SOUTH POLAR FLIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20501, 28 February 1930, Page 13

SOUTH POLAR FLIGHT.

RISKY WORK BY WILKINS. LAND NOT DISCOVERED. ' . LONDON, Feb. 26. In a copyright message from Sir Hubert Wilkins, who is still at Montevideo, the explorer continues the story of his last flight in the Antarctic. He says: Our disappointment was great- when we discovered what we thought must be land was merely icebergs. A great wall of snow clouds barred our way, and on pushing into them we found they were too thick to fly through. Wo were finally forced down toward the ice which was dangerous, since we might meet the high berg barriers. , We-continued southward for 10 miles, when we believed we were beyond latitude 75 degrees longitude 101 degrees west. Our range of vision was very limited, and there was no indication of land. Reluctautly we turned back, seeking a way through a sort of white darkness.

After 20 minutes, of difficult and dangerous flying \ve' emerged' from the storm clouds and flew low across the ice to the William Scoresby. The temperature dropped and the wind increased. No sooner had we landed on the water than the breaking waves froze on the pontoons and the ice piled up, but we managed to haul up the seaplane. A succession'of storms prevented a further take off, and oil was running short, so we decided to hurry back to Deception Island.