NORWEGIAN RAFT NEARS LAND AFTER 3900-MILE DRIFT

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 July 1947, Page 6

NORWEGIAN RAFT NEARS LAND AFTER 3900-MILE DRIFT

NEW YORK, July 10.

The six- Norwegian scientists on the raft expedition to Polynesia have reported that after 75 days at sea the raft has now drifted. 3400 nautical miles, or 3900 land miles, to the west of Peru. The scientists are trying to prove that pre-Incan Indians travelled by rafts to Polynesia 1500 years ago. They report: “We have only 488 miles to go before reaching the first possible landfall. Our experiences with the little-known balsa wood raft have on the whole convinced us all that with such craft in common use along the coast of ancient Peru, and with the wind and current sweeping incessantly westward, Polynesia can hardly have been undiscovered by South American raftsmen.”

Seaworthy Raft The scientists praise the seaworthiness of the balsa raft, saying that the logs are still buoyant in spite of their long immersion. The softness of the balsa wood had prevented the chafing of the ropes which hold the logs together. , . . The, expedition has been , experimenting with centreboards similar to those used by prehistoric Peruvians, and the experiments have proved that pre-Incans must have used sails, because the centreboards were otherwise useless.

The scientists reported that experience had also demonstrated that enough fresh water could be carried in bamboo canes, as early South American raftsmen are known, to have done.

Food No Problem

Food for long voyages likewise was no problem. “We have sweet potatoes and coconuts exposed to the weather in Peruvian baskets on the foredeck. The potatoes as well as the coconuts have long since started to sprout, and 10-inch coconut palms compete, in greenness with the seagrass covering the logs.” Flying fish had landed on the low raft every night, and a small quantity of edible crabs-, could be picked off the logs. Edible squids were also found aboard.

“In addition, the shade under our slowly drifting raft attracts quantities of big fish, which are easily caught. 'As this is written, three sharks swim round us. One is so close we could touch its dorsal fin.” ,

The strong sun enabled the raftsmen to serve dried fish, and sporadic showers provided additional fresh water, the supply of which could be augmented by the juice from crushed or ehewed fish.

The position of the expedition is 128 degrees 27 minutes west, 12 degrees 15 minutes south.