TO THE ANTARCTIC.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 777, 29 March 1910, Page 3

TO THE ANTARCTIC.

SHACKLETON'S NEXT EFFORT. COMMENTS BY PROFESSOR DAVID. Sir Ernest Shackleton is plannintr a purely scientific acd geographical Antarctic espedition, to start towards the ■ end of 1511.- It will not compete with the expedition led by Captain Scott. The Shackleton, bases will be at Cape Adare and Adelio Land, and Sir Ernest intends to explore between Cape Adare and Gaussberg. His staff will include some of his old companions. Mr. Douglas Mawson, of Sydney, will be scientific director. Financial support has already been promised. ■ "Well, no," said Professor David, of Sydney, 'contemplatively, as lie sat in his study, studying a copy, of the above cablegram. • "I was not awaro. that Sir Ernest Shackleton was actually getting ready,, but I knew that he would very likely organise another expedition." ' "Can you make any comment on the news in the cablegram?" ho was asked by a representative of the Sydney 1 "Daily Telegraph." "The area of the Antarctic which Shackleton proposes to explore," said the discoverer of tho South Magnetic Pole, "offers great possibilities' from the geographical and general scientific aspect. Gaussberg is part of the Antarctic regions visited by the German expedition of 1901, under the command of Professor Drygalski, the distinguished Arctic explorer. This German expedition penetrated to a part of the 'Antarctic, almost duo south of the Cape of Good Hope. Gaussberg itself' is situated actually. on tho Antarctic Circle, and is just twice as far- from the South Pole as the 1907-1909 Shackleton Expedition were when they started from their winter quarters at Cape ■ Royds; at the foot of Mount Erebus. lut it is clear from the cablegram that the main object of the expedition now contemplated would not be 'Pole-hunting.' Capo Adaro is situated' about 400 miles from Mount Erebus, and is about 1700 miles due south of Invercargill, New Zealand. Very little is known, abotit the land which intervenes between Cape Adare and Gaussberg. This represents .an unknown coastline of about 2000 miles.. In the neighbourhood of Cape Adare are most, interesting series of rocks, which already have been examined,, but only to a.very, limited extent, by, an expedition fitted out by Sir Georgo Newjies,. and sent out .under the command ,of Mr. C. E. Borchgrevihck about 12 years ago. Mr. Borchgrevinck established a wooden hut. on Capo Adare, which will probably bo found to be in a state of good repair. Robertson Bay, just inside Cape Adare, plfers good anchorage. On the return voyage.of the Ninirod in. March, .1909, we coasted down' for about 100 miles north-westerly from. Cape Adare, and could see that the • high and rugged coast, with vast glaciers coming down between table-top mountains, was the ■broken edge of the lofty plateau rising to a height of from 8000 t0.10,000 feet above sea loyel. 'This ; plateau- is formed—-at least where the rocks are visible, as-they are over wide stretches along .the .coast-r-of granite slates and recent flows of black lavas. ■ New land 'was sighted .by- the'Shackleton.expedi'tion, .'extending..for fully 45.mi10s to the west of' .the furthest point, Cape North, to which it had previously been traced. "To the north of. this new land lies a very interesting and, as yet, wholly unexplored group of volcanic islands — at least one of which contains an active volcano—known as the Ballcny Islands. This, no doubt, will bo an object of special investigation by the new,Shackleton .expedition. To tho west, ,and,a little to the south ..of ;the Balleny Islands,, is shown on the chart the muchcontroverted coastlino reported by Commander Wilkes, of the United States Exploring Expedition of 1840. A.little further west is Adelie.Land, discovered originally by .the »famous .French . explorer, Dumont D'Urvillo, ■ and rediscovered a few months afterwards by Commander Wilkes. Dumont D'Urville found that the rock underlying the edge of the'great 'Antarctic ice-sheet in this locality was' formed of granite. Between Adelio Land and Gaussberg ate portions of coastlines' respectively called Clarie Land, Sabrina, and Knox'Land. The positions of these have to be verified, and vast unknown stretches of coastline need to be filled in and added to the map over this large unexplored area which measures ISOO miles in length from east to west; "It seems to me that geologically the most interesting 'area will be in the neighbourhood of Cape Adare, lying between it and Mount Nansen. Our party passed at the foot of' Mount Narisen on our journoy to the south magnetic'pole.' This area seemed very promising for minerals of economic value, and,should prove most interesting scientifically, as there is a continuous sequence there of rocks from the granite and diorites upwards into limestones and from the liuiestonos into the-massive coal measures which stretch from there; with scarcely any interruption, for- fully 1100 miles to within three hundred miles of the South Pole." ~'.,. '

' "It may bo added that the Adelie land-area is due' south of Tasmania, and it is to. be lipped that this contemplated' expedition will by a series of soundings solve the much-disputed question as to whether or not there is. a sunken ridge of land joining Tasmania; to the Antarctic continent in the direction of Adelie Land, or by way of the Balleny Islands'with South Victoria Land. Many forms of fossil ferns and pine trees, discovered on the American side of the Antarctic, are identical with fossils found in tho coal measures of Tasmania, Victoria, and Queensland, and this striking similarity suggests a former land connection between Australasia and tho . Antarctic. ! ' "Though tho cable does not expressly,; state so, it is possible that another visit will be made, to the South Magnetic Pole, with the view of securing additional information on the rate and direction in which the Pole is at present moving. This, of course, is a matter of importance not only to .science, but to navigation. ! "Mr. Douglas Mawson is certainly an ideal man for the position of scientific director of such an expedition, and under his guidance important scientific results may confidently Tie looked for from the undertaking."