ANOTHER ANTARCTIC EXPLORER

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10153, 25 November 1910, Page 7

ANOTHER ANTARCTIC EXPLORER

CAPTAIN AMUNDSEN COMING SOUTH A SECRET MISSION. (]}v Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, November 24. On October 3rd last a brief cablegram from London announced that Captain Roalcl Amundsen, Commander of -the Fram, had written from Madiora stating that the vessel was hound on a secret Antarctic expedition. This was the first mention of any intention on the part of Captain Amundsen to explore in the Antarctic. He had hitherto stated that his object was a scientific examination of the north polar basin, and with this end in view he proposed to spend five years in the Arctic, drifting over the basin as the Fram, with Nansen in command, did in 1893-9 G. Since the receipt of the cablegram mentioned above,nothing further has been heard regarding the proposals of Captain Amundsen, nor the whereabouts of his ship, the Fram. Yesterday afternoon, however, Lieutenant Gran, of the Terra Nova, received a file of Norwegian newspapers in which Captain Amundsen gave his plans for the attack on the Antarctic, as follows: "From Madeira the Fram will go south, but to winch place in the Antarctic 1 cannot say. Some of the members of the expedition will be landed with dogs, sledges, stores, and equipment, and then the Fram will go out from the ice again in order to survey the ocean in those latitudes. The Fram will first call at Punta Arenas in the Strait of Magellan, from which place the first news of the work, and the further plans of the expedition will be announced. After that the Fram will proceed to Buenos Ayres,where she will probably arrive in June, 1911. Hut if the ship should not arrive at Punta Arenas there will be no reason for any anxiety because it will then have found it necessary to keep the ship to winter in the Antarctic. In February or March, 1912, the world may reckon to hear from us again. We will then continue on to San Francisco, where preparations for the North Pole expedition will be carried out as previously arranged." Captain Scott, to-day, made the following statement re the rival expedition:—"Early in October, when in Melbourne, I received a telegram from Captain Amundsen stating that the Fram was going to the Antarctic. The information that is published this morning does not add much that is new, as apparently Captain Amundsen is keeping his plans secret. Judging by the few dates which he quotes, it appears to me that 110 intends going more or less directly south from South America, that is either to east or west of the coast of Graham's Land. There have been rumours that Ke was proceeding to McMurdo Sound, the objective of our own expedition, but I think that that is highly improbable. It is more likely that Captain Amundsen considers the Woddell Sea, east of Graham's Land, the best point of attack. It is known that, the ship can get to a comparatively high latitude in Weddell Sea, but no landing has ever been attempted there, nor has any place been yet found where a ship may winter. However, it is not unlikely that the search may reveal a suitable landing place or wintering station."