TREASURE SEEKERS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 946, 13 October 1910, Page 6

TREASURE SEEKERS.

THE POLAR ROCKS. ME. A. THOMSON INTEEYIEWED. ■ Mr. Allan Thomson, the young Now Zealander .and former Rhodes sclolaT, who goes with Captain Scott's polar expedition as one of the'staff of geologists, arrived here yesterday from Sydney. He gave a Dojiimon reporter an interesting outline of ; that part of the expedition's plans with which ho is most intimately , concerned. '• • ■ ' ■ .' ' .. The principal object of the geological section is to ascertain the ago of the rocks in Antarctica. This has been impossible hitherto, becauee no fossils have, been found. Fossils,, therefore, are the hidden treasures which Mr, Thomson and his colleagues are. going to seek.. They want to .find but at 'what periods Antarctica was dry land, and when it was covered by,the sea. Their investigations may throw valuable light: upon'.'■ the supposed ■ farhack : land connection of: Australia,. New Zealand, South America, : aad Antarctica.;

-■Mr. , Thomson ■ thinks; there is every possibility of gold being-found by the expedition. : Much of the country ,is very similar to West Australia.and South Australia'. , Should .".it .be , rich in gold, it wonld pay; to work, as the difßculties of transit 'would, not. be. insuperable, I ;and. the condition's of living are not naturally anymore severe.-than ,in Alaska. There would be less loss of /life than, there has been:in connection, with the AJaskan goldfields, because, the . country is accessible only .by "sea,, and no ship -bound ..thither could clear "aj port. ■ without being provisioned. There could,' , therefore, be,.nothing like the' terrible jonrney through the';passes to .'Alaska,,.which iras fatal to so many gold-seekei's. .... ; '.-., ..: .','•. After reaching .Antarctica,, th« expeditiori.will be divided.-;into', two -parties. The larger. one, 1 headed; by. Captain Scott, -will go .to Ross Island, and' the smaller. ohe, : consisting of.- six members, , under Lieut.Campbell, ; will make -for King EdwaTd VII-Land.-' Mi. Thomson and Mr. Griffith, Taylor ',:■ the' Australian geologist,'.- will', ac-, company.the Ross,lsldnd party,' and another geologist, not yet- appointed, will accompany Lieut.' Campbell... Whentain: Scott, leaves Ross'lsland ,on his- attempt to .reach' the Pole, , ;he:will;Jiave to. climb.a mountain'range ,10,000" feet high,, and- he -will', probably leave 76ne of; the geologists ivith a small, party iin a : valley among : the; mountains. : ' '■; Mr. Thomson, however,' thinks it probable that his own l place will be'with quite antfther party: which, -.instead of. leaving -.Ross' .Island .with Captain:.Scott,: will go;.north from, that point, along the -.'coast' of ..Victoria Land, by . pretty much: the same -route . as: that. taken * by- Professor" David,'when he;reached Professor' David;: on ;, that occasion', was -'pressed' for : time,; and ;: was . therefore,! unable, to \dp much in the. way. of feeblogipal,observation's. [ That omission Mr. .Thoinson hopes to make g00d,.-and .he has for the last five months: been-working under Professor. David -in-Sydney. , : Mr.' Thomson expects, to explore .the .bjg. niountain Tange;pn; the coast of iVictoriij. "Land, . comprising', the pe^aksi , 'of-. Mount .Jlelbourne.'and ■'Mount Nansep, each about 8000 feetihigh. ',- ;; ■ The' Terra ■■■■Nova is--to: leave Lytteltbn the. middle/of nest'monthi•,:.•■■.■'.' \ -;■