TO THE ANTARCTIC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 202, 20 May 1908, Page 7

TO THE ANTARCTIC.

' DR. CHARCOT'S SHIP.' , V bt TEi.EQfiirn— ruicsa association—coriKiGUt. . (Rec. May 19, 11.26 p.rn.) r ■ ■ . Paris, May 19. ' Tho Pourquoi, a thrfje-mnstcd ship with auxiliary'.' steam■ 'power, has. been launched at St./Malo: She \yill start in a few months for the South . with Dr. Charcot's Antarctic expedition. ; ... .- : AIMS OF THE EXPEDITION. The :Antarotic exploring, ship which';is to ' convey. Dr.Charcot's. French expedition,' has .been, specially, built at St. .Malo> The, following description of 'her;w'as published'in Home papers in' January She will be 135. feet in leiigtlij. 30 feet in beairi,. barquentino rigged, fitted •• with -.compound engines < of 550 horse power, and will' carry 230, tons ;.of .coal. in addition 'to ■ provisions. The lattor will. amount to about 100 toiis f . which. will'bo sufficient for three .years, or! one year longer than'the expedition, with ordinary luck,' will occupy. Tho crew will consist of twenty-two'men, ten'of whom' were employed in' the last French expedition.' There will bo . a fioientific : staff of three naval officers, two zoologists,, one geologist, 1 and ono expert in magnetic and photographic ; work,' besides tho. leader himself." . The expedition (says tho "Age" correspondent) will dovoto itself primarily, to scientific work. "Of course," Dr. Charcot explains, "we shall tryi'to get as-near'to'the Pole as possible, but if we fait we shall/do everything'possible to■ cover as much us we can of the Antarctic continent, and to bring back with us as much ! information as.we- can- acquire.'" Thero can bo no doubt thattho> best.'route to the Pole 'is by way of .tho Ross- Barrier, ,but .this we regard. as: belonging to'the English' explorers, and I do not propose to trespass on other peoplo's ground.: i ',Much .better 'and miore important work can be dono in a matter of this kind, by friendly co-operation, and I am happy to be ablo to say that I havo received valuable advice and assistance from Captain Scott and Dr. i Bruce in making my preparations. On reaphing'the Antarctic it is my plan to return to our ojd grounds in Graham Land , and endeavour to reach Alexander. Land, where wo hope to find a .barrier similar to Ross's. '. We' should,then endeavour to go as far south as possible;, or to. follow ,as near as practicable ■to King Edward's Land;" V. On the land journeys; uso. will'.;be made of motor sledges, which are being manufactured by tho Marquis'. De Dion, and ivill be pro-, sented by, him to Dr. ■, Charcot;' : Theso are to bo tested on ice st retches. of t.ho Alps before being .shipped. The French Parliament will make two. votes to tho expedition, 'amounting to ,£24,000, and public .subscriptions will bring the total up.to about ,£30,000. The Academy of Sciences lias drawn up the scientific ' programme, and'. a permanent commission connected with tho Ministry of Public Instruction lias reported .very favourably on the 'general scheme of the expedition. Dr. Charcot . has received . assistance also from the Ocoariograpliical Institute of Paris, and from tho 'Marino Department, the latter giving a supply of coal and the use of a valuable collection of .scientific .instruments.