ANTARCTICA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 167, 8 April 1908, Page 7

ANTARCTICA.

DR. BRUCE PLANS A NEW EXPEDITION. TO COST £40,000. THE ANTARCTIC CONTINENT. BY TELEGRAPH—MESS ASSOCIATION—COPY'IUGHT. London, • April 6. Dr. William S. Bruco, of the Scottish f Oceanographical Laboratory, proposes an - Antarctic expedition'to investigate the Wedo dell and Briscoe Seas and islands south of 40 degrees; also to attempt to cross the Ant- - arctic Continent. . Dr: Bruce estimates the cost of one ship - for two years at £40,000. A second ship would be necessary to efficiently explore the - land. THE EXPLORER'S PAST EFFORTS. Dr. William Speirs Bruce, the well-known oceanographer, of Edinburgh, ha 6 taken part in many Polar expeditions. He was loader of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition in 19024, and was the zoologist with the Jack-son-Harmsworth Polar Expedition, 1896-7, and naturalist with the Princo of Monaco's expeditions • to North Polar' Regions in 1898, 1899, and 1902-4. As leader of the Scottish Antarctic Expedition he discovered Coats's Land, 150 miles off the coast line of the Antarctic Continent, and made important surveys of the South Atlantic Ocean and tile Weddell Sea. During his last Arctio expedition, it 1 was reported that Dr. Bruco was lost, but .he turned up'safely, and. expressed indignation at the report. Concerning, this expedition, h'e told an interviewer: "The object was the exploration of Princo Charles Foreland, an island to the west of .Spitsbergen,' to make a topographical survey; and to study its geology and natural history. Although Princo Charles Foreland was the. first part of Spitzbergen to bo discovered, it is the last part where systematic exploration has. been carried out./ The coast is . shown, only in dotted lines on the British : Admiralty and other charts. As . a result of our expedition we have been able to give, a detailed survey of the whole of the'west coast, of the interior with its mountains, and of a considerable portion of' the east coast. Whereas previously we had very meagre knowledge of the geology of the island, the expedition has brought to light many interesting now facts, and' has succeeded in acquiring detailed information of animal and plant life of which .previously nothing was known. ... . Our. zoological collections are good, and include a specially fine set of bird skins. We also have a- few seal skins and the skeleton of a whale. The geological collections represent rocks and fossils, which raako the geology of the Foreland very much more interesting' than we expected. We also liavo an extremely interesting 'botanical collection. Our work' is scarcely finished; and .I hope, to .have; »v further opportunity another season to complete the exploration of the Foreland."