THE POLAR EXPLORERS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1149, 9 June 1911, Page 5

THE POLAR EXPLORERS

LETTER FROM CAPTAIN AMUNDSEN By Telesrapb—Press Association— CopyriEht London, Juno 7. Captain Amundsen, the Polar explorer, in a letter to "The Times," dated February 9, gives his reasons for believing the Bay of Whales, between Mounts Erebus and Terror, to have been produced by the underlying land or rising ground. His idea, he says, was confirmed when he saw tho formations more clearly and sharply defined, and at the southern end distinctly discerned hills and valleys, indicating that underlying land or shoals had here arrested the course of a mighty glacier, and forced it out to either side. Captain Amundsen christened the station established in 1 latitude 78deg. 10m in. south "Framheim." It was intended to establish a main depot in latitude SOdeg., and a smaller one as far south as possible. It was hoped to reach latitude 83deg. with a smaller depot in tho autumn, before the dark season sets in. POLAR ETIQUETTE. Dr. Nansen, tho famous Arctic explorer, in a letter to "The Times" on tho question of Captain Amundsen's appearanco in what is generally regarded as tho British quarter... of,. Antarctica,. said: "As regards the qilbstion whether Amundsen had a right to enter a field of research Which had already been the territory of the exploration of others, I am certain that the President of the Royal Geographical '-"ociety expressed the feeling of the British nation when he said that no explorer obtains any vested right merely by exploration, and that all foreign competition on tho Antarctic continent' should be welcomed wherever it appeared. This is in full accordance with the canon of the scientific world universally recognised in all scientific research. For example, if a prominent chemist—let us say, tho discoverer of radium—was working to solvo the great problem of this wonderful 'metal,' that could not, of course, prevent other chemists from plunging into investigations in tho same subject, and fortunately did not. What' would be the progress of humanity if it were otherwise? "It would likewise be deplorablo if Amundsen's intended drift voyage across tho North Polar Basin from the Behriug Strait should prevent others from trying that same route, should they wish to. Such a simultaneous expedition would, of course, bo welcomed by all as being of tho greatest value; two expeditions give more results than one, and they mutually increase tho valno of their respective observations.

"Our aim is to increase our knowledge, and the object of geographical expeditions such as these is the exploration of the still unknown parts of our globe. If one expe lition penetrates into an unknown region, it, is well; if two penetrate into it, it is still better. To us the individuals, or whoever may como first, are. only of passing interest; the main thing is to obtain ns full and reliable information as possiblo about the unknown regions."