ANTARCTIC EXPEDITIOUS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20131, 17 December 1928, Page 11

ANTARCTIC EXPEDITIOUS.

SIB H. WILKINS' PLANS.

TRIP INTO WEDDELL SEA*

EARLY MELTING OF ICE.

Australian Press Association—United ferric# (Received December 10, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. Deo. J5. A copyright message from Sir G. H. Wilkins from Deception Island to-day says:—The weather to-day was so bad that all three whalo-catchers had to spend the day in harbouif; not unwillingly because the Norwegians here and their folks at home, also ourselves, paid respectful tribute to Amundsen's memory. Our search fails to reveal a suitable snow-covered field for tha planes to take off on skis with u heavy or any'load. The records and utatementa by visitor* to the Antarctic in the past ten years indicate that the season is a month earlier than usual. Normally the harbour ice would still he in perfect condition for a landing, either with wheels or skis, but tho ice has already disappeared. Bain does not usually fall until after the Year, but this year we have had much rain and soit snow.

While Lieutenant Eielson and I wfre aboard a whale-catcher yesterday, we * vainly searched Snow Island, 50 miles off-shore, and other places for 9 take-off field, but the snow had melted on all the flat surfaces, leaving black patches of volcanic tufa. The sloping surfaces where the snow accumulates are too sloping. or too scarred with deep crevices. We will take the Los Angeles as a seaplane at the earliest possible opportunity and with the heaviest practicable load, and make a trip into the Weddell Sea.

An hour of sunshine encouraged us to pour 200 gallons of gasoline into the Lo» Angeles, which is now riding op floats. We also stowed our personal belongings aboard the machine, but before the second hour had passed long stratus clouds, resembling milky streams, streaked from tho west across the sky. Storm clouds, wind and rain closely followedWith Crossan the pilot I will, at the first indication of twelve hours' flying weather, start for the Weddell Sea it the machine will lift the load. There we hopo to solve the important geographical question whether Grahamslapd is part of the Antarctic Continent.

MESSAGE FROM BYRD.

WAITING FOR ICE TO OPEN.

FARTHER SOUTH THAN WIpCINg.

United Service. VANCOUVER, Deo. 14.

A message from Commander R. E. Byrd's vessel, tho City o! New York, says:—

We are lying outside the ice-pack waiting for it to open. As far as we can see to the east and to the west the pack extends in an unbroken line. Whalers to the south report that the pack is very thick this year. It would be useless going in where we might be caught and held indefinitely. - - , / '

Our plan is to wait until the jce opens sufficiently so that the trip qjay be made along the 180 th meridian line. We ero now much further down than usual and well inside the Antarctic Circle, 300 miles further south than Sir Hubert Wilkins.

During the past two days the weather has been cold and clisar. The ship i* lying in a* small bay. The Elewior Boiling departed on Tuesday, after trajisfering 87 tons of cosil. Many of the bags are piled on thei deck', and H & result the ship, like a barge, would be heavy in the seaway. We all have oar fingers crossed and ar« praying for continued cilm until we get into the pack.