ANTARCTICA

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 27 February 1913, Page 5

ANTARCTICA

CABLE* NEWS

(United Press A*:-' Metric Telegraph—Copyright-)

MESSAGE FROM DR MAWSON

ONLY LIEUT. NINNIS AND DR

MERTZ DIED

(Received February 26, 10 a.m.) MELBOURNE, February 26. Lord Den man, the Governor-Gen-eral, has received a wireless message from Dr Mawson. It came from tlio Commonwealth Bay winter quarters cf the expedition, via Macquarie and Hobart, and reads : "The sledging season was successful in opening up a large area of now land east and west of Commonwealth Bay, and obtaining important data at a number of the stations in close proximity to the magnetic pole. Probably -six of tho staff and myself will be detained here for another year. Unfortunately Lieut. Ninnis and Dr Mortx, bcth lost their lives. All the others are alive and well. Please communicate the following message to King George:As lender 'of the Australasian Antarctic. Expedition, I take the opportunity of the first regular wireless communication between cur main Antarctic base and other portions of Your /Majesty's Dominions, to request permission to name a large area of newly-discov-ered land 'King George V. Land. 1 It lies between Victoria Land and Allelic Land. Our most willing efforts have been concentrated unon it.

PROFESSOR DAVID

AN EXCELLENT WINTER HUT

(Received February 26, 11 a.m.) .SYDNEY." February 20.

7 , rofessor David isays that no apprehension need be felt for Dr Mawson's party while wintering, since t-hev have an excellent hut. Polar expeditions of this kind always land one year's more food than they are likelv to require, in order to provide for contingencies. The word "probably" in the message implies that there i still a good chance of the Aurora being a hie to bring Mawson and party off o7if her return voyage from Mr Wild's base. Any way, the return ot the Aurora to Australia will probably be a little later than -anticipated, as it may be delayed .in attempting to reach land again at Dr Mawson',s winter quarters. Professor David adds: "It has not bean possible to obtain any news °i Wild's party. Mr Wild is a very able leader. He was .Shaekleton's righthand man during the dash for the Role. Wild's party totals eight, Mawson's (including Ninnis arid Mertz.) eighteen. Five .others remained at Macquarie Island.

LIEUT. NINNIS'S FATHER

WELL-KNOWN NATURALIST

(Received Last Night, 9.45 o'clock.) LONDON, February 26.

The father of Lieutenant Nintns, whose death is reported from the Mawson Expedition to the Antarctic, was the naturalist of the South Austral,--'!:. Surveying Expedition of 1564, to" the Nc;'Lliern Territory. He was also a meir.be-.' of the- N-a-re's Arctic E.ipc.iition in 1875. " ' .

FURTHER OPINIONS

(Received..Last' Night, 10.40 o'ebe'r ' MELBOURNE, Febiuary 20. Professor Masson, of the Melbourne University, considers that the information received from Br Mara; is so meagre that oi^e 1 can only gue.-is what happened. Dr Maw-son's words, "Unavoidably detained," he considers, may .mean that Dr Ma wson^ finds wqrb to do and which must be done, or that he and bis companions wero 1 w>L o»i. the -spot when the Aurora called *".o pick them, up,' afcd the vessel had pushed on to get Lieut. Wild's p rrtv. If, .continued "Professor Masson, Dr Maw r son's party missed ' their w. <y,' possibly the Aurora wc-uld ret em fo.' them.

Dr Mertz was a Swiss, and mi ev r pert on the skis. Dr.Mawson depended upon him to teach the othsry te ski.