THE ANTARCTIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 December 1919, Page 8

THE ANTARCTIC.

THE COPE EXPEDITION. ; By Telegraph.—Press Assn.- Copyright. London, Dec. 26. Cope is advancing his plans for an interesting expedition to discover minerals, precious stones and other wealth in the Antarctic, and to mark out a new field for British and Australian enterprise. Twenty-thousand sterling has been promised and £150,000 is required. Cope expects to start for Wellington in June, 1920. The Terra Nova cost £25,000 and will shortly return from Newfoundland, when another £25,000 will be spent to refit her. The improvements will include a powerful wire less equipment, and oil engines will displace steam. The explorers will rely especially on a big four-seater aeroplane designed to carry a sledge, large supplies of fuel, photographic materials and food, , The Air Ministry will provide the crfew. There will, therefore, be keen competition. The aviators will carry out all the inland surveying which will be supplemented by numerous aerial photographs and sweeping cinema pictures. The aeroplane will be provided with ice skids. Thirty dogs will drag sledges on the shorter surveys. There will be a staff of 54 of whom the shore party will number 17, the majority being scientists and Australians. Cope is confident that the climate will not prove more severe" and the natural difficulties not greater than in Siberia, and Klondvke, and its wealth is probalbly equal.