ANTARCTIC COASTLINE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 4, 6 January 1930, Page 9

ANTARCTIC COASTLINE

LITTLE KNOWN LOCALITY WILKINS PLIES WEST United Press Association—By Electric Tele- . graph—Copyright. (Beceived 6th January, 1 p.m.) LONDON, sth January. Sir Hubert Wilkins, in a copyright message from Deception Island, dated 3rd January, says: "I am how able to give details of the- flight which permitted us to explore and chart three hundred additional miles of coastline to Hearst Land on 31st December last. Tho temperature was 29 degrees below zero when we set out. We headed southward aud soon saw tho dim outline of Alexander I. Island. Fifty minutes' flying brought to the horizon the black peaks of Charcot Land, which we found to be an island. This island is roughly ham-shaped, forking westward, sixty miles wide- east to west, and forty north to south, with a greatest height of 2000 feet. Wo could see a mountain range toward the coast and finally an island. On tho horizon we saw a low level sea of ice interspersed with icebergs. "Continuing through the straits, showing as last year's discoveries indicated a channel between Graham Land and tho main body of the Polar continent, named Stefansson Straight, we circled Charcot Island south and westward to SO degrees west longitude. There is a low coast, undoubtedly a continuation ■ of Hearst Land, partly with broken mountains sloping to the snow-covered coast in the indistinct distance. We cruised hereabouts for two hours charting.and photographing.' We returned to tho ship, aided by a tailwind, in 241 minutes, after the takeoff. Our petrol vas practically exhausted. "We have made the longest possible flight in this location at 67 degrees 47 minutes south latitude, 75 degrees 21 minutes west longitude. The need of fuel for the steamer prevents a further westward search, and we must turn back to Deception Island. Efforts will be concentrated on a search for flat ice whence to take off for the great adventure of the Boss Sea flight over the entire Antarctic Continent to visit Admiral Byrd's Little America, i The plane's wing-pit was smashed as she was lifted aboard. The damage is not serious."