PERILS OF POLAR EXPLORATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 55, 6 March 1937, Page 26

PERILS OF POLAR EXPLORATION

When'l returned from the Arctic in 1931 I had already made up my mind to lead an expedition of exploration to the south. One man, -hearing of my intention, called me "a poor, misguided fellow," and asked me what on earth there was left to explore. With the aid of a map, and several hours of argument, I convinced him that there still actually remained plenty of territory to explore and that the resul of that, exploration would do much towards' clearing up many of the mysteries of the earth, writes Ernest W. Walker, commander of this year's Antarctic expedition, in the "Daily Mail."

Very little of the Antarctic has yet been mapped. This great continent still remains the most profound and formidable ' riddle to be solved. It is still in the throes of the Ice Age.

What is the good of expeditions, and who is responsible for sending them out?

In the first • place,- the study of meteorological conditions in the Antarctic is of the greatest value both lo science and to commerce.

Antarctic weather has a world-wide effect. An extremely severe winter in the Weddell Sea is a sure precursor of a drought over the maize and cereal bearing regions of the Argentine. A great industry which benefits as the result of Antarctic research is whaling.

In the old days the Government took on itself the responsibility of sending out expeditions. Today the initiative is left mostly to the private individual.

It is impossible for those who have not been to the Arctic or Antarctic to realise the conditions the explorer encounters. Journeys have to be made across hundreds of miles of snowy wilderness. Glaciers, suddenly breaking away, may spell disaster for the whole party. Blizzards rage for days, keeping you imprisoned in small tents, usually on short rations.

Your breath freezes into an ice mask which covers the whole of your face. Frostbite .is an ever-present peril. If you are away from your base and are disabled or fall ill you may jeopardise the safety of the rest of the party. In these circumstances death may become a duty—for the sake of your companions.

In the past, sledges drawn by -ither dogs or ponies were the chief means of transport in Polar regions. Ponies,

however, have been found unsuitable, both on account of their inability to grow thicker coats and because of the difficulties of carrying food for them.

Dogs have proved their, worth as draught animals in almost everytning but cost. It is necessary on account of the high death-rate to buy at least twice as many dogs as will be eventually required, and as it costs something like three shillings a day to feed each animal, the total outlay for two years reaches almost astronomical figures.

Tractors have already been used on a number of occasions, and the type we hope to employ are in reality small "whippet" tanks, originally built for the Spanish army. Aircraft have already proved their value in the Polar regions.

Food is a problem needing considerable thought. Feeding twenty or thirty men for periods up to two years is no light task, and when it comes to catering for a small party which is to undertake a prolonged sledging journey it is necessary to call in the medical profession.

Calorific and vitamin values need to be considered and a diet compiled to allow each man to work at high pressure throughout the whole journey. The chief item of food for these occasions is a compound of dried beef and' fat, known as pemmican.

In choosing members for an expedition, one has not' only to pick men who are specialists at their jobs but who are also good companions. Two years is a long time to nurse a grievance, and life would be unbearable if one or two men turned out to be bad mixers.

For the coming expedition I. nave chosen men who, though they may not in all cases have been to the Polarregions, have had experience under similar conditions of solitude. Every one must, of course, be in perfect health, though there is no need for him to be a giant in strength.

One who applied for a position in our expedition was a perfect specimen of manhood. But. once when playing Rugby for his university he damaged a knee, with the result that a cartilage had to be removed. That spoilt his chance of coming with us,

In the excessive cold the knee would soon begin to give trouble, and in all probability he would become an invalid for life..