EXPLORING WEDDELL SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15593, 27 April 1914, Page 7

EXPLORING WEDDELL SEA.

PLANS PERFECTLY FEASIBLE.

Sir Ernest will abandon the route behind the Victoria Mountains, which he proposed taking after having passed the South Pole, in favour of another to the eastward of Captain Amundsen's route. By making this change he will strike, new ground throughout his great journey across the southern Polar continent from the Wendell Sea to the Ross Sea. In the course of an article in the 'times on the expedition, Mr. 11. C. Mossman stilted :-- " It is very unlikely that the Weddell Sea base of the expedition in 78deg. S. will be reached before the end of January, 1915, although an early start should certainly be made, as it might be crowned with success. The finest weather in the region under consideration occurs from the middle of November till about January 10, so that a start south under favourable conditions might be made from the southern base as early as the end of October. The last cold spell of tho season occurs at the South Orkneys pretty regularly between October 10 and October 18, and is an index of the conditions prevailing in higher latitudes. The exploration of the westerly part of the Weddcll Sea, which forms part of the programme, is most desirable, while the plans drawn up for the expedition as a whole aro perfectly feasible, and will add greatly to the sum of human knowledge." Part of the equipment will be an aeroplane-taxi. "We had somo experience of a clipped aeroplano," said Mr. F. .Wild, one of tho party, "during the Mawson expedition, and found it very useful. It dragged two sledges on the ice up to 5000 ft. above sea level, and then the cylinder (which had been previously cracked in a fall) burst, and as we had no means* of repairing it wo sent it down to the coast."