FROM THE ANTARCTIC.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14645, 21 April 1913, Page 8

FROM THE ANTARCTIC.

A MEMBER OF THE MAWSON EXPEDITION. MR. c. n. webb interviewed. Mr E. N. Webb, a son of Mr S. R. Webb, of Lytteltcn, who was a memebr of Dr. Mawson's Antarctic expedition, was in town on Saturday. Speaking to a representative of "The Press/ Mr Webb said that the sledging party, of which lie was a member, included Lieut. Bage, tho leader, and Mr J. Hurley, tho photographer. Mr" Webb was tho magnetician. Their instructions were to make a journey into the interior of Adelio Land, along a truemeridian south or the magnetic south, whichever seemed best. Toe weather during tho year had been exceedingly tempestuous, and at tho beginning ot tho jouriuy it was as bad as it had been during tee year. The journey was a difficult one, the party having to mount steep gradients, and at the same time battle against tierce head winds. Tho party took meteorological, ptiysio"■rnphical, and magnetic observations, and oxplorcdthecountT.. go-raphica.ly. Tho country traversed was worked up into sharp ridges of ice and snow, ranging from six feet to six miles long. It was a most difficult surface over which they had haul sledges, and they had capsizes by the dozen daily. They pursued a southerly and later a south-?aitirly course, following, as near as they were able, tho magnetic meridian with'the object of obtaining a dip gradient towards the magnetic pole area. For steering pu: poses they used a sun dial, the ordinary compass being of little use in Adelie Land. The magnetic observations during the early part of tho journey showed that tho whole area was exceedingly disturbed magnetically, and the average magnetic meridian was exceedingly difficult to follow. These disturbances were due, probably, to some unconformity of tho surface beneath the ice and snow cap. This bears on the previous determination of the magnetic area as observed by the Shackleton Expedition. Tiie party penetrated about 300 miles into tho interior, and the magnetic dip obtained at the List station by a series of mathematically rigid observations gave a dip of 89 degrees 43.3 minutes, or 16.7 minutes from tho vertical. The station was probably some fifty or sixty miles from tho Magnetic Pole. The observations taken will assist in localising tho Magnetic Pole area, and constitute a chain of observations that is almost unique in respect to the region traversed. The station was in latitude 70.36, longitudo 148.14 E., and was reached on December 21st. To return to the base by January 15th meant that tho party had to do the distance at twice the speed allowed on tho outward journey. They picked up a depot which had been laid at 200 miles from the coast, and tho journey was continued on a down grade, and they were assisted by the wind, JJrom this point tho weather was almost continually overcast, and made progress exceedingly difficult. Only two of the mounds erected to protect the tent wero picked up, and very often the party could sco no more than ono hundred yards ahead of them. It was practically one succession of blizzards, though they were not quite so fierce as tho true Antarctic blizzard. Snow fell at times, and tho weather was so overcast that the sky-line could not bo seen nor the snow beneath them. All around was what might bo termed "a white blank.' . The neighbourhood of a depot laid G8 miles from the base was reached on January 3rd, and from that date till the base was reached seven days later, the weather was almost continually overcast. Attempts to locate the depot wero unsuccessful, though several days were spent in an endeavour to determine its position, and it was decided to hurry to the coast. Tho party was on one-third rations for several days, and with one day's rations in liand a dash was made for the coast on the morning of January Bth. They travelled for two days in very dirty weather, a blizzard blowing more than half the time. A sight of the sea was obtained at the end of tho second day, and the following day a depot five miles from the base vr'as reached, and the hut was reached the following day. "It was tho nearest thing," Mr Webb ndded, "to an out and out disaster similar to Captain Scott's. It was very largely by pure luck that we got in."

Asked why the Aurora had returned without Dr. Mawson, Mr Webb said that tho position was that four main sledging parties were sent out at the beginnino; of November List year, with strict orders to return to the expedition's base not later than January 15th of this year. When the majority returned about that date, Dr. Mawson's party was missing. Tho ship arrived on the- 13th, and waited till Fobruary Ist, and during that ponod sledging parties were sent out for any traces of the missing party. Finally, it was decided that it would be necessary to arrange for a party to remain in tho Antarctio to search for Dr. Mawson's party, whilst the other members of the expedition returned to civilisation in the ship. On January 29th the «hip went eastward/along the coast to look for signs of Dr. Mawson, and returned on tho 31st, the search having proved fruitless. A blizzard was theu raging, and continued with hurricane forco during tbe next eight days, and the ship had to beat up and down the bay during tho whole time. She was, for the most part, lost to the view of those on shore, in a perfect mass of driving sea spray: She was by no means out of danger, and it is a wonder that she came through it safe and sound, as Captain Davis expected, time after time, that she would havo the sticks blown out of hor. On tho eighth day ten men embarked, and a party of six were left to prosecute the search for Dr. Mawson's party, when weather conditions would permit. Tho ship made all haste towards Wild's base, to take up his party, which was I in a somewhat precarious position. On tho evening of tho ship's departure ! from the main base the first wireless j messago was received, to the effect 1 that Dr. Mawson had arrived unexpectedly at tho hut, having lost his two companions, and ordering the ship to return at once. LIEUT. NDsN'IS AND DR. MERTZ. Mr Webb, said that the details of the loss of Lieut. Xinnis and Dr. Mcrtz wero not fully known to thos& on board ship; a fuller account had been sent by wireless by Dr. Mawson. Tho party, which consisted of Dr. I Mawson, Lieut. Ninnis and Dr Mertz, I started oft with two dog teams and two filedges. Tho object was to make a long journey to tho east, in order to j connect up with the farthest westreached by the Terra Nova on her return from the Antarctic, about fifteen months Tho facts were that Lieut. Ninnis, with one team of dogs and a sledge with food, fell down an unfathomable crevasse. Dr. Mawson and Dr. Mertz wero left with one team of dogs and whatever food remained on their sledge. With these resources they made for tho expedition's base, and when within 300 miles of the base, on January 17th, Dr. Mertz died from malnutrition. Dr. Mawson then pursued the remainder of the journey, accomplishing it under fearful blizzard conditions, which lasted for nearly a month. SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. Regarding the. scientific results of tho expedition, Mr Webb said that they would bo very extensive. Continuous observations were taken with

tho magnetograph of magnetic elements, and tiie work is being continued by Lieutenant Bage at the winter quarters The biological results would not be as extensive as they would have been if the members of ihe expedition had had sea ico ti> dredge on, bur they would bo >'oiy complete so far as the shallow water off the coast was concerned. Good dredgings wero obtained in all tho shallow water, but n<t rk-ep-.wa work was done. It is hoped that during the coming .season, when the Aurora goes South again, to carry on deep-sea dredging work. The biologist will accompany the ship, but Mr Webb does not intend returning with her.

Meteorological observations were carried out continuously and faithfully throughout the year, nnd marvellous rewords of wind velocity were obtained, as well as abnormal barometrical pressuro changes. At present the magnetic field results obtained by Mr Webb have been prepared for working up. and will Ije sent almost at once to the Careegio Institute, which lias undertaken to work them up. The observatory re--s,ults are awaiting to be taken over to ho worked up. probably by Lord Chree, of tho TCpw Obsprvaterv.

Mr Webb said, in concluding, that ho was breaking nwav from magnetic work. ard_ to find something 10 do in civil engineering, in which he was trained at Canterbury College.