FOR THE ANTARCTIC.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 40, 17 February 1911, Page 3

FOR THE ANTARCTIC.

NEW EXPEDITION PROPOSED. DR. MAOKAY AS LEADER. fFEOIt OUB OWN CORBESFONDENT.] LONDON, 6th January. Dr. Alister Forbes-Mackay, a member of Sir Ernest ShacldeLon's expedition, 1908-9/ has submitted proposals to the Royal Geographical Society fur a new Antarctic expedition. Dr. Mackay joined the expedition as a medical man, who had served through thcSoutli African War as a volunteer, and had afterwards had experience as a naval surgeon. Sir Ernest selected him to form ono of the landing-party, and he took part both in the ascent of Mount Erebus and in the journey to the South Magnetic Pole. Dr. Mackay does not aim at reaching the South Pole, but he wishes to explore the shores of the Antarctic Continent to the south of the Pacific Ocean. The coastline is supposed to run from Graham Land south of Cape Horn, westward to King Edward VII. Land, at the eastern end of Boss's Great Ice Barrier. The distance is estimated at about two thousand miles, and over practically the whole of that distance the shores of the Antarctic Continent have not even been sighted. Ship 3 are prevented from getting near by vast fields of ice, and Dr. Macka-y believes that the only way of exploring the coastline — a work which is much needed in order to confirm and fix ideas about the geography of the Antarctic regions — is to land a party from a ship at some accessible point in Graham Land, and let this party work its way round the ice which fringes the coast. DETAILS OF THE SCHEME. Dr. Mackay has considered the-echeme carefully, and his proposals are as follow : The party should consist of six men, with three sledges, andtweutyfour dogs, canning a minimum of stores and provisions. They would rely on the Weddell Sea for most of their food, and all tbeir fuel. These seals are found in swarm 3 all round tho Antarctic coasts Tor the greater part of the year, and sometimes even in the depth of winter. Their flesh, liver, and blood form excellent, palatable food, and the blubber can be used for cook •ing purposes, so that no cooking oil need be taken. It would be sufficient to carry enough biscuits, tea, and sugar to allow a daily ration of one pound per man. No food need be taken for the dogs, since these could be fed on the seal meat not required for the explorers' own use. Even at an average rate of progress of ten miles a day it would take 200 days to complete the distance from Graham Land to KinoEdward VII. Land, and a& the party would have to lie up for the winter a full year must bo allowed for the journey. Dr. Mackay's calculations only allow for a. light tent of thirty pounds weight which would probably be worn out before the end of the year, so the explorers would have to make themselves adepts in the construction of snow hnts If they were landed on Graham Land m December they would try to explore from 600 to 700 miles of new coast before going into winter quarters, which need not be before tho end of March. Camp would be broken again at latest by the middle of September and King Edward VII. Land ought to be reached by the «nd of Decemb%\ Past experience goes to show that it is doubtful -whether a ship could get near enough to the land to take off the explorers, so a rendezvous would be fixed on the edge of Rose's Ice Barrier. If for any reason the ship should fail- to put in an appearance the journey would be continued across the barrier to Sir Ernest Shacldeton'e old winter quarters, where shelter could be found. Dr. Mackay estimates tho cost of such, an expedition at £20,000 and he thinks that it_ might be carried out in- connection with the Antarctic expedition projected by Dr. W. S. Bruce. Th© chief difficulty which he anticipates is from open water. If a range of coastal mountains ehould be encountered with ste^p cliff faces and no ice at the foot of them it would be neceseary to ascend some glacier to the Continental plateau behind the mountains, and then journey over the plateau until a place should be reached where a descent could be made again, to the seaside. Sir Clements Markhani is heartily in favour of the idea of directing attention to the exploration of tho Continental coastline. lie considers that the proposed scheme ie ri6ky, but that the difficulties are not- insurmountable. THE GERMAN EXPEDITION. It is announced from Berlin that the German Antarctic expedition, under the command of the Bavarian explorer, Lieutenant Filehnet, will leave Germany early this year for Buenos Aires, and will proceed thencs at tljje beginning of October, via South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands to the Weddell sea. The route has been chosen so .as to allow of oceanographical research on tho way. On arrival in the Weddell sea it is proposed to establish a base station on the eastern coast as far south as possible, with the necessary equipment for a year's research. A party of ten men will be landed, of v.'horn six — a geologist, a meteorologist, an astronomer, a doctorwho is also a biologist, a cook, and a sailor — will stay in the station while the remaining four will undertake a long sledge expedition into the interior of the South Polar Continent. Meanwhile the ship will return to the Atlantic ocean to carry out coastal observations and occanogra-phic work. The main geographical objects of the expedition are to determine the distribution of land and water, to establish the coastline of tho Antarctic continent, and to study tho conformation and direction of the ice. On the oceanograpliical side it is proposed to make systematic observations of the temperatures, xh& saltness, and the oxvgenation. of the deep levels along certain lines in -the Sargosso sea, and the Brazilian current also in the high latitudes.