RESEARCH SHIP

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 275, 16 August 1932, Page 8

RESEARCH SHIP

Discovery II Arrives To-morrow SCIENTIFIC CRUISE After six weeks In Auckland, where She has been extensively overhauled and refitted, the Royal research ship Discovery II is expected to arrive at Wellington to-morrow morning, me vessel will coal here, and at the beginning of September she will make another visit to the edge of the Antarctic ice in the course of a prolonged Investigation Into the life history of the whale. Discovery II is commanded by Commander W. M. Carey, R.N., retired, and the scientist in charge is Mr. Diwyn John. One of the members of Mr. John’s staff is Mr. J. W. Marr, who when a boy scout was chosen by the late Sir Ernest Shackleton for his last voyage in the Quest. It Is eleven months since Discovery II began her present voyage. She Is commissioned to make a complete circuit of the South Polar regions, and to carry out investigations on the fringe of the ice-packs, making there a very thorough survey of the waters and their currents, and thus gaining information as to the nature and the distribution of the whale’s food. The work is done by night so as to leave as much daylight as possible for steaming purposes. Samples of the water are taken from the surface to varying depths with the object of noting the temperature and salt content. Work in Antarctic. Discovery II left England in October last, and during the summer worked the Falkland sector of the Antarctic, repeating and extending observations made there during the last eight years. In the course of this cruise the ship went as far south as 70 degrees before encountering Ice. After calling at Cape Town for fuel, stores and repairs, the vessel commenced her circum-Polar cruise just four months ago. On her first “leg” she went as far south as 65 degrees, to within 70 miles of Enderby Land. From there she came north again and called at Fremantle for fuel and oil. On her second cruise to the edge of the Ice fringe she reached the vicinity of Adelle Land before turning north again. Provisions and fuel were taken on board at Melbourne and the ship sailed from that port to Auckland, arriving there on July 4. After steaming from Melbourne in a south-easterly direction for ten days, the Discovery II met with newly-formed pancake ice in 61 degrees. Two days were spent in Intensive biological and hydrological observations along the ice edge, relating chiefly to whale food. . Discovery’s Equipment. In appearance the research ship does not look greatly different from any other vessel, but she is splendidly equipped for her job. There are two laboratories, each of which is lined with countless bottles and reference books. Immediately below the crow’s nest on her foremast is a powerful searchlight, although this has been used but little during the present voyage. Her wireless keeps her in daily touch with England. “ There are three machines for raising and lowering the nets and bottles by the aid of which biological and hydrdlogical observations from surface to bottom are made each day. In the after-well dpek there is a 40 h.p. winch tor the handling of heavy towing nets, and a Samson post and derrick near the stern are used for the same work. In the chart room is the echosounding apparatus, which is similar to that on the Government lighthouse ship Matai- When falling snow makes visibility difficult, the centrifugal windscreens in the wheelhouse are set running. These consist of discs of glass which can be made to revolve by switching on an electric motor. Friction wheel counters at the stern tell those on board exactly how much wire has been let out when the ship is working with her towing-nets. Other Research Vessels. Discovery II was specially built for research work. The vessel, which was built in 1929, is not the first ship to Investigate the habits of the whale, for the Discovery Committee lias been making observations? for nearly eight years, but she is undoubtedly the bestequipped research ship afloat. The first vessel to be used for the work was the late Captain Scott's famous ship of the same name, which was refitted as a research vessel. In 1926 the William Seoresby was built, and i-ecently completed her third commission in Antarctic waters. The Discovery 11, an oil-burning steamer, was specially designed to replace the Discovery I, which was lent to the British 2\.ustralian New Zealand Antarctic Expedition under Sir Douglas Mawson. Work Among Wliales.

In an interview at Auckland, Mr. John said that an enormous amount of data which' had -been acquired during the voyage had 'been only partly investigated, and it was not yet possible to make any definite deductions, though he admitted that modern methods of fishing tended toward the extinction of the whale. At South Georgia there was a scientific depot where the whale population was being studied. It had been established that whales commenced breeding at the age of two and continued every second year. Whales did not have an enormous longevity, and probably lived for about 30 years. They were definitely past their prime after 20. As far as the control of whaling was concerned, the seasons in themselves provided a certain amount, while close seasons had been prescribed in the area about the Falklands. At present the European market was flooded with whale products, and that was the reason why the Norwegian expeditions, which in recent years visited New Zealand en route to the Ross Sea. had not come down this season. Mr. John added. There had been something like a “gold rush” In the whaling industry during the past five years.