SOUTHWARD HO.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7984, 13 March 1906, Page 3

SOUTHWARD HO.

Fresh Antarctic expeditions are beipg talked of, and at least three are already in £he air. Lieutenant Barne, who waß a member of the Discovery expedition, is desirous of exploring south of VVeddell Se% opposite the point reached by Captain Soott, in order to ascertain the character of the country,, and to decide definitely whether Graham Land, which' Briscoe found is an island of part of a continent. His expedition however, if it materialises, would be on a much smaller scale than the one which Captain Scott led. THE DISCOVERY EXPEDITION cost about £90,000, the party being a large one, and elaborately equipped, but Lieutenant Barne proposes to travel with a party of fifteen only and to make his expenditure the modest sum of £12,000 or £15,000. An interesting feature of his equipment would be a motor for sledge hauling. Captain Scott believes that an automobile especially constructed under his direction might be used to < TRAVERSE THE GREAT ICE BARRIER, over which it will be remembered the Discovery's captaia travelled several hundreds of miles on foot. Lieutenant Skelton, who was also on the Discovery's staff, is also lavourably disposed towards the automobile suggestion, but neither he nor Captain Scott is at all confident that it can fce-oarried out successfully. As Admiral Sir Clements Markham puts it in the "Standard," there never yet has been discovered an oil which in intense cold will not become a solid" "It is," he adds, "the need for effectual lubrication that is the difficulty, and there will have to be a great deal of experimenting before automobiles are taken out. The ice barrier is wavy, but tolerably smooth, so that if the lubricating AND OTHER DIFFICULTIES COULD be overcome, a motor could tow a train of sledges on the top of the barrier. But it would have to be an automobile of special construction. An ordinary one would be knocked to pieces very soon." The idea of using automobiles in Antarctic exploration oame originally, it seems, from Mr Louis Bernabohi, who was also a member of the Discovery expedition. Apparently, the exploits of the Discovery have whetted the appetite of tho explorers, for fuither adventures.