Explorers Rewarded

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31985, 12 May 1969, Page 13

Explorers Rewarded

(N-Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) ZJAPE BARREN,

May 11.

The British transArctic expedition to Spitsbergen is now making the fastest time of its 3000-mile trek, and is reported to be only 200 miles from land after 64 weeks on the ice, ‘‘The Times” reports.

Last week the team of four men travelled 120 miles—a tremendous distance even

over smooth ice. And yesterday, coming as a reward for their maximum effort, there was an air supply drop by the Canadian armed forces. More food and fuel for the four men and their 35 huskies was dropped and the little extras that are always packed by the men of the Air Dispatch School at Rivers, Manitoba—steak, beer and cigarettes.

Even the huskies had a treat 5001 b of fresh seal and walrus meat was added to the drop to ease the dogs’ boredom and give them some extra incentive to work.

The Canadian’s giant Hercules found the men 70 miles ahead of the target the expedition members had set themselves for the airdrop. The four are now going faster than they had hoped at any time, and the leader of the party (Mr W. W. Herbert) says that they are all in high spirits. They are travelling 10 hours every day and sleeping for only five or six hours, but are benefiting from the favourable drift of the ice which sometimes adds four miles a day to their travelling.

Mr Herbert reported leads of open water all week, but the expedition has managed to find a way round them. One bight, after travelling the record distance of 26 miles in a day, they were stopped by a wide lead. The party camped beside it, waiting for it to freeze, then made a quick dash across the new, thin ice the next day.