THE ANTARCTIC.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 72, 24 February 1932, Page 12

THE ANTARCTIC.

WONDERS DESCRIBED. Som© of the many wonders of the Antarctic were described by Dr. Wilson Ingram, who was a member of the two recent Mawson expeditions, in a lecture to the Fullerton Memorial Men’s League in Sydney the other day. Among these wonders were icebergs from 50 to 100 miles long—so large that sonio explorers had mistaken them for the mainland; a mountain of pure copper ore, and silver and other ores richer than any produced at Broken Hill; insects, such as flies, without wings, which hop—if they had wings they, would be swept away by gales; non-camiverous animals whicn became carnivorous becauso of the abundance of of seals and whales. Dr. Ingram said that the Antarctic had always attracted men of vigour and spirit, because it was probably the greatest continent in the world, being, about the size of Australia and Europe combined. Practically 'half the Antarctic continent was now British territory. When the world was overpopulated and the present mineral sources became exhausted, there were the richest stores of mineral deposits in the whole world. “Although we may. be a little premature in annexing it for the British Empire,” said the lecturer, “future generations will be grateful to us for having the foresight to go down and claim it. We talk of the foresight of Captain Cook and Governor Phillip, wno thought that Australia would need to have everything imported always, whereas actually wo are now supplying food for Britain. The same thing will happen with the mineral deposits of the Antarctic, and it is fitting that the British Empire should have the greatest say in the distribution of those deposits.” Meteorological stations in the Antarctic, said Dr. Ingram, could forecast weather in Australia for from twelve months to two years ahead, and this would be an immense advantage to Australian men on the land. A permanent station established by the Argentine Government had saved millions of pounds for that country. The lecturer remarked that one of the members of Sir Douglas Mawson’s first expedition was a duke, who had gone as an ordinary seaman. From twenty to thirty tons of specimens had been brought back by the second Mawson expedition, and it would take twenty years to study them. Dr. Ingram paid a tribute to Sir Douglas Mawson.