French I.G.Y. Party Going To Antarctic

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28472, 30 December 1957, Page 9

French I.G.Y. Party Going To Antarctic

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN, December 29. The French Antarctic vessel Norsel, carrying a relief party of 27 scientists and technicians for the Dumont d’Urville I.G.Y. base in Adelle Land, arrived at* Dunedin today. It will leave tomorrow. Major Charles Petitjean, who arrived by air shortly before the vessel berthed, is a French Army helicopter pilot and he will join the expedition here.

News of the two-month voyage from France, the ports of call— Tahiti in particular—and the weather, were all discussed in an excited babble of accents. Mail was quickly sotted, and the excitement of arrival in a new port was forgotten as packets and letters were torn open. It was not the first mail for expedition members and the Norwegian crew. Letters had been waiting at Tahiti, but, as one man said with an expressive wave of the hands: “We were at Papeete only two days—so, all our letters from wives may not have been read.

“Maybe you should not write that down,” he cautioned a reporter. "If it is in your papers, then it will be in French papers. It is all right for me, I am single, but . . .” he gestured again with a broad grin. The expedition to the Dumont d’Urville base is the third French party to travel there. It will probably arrive south about January 8, and those at present at the base will return home by way of Hobart and Fremantle about February 11.

Helicopter and Tractor Led by Messrs Gaston Rouillon and Andre Cornet the party is taking south only about 220 tons of equipment as there is already a good deal at the southern station. Two weasels and a smaller-model for towing a tractor train are included in the Norsel’s deck cargo. Also being taken south is a 260 h.p. Beil helicopter. Piloted by Major Petitjean the helicopter will be used to supply parties tratfelling out from the base. But as it is the only aircraft accompanying the party its operations will be restricted to within 40 miles of Dumont d’Urville. Major Petitjean will probably be in Antarctica for only a month—last year he was there for six weeks, But 23 of the party Will have only one large hut and a number of smaller huts to live in for a full year. Twenty- will be at Dumont station, and another three, under Mr Rene Garcia, will be at Charcot station.

Mr Rouillon is in charge of gravity measurements, at each port of call. Shortly after his arrival in Dunedin he visited Otago University, and before leaving will take another measurement. Mr Cornet is in charge of seismology,

geodesy, and bceonography research. Other scientists will conduct research into biology, meteorology, auroral optical, auoral radio, geomagnetism, glaciology and ionospheric work.

The Norsel has for a number of years been charted to the French Government as a supply and survey ship for Antarctic bases. She was built in Ntft-way in 1945, being ordered to German specifications as an icebreaking tug, and is powered with a German diesel engine. Naturally, the Frenchmen have had difficulty in breaking the language barrier with the 15 Norwegian crew members. Oddly enough, English is accepted as the most satisfactory medium, a language some of the Norwegians understand much better than the scientists.

Only a few of the French can converse in English, yet they set out today cameras slung over their shoulders, to take their last glimpse of civilisation for more than a year.