TO THE SOUTH POLE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 122, 27 May 1925, Page 5

TO THE SOUTH POLE

DASH BY AEROPLANES

CAPTAIN WILKINS'S PLANS.

(rnoii our own correspondent.)

SYDNEY, 21st May

There is perhaps no more adventureloving man in the world, and certainly none in Australia, than Captain G. H. Wilkins, who at various times of his still young life has been explorer of the Antarctic and the uncivilised portions of Australia, official war photographer, naturalist, aviator, and half- a dozen other kinds of adventurer. During the last two years, Captain Wilkins has been engaged in collecting rare specimens of Australian fauna and flora for the British Museum, and this quest has led him to the out-of-the-way coiners of this continent, especially in the far north. On one or two occasions ho has been reported missing, but has always turned up smiling just in timo to prevent him reading his own obituary notices. Now, as soon as he returns to civilisation,, he announces plans for a dash to the South Polo by aeroplane, to bo commenced, unless -unforeseen delay occurs, in January next, as a preliminary to a big international scheme for meteorological development.

These plans were outlined by Captain Wilkins at Brisbane this week. 'It was his intention, he said, to take two aeroplanes to the Antarctic coast directly south of New Zealand, and fly across tho base of the Pacific to Graham's Land. The distance was about 1500 miles. He hoped to discover a whaling base of equal value to those of Ross Sea and Graham's Land, and to gather other information of economical value. Heestimated that the journey of 1500 miles could be done in a day by aeroplane, whereas, if it had to be traversed on foot, it would take three years. Records collected in the preliminary flight would enable a plan to be proceeded with for a huge international meteorological system. There would be seven Antarctic and five sub-Antarctic stations which would be supplied with information from three specially-designed and fitted ships, and tho station would send daily records by wireless i.o collecting points at Capetown, Melbourne, and .Buenos Aires. Records then would'he flashed to London, to bis collated daily with other meteorological observations. From records obtained over a period of ton years, Captain Wilkins said, seasonal conditions throughout the southern hemisphere could be forecasted for several years ahead. The estimated cost of the international bureau for ten years would lie about £2,000.000, but when this was proportionately divided among the countries concerned, it would jticau Umt, the Australian HUilcs and •New Zealand would, not need tft Sjpc.ud

more than £4000 a year to maintain their share of the work.

Concerning his just-concluded trip, Captain WUkins said that the most exciting incident of it was to find himself one night surrounded by a party of blacks, who, with raised spears, were staring at- him reclining in his bunk. A number of blacks had deserted from his camp, and on two occasions they stealthily_ returned and crawled near his mosquito net with spears raised in a throwing attitude. He tested a theory of his that the blacks would not attack an unaggressive white man, pretended to be asleep —and the blacks went away. Next morning they again surrounded him, but this time he spoke to them, and dropping their spears, they ran. Ho followed them, persuaded them that he was friendly, and thereafter they became agreeable companions. Truly a remarkable man is Captain Wilkins.