MAWSON EXPEDITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20619, 18 July 1930, Page 11

MAWSON EXPEDITION.

STORY BY EXPLORER. VOYAGE TO THE SOUTH. J SCIENTIFIC WORK BEGUN. JIY KIR. DOUGLAS MAWSON. (All Hisrhts Reserved.) No. I. The Royal research vessel Discovery, 1 having been fitted out in London during tho summer months of 1929, proceeded to Capetown, leaving England early in August in charge of Captain J. K. Davis. Capetown was reached in the first week of October, when most of the members of tho scientific, staff joined the vessel, having travelled from Australia by mail , steamer. The ship's company now totalled 30 souls. i The Discovery left for the Antarctic on October 19. From tho outset the echo-sounder installed just prior to departure from London proved of tho utmost I value, although its maintenance in proper working order entailed much effort 1 and perseverance- on the part of , Flight-Lieutenant S. Campbell and Commander Moyes, who were principally concerned with it. 1 The depths of the ocean ascertained in this way were occasionally checked by soundings taken by means of tho Lucas machine. The latter method entails 'ho plumbing of the waters by means of a heavy weight attached to a fine steel wire. Depths ascertained thus were closely in accord ,jvith thoso indicated by the echo method. Remarkable Changes In Depth. | Fov tho most part tho floor of thd Southern Ocean far from land shows only slight and gradual variations in depth, but two quite remarkable exceptions were recorded. In latitude 39 degrees, 36 minutes S and longitude 25 degrees 32 minutes a sudden rise of 6000 ft. was recorded between the noon and 1 p.m. readings within a distance of about eight miles. The other notable case was in latitude 59 degrees 10 minutes S and longitude 77 degrees 45 minutes E, some 375 miles S.S.E. of Heard Island, where tho ocean floor rose unexpectedly to within 350 fathoms of the surface. During the early morning hours of November 2, when close to the Crozet Islands, the first iceberg was sighted. A landing was made that afternoon on Possession Island, tho Discovery anchoring about a mile off-shore, where she rolled freely in tho heaving waters of the open bay. A small sealing vessel arrived at American Bay that same day, and as a consequence during the three days of our visit we witnessed continuous slaughter of the herds of sea-elephants massed on the beaches. Vessel in Heavy Gale. We. then proceeded South, and on [ November 9 met a strong gale, with very heavy seas. When the weather cleared a course was set for Royal Sound, but it was not until the evening of the 12th that a the Discovery was safely anchored at Port [ Jeanne d'Arc. There 400 of briquette coal awaited our arrival, kindly 1 transported thither bv a South African whaling company, Messrs. Irvine and 5 Johnston 3 During the progress of coaling scieni lific excursions were conducted in the neighbourhood by land and by motort launch. Important additions to our ■ natural history collections resulted, and : corrections and additions to the map of 1 the locality were made. Whaling and the hunting of sea-ele-phants for their blubber is still carried on at Kerguelen, but compared witji the luxuriance of seal and penguin life crowding its shores 100 years ago it is now comparatively desolate. We reached Heard Island on November 26, and a party of nine of the scientific staff lost no tune in goirg ashore for examination of the rocks and fauna and flora. Life on Heard Island. Heard Island is still abundantly stocked with penguins and sea-elephants, and proved of great interest. There are still immense glaciers extending into the sea, from which icebergs break off from time to time. But great as they are to-day, tho glaciers of tho past have been still more extensive. Repeated recession of tho iee is evidenced by parallel moraine mounds reaching several hundred feet in height. A singlo erratic examined was computed to weigh upwards of 18.000 tons. The good weather soon passed, and we were held prisoners ashore for some days. Every minute of the time was employed to, best advantage. Most of us were busy with scientific collecting, while Commander Moyes mapped the neighbouring bays and coastline, and Hurley obtained photographic records. Evenings spent in the little hexagonshaped hut, whose sides measured each only two metres long, were something to remember. The space was certainly overtaxed- Within such limited dimensions nine wet and weary souls retired to examine, label and preserve their trophies, to feed, to dry sodden clothes, and to sleep. - Oceanographic Work. After leaving Heard Island the complete oceanographic. programme was in operation. Suitable opportunities were seized for conduct of vertical marine stations. These each embraced a standard series of observations. Included therein were the taking of tho temperature and a sample of the water at frequent intervals between the surface and the bottom. At each station actually 13 such operations are. executed, extending at intervals between the surface and 500 metres, below which depth (he observations are less frequent, namely, at 600, 800. 1000, 1500, and 2000 metres, and thereafter every 1000 metres. Concurrently with the execution of theso operations by "means of gear rigged toward . the forward end of tho vessel, the biologists busied themselves aft obtaining samples of life inhabiting the waters at 'the various depths. Thus the microscopic diatom lifo of the surface waters is in ken in «i specially fine mesh net between the surface and 50 metres in depth. Also, catches of animal plankton lite are secured between the surface and 100 ! mot res, 100 to 250 metres, 250 to 500 metres, 500 to 750 metres, aiid 750 to 1000 metres.