FOR THE ANTARCTIC

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 244, 21 February 1911, Page 7

FOR THE ANTARCTIC

NEW EXPEDITION PROPOSED. DR MACKAY AS LEADER. | London, January oth. Dr Alister Forbcs-Maekay, a member of Sir Ernest Sliackleton's expedition, 1008-9, has submitted proposals to the Royal Geographical Society for a new Antarctic expedition. Dr Mackay joined the expedition as a medical man, who had served through the South African War-as a volunteer, and had afterwards had experience as a naval surgeon. Sir Ernest selected him to form one of the landing party, and he took part both in the ascent of Mount Erebus and in the journey to the South Magnetic Pole. Dr Mackay does not aim at reaching the South Pole, but he wishes to explore the shores of the Antarctic Continent to the South of the Pacific Ocean. The coastline is supposed to run from Graham Land south of Cape Horn, westward to King Edward VII. Land, at the eastern end of Ross's Great Ice Barrier. The distance is estimated at about two thousand miles, and over practically the whole of that distance the shores of the Antarctic Continent have not even been sighted. Ships are prevented from get-, ting near by vast fields of ice, and Dr Mackay believes that the only way of exploring the coastline—a work which is much needed to confirm and fix ideas about the geography of the Antarctic regions—is to land a party from a ship as some accessible point in Graham Land, and let the party work its way j round the ice which fringes the coast.

DETAILS OF THE SCHEME. Dr Mackay has considered the scheme carefully, and his proposals are as follow: The party should consist of six men, with three sledges, and twentyfour dogs carrying a minimum of stores and provisions. They would rely on the Weddell Sea for most of their food, ana all their fuel. These seals are found in swarms all round the Antarctic coasts for the greater part of the year, and 'sometimes even in the depth of winter. Their flesh, liver, and blood form excellent, palatable food, and the blubber can be used for cooking purposes, so that no cooking oil need be taken. It would be sufficient to carry enough biscuits, tea, and sugar to allow a daily ration of one pound per man. No fooa need be taken for the dogs, since these could be fed on the seal meat not required for the explorers own use. Even at an average rate of progress of ten miles a day it would take 200 days to complete the distance from Graham Land to King Edward VII. Land, and as the party would have to lie up for the winter a full year must be allowed for the journey. ~ , Dr Mackay's calculations only allow for a light tent of thirty pounds weight, which would probably be worn out before the end of the year, so the explorers would have to make themselves adepts in the construction of snow huts. If they were landed on Graham Land in December they would try to explore from fiOO to 700 miles of new coast before going into winter quarters, which need not be before the end of March. Camp would be broken again at latest by the middle of September, and King Edward VII. Land ought to be reached by the end of December. Past experience goes to show that it is doubtful whether a ship could get near enough to the land to take off the explorers, so a rendezvous would be fixed on the edge of Ross's Ice Barrier. If for any reason the ship should fail to put in an appearance the journey would be continued across the barrier to Sir Ernest Sliackleton's old winter quarters, where shelter could be found. Dr. Mackay estimates the cost of such an expedition at £20,000, and he thinks that it might be carried out in connection with the Antarctic expedition projected by Dr W. S. Bruce. The chief difficulty which he anticipates is from open water. If a range of coastal mountains should be encountered with steep cliff faces and no ice at the foot of them it would be necessary to ascend some glacier to. the Contiental plateau behind the mountains, and then journey over the plateau until a place should be readied where a descent could be made again to the seaside. Sir Clements Markham is heartily in favor of the idea of directing attention to the exploration of the Continental coastline. He, considers that the proposed scheme is risky, but that the difficulties are not insurmountable. THE GERMAN EXPEDITION. It is announced from Berlin that the German Antarctic expedition, under the command of the Bavarian explorer, Lieutenant Filchner, will leave Germany early this year for Buenos Aires, and will proceed hence at the beginning ot October, via South Georgia and the Sandwich Island to the Weddell sea. The route has been chosen so as to allow of oceanographical research on the way. On arrival in the Weddell sea it is proposed to establish a base station on the eastern coast as far south as possible, with the necessary equipment for a year's research. A party of ten men will be landed, of. whom six—a geologist, a meteoroligist, an astronomer, n. doctor who is also s\. biologist, a cook, and a sailor—will stay in the station while the remaining four will undertake a long sledge expedition into the interior of the Smith Polar Continent. Meanwhile the ship will return to the Atlantic ocean to carry out coastal observations and oeeanographic work. The main geographical objects of the expedition are to determine the distribution of land mid water, to establish the '•oastlinc of the Antarctic continent, and to study the conformation and direction of the ice. On the oceanographical side it is proposed to make systematic observations of the temperatures, the saltness, and the oxygenation of the deep leves along certain lines in the Sargossa sen, and the Brazilian current also in the high latitudes.