ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14404, 11 July 1912, Page 8

ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.

THE MAWSON EXPEDITION.

AURORA OFF THE COAST.

DUE AT LYTTELTON THIS

AFTERNOON

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) DUNEDIN. July 10

The Mawson Antarctic exploring ship Aurora arrived unexpectedly off tho Heads this forenoon, and one member of the expedition, Mr R. Primmer, was taken off by the pilot launch, and came up to Dunedin. Mr Primmer was a member of the cinematograph staff, and was entrusted with important despatches relating to the expedition. All news, however, is being withheld until it is published in the journals having exclusive right to it, and Mr Primmer would give no information beyond stating that tho Aurora had a very rough trip of twenty-three days from tho Macquarie Islands. All the members of the expedition were in good health. The Aurora left for Lyttelton after landing Mr Primmer, and should reach thero to-morrow afternoon. Mr Eitel, secretary for the Mawson expedition, arrived here on Tuesday by tho Moeraki, and will probably go to Lyttelton to-morrow to meet the Aurora.

Arrangements will be made to berth the Aurora in the inner harbour at Lyi. telton, probably at the Gladstone Pier.

Tho Aurora is a stoutly-built wooden vessel of 580 tons gross and 386 tons net register. She was originally built as a whaler in 1876 by Stephen and Co., of Dundee.* More recently she was one of the fleet of sealing vessels owned by Messrs C. T. Bowring and Co.. and was registered at St. • John's, Newfoundland. Last year she was purchased irom tnat n.jii v.v i,...

Mawson,* and taken to London, where she was fitted out for bis Antarctic expedition.' The Aurora is a smaller vessel than tho Terra Nova, and although she resembles the famous Nimrou, she is larger than tnat vessel. The Aurora is a staunch vessel, but received a very rough handling on her voyage to the Antarctic from Hobart with Dr. Mawson's expedition at the latter end of last year. In April last sho went to Sydney, where she was given a thorough overhaul in Cockatoo Island dry-dock, and she sailed from that port for the South early in May.

• According to the Sydney "Morning Herald ot April 20th last, she was to have "made a _ix weeks' cruise in the Sub-Antarctic, having on board Professor T. E. David, of Sydney, Mr Edgar R. Waite, Curator of the Canterbury Museum, and Mr Haynes, taxidermist, of Christchurch. The comcommander of the Aurora (Captain John King Davis) is well known in Lyttelton and Christchurch. He was chief officer of tho Nimrod during Sir Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition, and acted in that capacity on both voyages of that ship to the Far South. He was appointed master of the Nimrod after the return of tho expedition, and took her to Sydney and thence back to England.

The Aurora, after leaving Sydney in May was to steer S. by W. past the S.E. extremity of Tasmania, and then commence her series of soundings and dredgings in that almost unknown part of the ocean which extends from the south of Tasmania towards Antarctica. Scientifically, such work is likely to prove of intense value. It will go a long way to proving or disproving the welf-fonnded theory that South America, at no very remote period of geologic time, was united by way of Antarctica to Tasmania and Australia. It was considered possible that the Aurora would bo able to get into communication with Dr. Mawson's present headquarters. She carried a dynamo for-wireless telegraphy woV_, on the offchance that the sea would be open enough, as regards ice, for her to penetrate to these winter quarters. The Aurora will probably bring back, amongst other details, some valuable information regarding ocean currents, tho drift of icebergs, and tho locality of the Royal Company Islands—if they exist.

Dr. Mawson's expedition is essentially an Australian venture. It has no designs on the South Pole, its objects being mainly economic and scientific. The main party has for its main object tho exploration of the long coaat-iine of about 2400 miles between Cape Adaro and Gauss Bay, the spot in Kaiser Wilhelm's Land where the Gauss expedition had its first winter quarters. It is hoped that a thorough scientific exploration of this region will lead to the solution of some interesting problems in reference to geological and _>ological history, and result in some valuable contributions to the question of the former Antarctic connections between Australia and South America and South Africa. The work contemplated will link up the Scott and Shackleton discoveries with those of Gauss. All meteorological and other observations are to be synchronised with those of Captain Scott's Terra Nova expedition, and in any case tho expedition should result in a very great and important advance in the-matter of geography. On the economic side tho hope is entertained that the exploration suggested will lead to the discovery of rich metalliferous deposits, and the expedition will certainly bring back much valuable information as to the prospects of payable industries in the matter of seal oil, pelts, etc. To the average man the name "Antarctica" cdnjures up such an immense distance that tho idea of any industrial connection between Australia and the southerTi continent hardly suggests itself. But the main base of Dr. Mawson's expedition is nearer to Hobart than Perth is. and lies duo south of Australia, which is the nearest civilised land to it. The main baso was to be in Adelio Land, almost directly south of Adelaide. From these bases sledge and motor trips will be made inland, and by this means it is hoped to thoroughly explore and survey tho wdiolo region. In ono of tho slodgo trips the magnetic pole will probably be located. A smaller party was landed on the Marquarrie Islands to carry out meteorological observation work.