FROM THE FROZEN SOUTH.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 276, 19 November 1913, Page 5

FROM THE FROZEN SOUTH.

A MESSAGE FROM MAWSON. HEAVY FALLS OF SNOW. (Received 10-20 a.m.) MELBOURNE, this day. After a month's silence a message was received yesterday from Dr. Mawson at Adobe Land. The explorer sent his deepest thanks to Sir Robt. Lucas-Tooth for his gift of f 1,000. which, he said, "comes at the time of the expedition's greatest need." Dr. Mawson explains his month's silence by the fact that the wireless sta tion was much impeded by the Antarctic aurora, a fact quite new to science. Dr. Mawson says that the first of the penguins for the season arrived on Octo ber 17. A large sea leopard, which landed immediately in front of the house in the end of September, was killed. A heavy southerly swell on October 10 indicated that the pack outside the bayhad been broken up. Commonwealth Bay was not frozen over this winter. Unusually heavy snowfalls were experienced in the spring. The party is only now beginning to recover the stores, which were buried by the huge masses of snow: This has caused some inconvenience. Dr. Mawson has been able to send time signals to Melbourne Observatory, which have enabled the longitude to be obtained very exactly. He has also made aurora] observations, and secured valuable information regarding the aurora. All the members of the party are well, but are anxious to return. The Aurora departs from Hobart for Antarctica to-day. She takes a meteorologist and two wireless operators to man the permanent wireless weather station which the Federal Government has undertaken to maintain at the Macquaries, in view of the great value of the daily weather data sent by wireless to Melbourne, It is considered probable that Adelaide will be the Aurora's first port of call on returning from Antarctica. Professor David departs for England on Saturday, with the object of arranging for the publication of the geological memoir of the Shackleton Antarctic expedition.