THE TERRA NOVA'S CHARTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 11110, 6 May 1911, Page 6

THE TERRA NOVA'S CHARTER.

FOR COASTAL SURVEY. SOME MOKE DISCLOSUEES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Durtcdin, May o. A deputation representing the Otago Institute waited on the. lion. J. A. Millar to-day with a request that the. services of Captain Scott's British Antarctic ship Terra Nova might bo utilised to take a series of soundings oil' the eastern and southern coasts ' of New Zealand.

Dr. Bcnhain said that the deputation had been appointed to. interview the -Minister with the object of indicating what they supposed would be a useful economic work for the ship to undertake. They had como witn the object of asking the Minister to carry out what they considered a most important need at tho present day—that was to have a series of soundings taken olf the eastern and southern coasts of New Zealand for the purpose of ascertaining the extent of what was known as the "continental reef"—that area of sea bottom which sloned gradually from our shores. It was on this slope that fish fed, and it was there that the best fishing grounds were founa. Fish congregated along where there was food, and in other countries food was found to bo abundant at certain depths. If the depth and character of the bottom were ascertained it would be a great help to tho fishing industry by indicating tho most likely fishing grounds. He had read with great satisfaction of the decision of the Government to utiliso tho Terra Xova for a few months from July 1, and the deputation particularly wished tho Minister to provido for tfix? vessel taking soundings off the eastern coast, and, if time permitted, off the southern coast, and possibly round tho Chatham Islands. These soundings would prove of benefit, not only to fishermen, but to mariners approaching tho coast in foggy weather. Mr. Millar said that it was correct that an arrangement had been made for the Terra Nova to tako coastal soundings. He" had understood, however, that the deputation was going to ask him to back up what, the biologist on tho Terra Nova desired, viz., to send the vessel far off tho coast, and go in for_ a series of deep-sea soundings. "When Captain Scott was here," continued the Minister, "ho interviewed me, and asked mo if, during the winter months, when the Terra Nova would bo idle, I could utilise tho vessel in any way, as they were under heavy expense. I asked liim-if she could do survey work, and he replied that . she could. She was fitted, he said, with all tjio apparatus for the work, and they had men ,on board whoso survevs would be taken by tho Admiralty, 'i said: 'If you will offer the ship to us, I will ask Cabinet for a voto of £1200,' which amount would have paid about three months' expenses. When Lieutenant Pennell, R.N., in command of the Terra Nova, came back to New Zealand, ho said that he was not keen on doing survey work, for, though the .terra Nova, was a fine sea boat, she had not the necessary power to crawl off tho land m heavy gaies, and much of her tvorl; would necessitate her coming close in, because of. tho shore and boat parties having to go out. It was a riskwinch ho did not, care, about takiii". When they suggested that they should go out and survey, but as a purely scientific expedition, to find out tho nature of tho bottom and -tho feed which it provided for fish, I said that I could not give him money for that purposethat I wanted something done: in, ■the way of soundings. There are no soundings off tho Three Kings, Solanders, or in the track of shipping between Lyttelton and Wellington. Wo discovered only recently that there was a patch of rocks in that track not previously known to exist there, this being reported to us by some fishermen. I agreed to ask Parliament to voto £1200, and Lieutenant" Pennell has undertaken to go out and give us soundings from the western side of tho Three Kings, going practically in a straight lino from Cape Maria Van Diemen, so that any mariner coming along can, by soundings, ascertain his position in foggy weather in that locality; There have been no soundings taken about the Solanders Traps, or Snares. This is the kind of work on which the Terra Nova will be engaged, and, as far as it is useful to scientific people, we will lie glad to let them know the results, but the vessel will not spend timo on scientific purposes. I want practical work to be done for the Marine Department."