similar to that we will take.

“We shall probably meet scattered ice on our way to Spitsbergen, but little difficulty is expected until we reach Green Hhrbour and attempt to enter fee Fiord and Advent Bay. There is a coal-mine operated by hardy Norwegians, upon whose hospitality we will depend. Near their boats we shall take on the last of our supplies. “Advent Bay is about 100 miles south of the north end of Spitsbergen. We shall probably follow the coast north to the end of that island and then swing towards Greenland. In the Greenland Strait we expect to gather important, data on the inflow and outflow of water between the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. No surface vessel lias been able to make the journey straight across through the ice. We shall have to do it in a series of porpoiselike dives. “The area offshore north-east ot Greenland is not known. We may find new islands in that vicinity. They will not he large and will be of no great importance except that their discovery will bring us that much nearer to the end of the possibilities for discovering new lands on this earth. “From the north-east corner ot Greenland we shall head out for the great adventure*—straight for the North Pole. The ice between the Pole and Greenland is not particularly heavy. Pearv found it crisscrossed with leads. But it will not make nmeli difference to us if it is scattered or solid, lor we will travel beneath it. “From Greenland on, we will not enter any trials of strength with the ice. No force controlled hv man could contend with the frozen masses. We shall treat it with 1 respect by keeping well out of its way, tickling its under side only with our long, "'finlike guide arm and nipping into it only once daily when we need to come to tin* surface for air and to make our scientific observations.’ ‘