MAWSON DISCUSSES ANTARCTIC PLANS.

Shannon News, 9 July 1929, Page 1

MAWSON DISCUSSES ANTARCTIC PLANS.

VIRTUES OF DISCOVERY.

In August the famous vessel the Discovery will set forth once more to face the southern ice, bent upon a voyage of scientific discovery, writes Sir Douglas Mawson for the New York Times.

The enterprise, which is under my leadership, is especially sponsored by the Australian government, though some help has been promised by the Dominion of New Zealand, and very material assistance> has been afforded by the government 6f the United Kingdom in placing the Discovery at out disposal 'without charge upon- the expedition funds. Such preparations as are going forward in London arc in the hands ot a small committee composed of Admiral Douglas, hydrographer to the Navy; J. D. Borley, representing the •Fisheries Department, Major R. G. Casey, representing the Australian Government, and myself. Ship Well, Suited. No stronger vessel of its class has ever been constructed than the good shin Discovery. She was built ait Dundee in WOO, expressely for the first British National Antarctic Expedition, whose operations extended over the period 1901-1904. Under the conclusion of that expedition the vessel was sold by the committee ,of the Royal Geographical Society controlling , her, to the Hudson's Bay company, in whose employment she remained as a trading vessel communicating with their Arctic stations.

Shortly after the termination of the war the rising importance/o:i the whale fisheries in the province controlled by the government of the Falkland Islands and dependencies determined the institution of extensive research into matters of pure and applied science relating to the whale problem.' For the conduct of these oceanographic and biological researches the Discovery was acquired from the Hudson's Bay company by the Falkland Islands government. The reconditioning proved in the end to be so extensive as almost to constitute the rebuilding of the vessel. Thus, nominally twenty-eight years old, she is*now rcaily a stronger and betterfitted vessel than when first launched.

Discovery is a vessel .of .some 34ft. in breadth and 19Sft. in overall length. Her not registered tonnage is only 360 tons and yet she is one of the largest graft ever built for this class of work.

Tho ship’s officers and crew ■ will amount to about twenty-seven in number.- Beyond these there will not be more than twelve members oil special staff, including the flying pilots. Though so admirably built for buffeting ice and . withstanding ice pressure. Discovery, on account of extensive allocations scientific equipment and quarters for tho personnel, has the advantage of limited bunker space. To make up for this a. special Welsh anthracite briquette will be used. These are each 251 b. in weight, rectangular and clean to handle.