EXPLORER'S VISIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22350, 22 February 1936, Page 20

EXPLORER'S VISIT

adventurous life WORK IN ABYSSINIA ROUND WORLD 20 TIMES Archaeologist, aviator, photographer, fcewsp&per correspondent, and explorer —those are some of the roles filled in the last 15 years by Captain E. H. Gerrard Maisson, of the United States, who arrived at Auckland from Samoa by the Mariposa yesterday. He has been shot down by the Italians in Abyssinia, taken part in 14 explorations and been round the world 20 times. About a month ago Captain Maisson was in Abyssinia acting as correspondent and photographer for the United Press of America, keeping dose up with the Ethiopian advances ,and retreats. He was doing this work for some months, and had his first mishap last October, when his aeroplane was shot down. Luckily his only injury was the loss of a finger tip. "I think the war will go on for another year at least," said Captain Maisson Yesterday. "But it seems to ;tne that the Ethiopians will drive the Italians back to their borders. Then Italy may start all over again." CapMaisson added that the Italians were the poorest fighters he had seen .ant* the only advantage they had over ihe Ethiopians was their air force. Although Captain Maisson has been ;round the world 20 times, this is his :first visit to New Zealand. When his three-masted motor schooner Aldythe Estella arrives from Tahiti, which she , : left about a week ago under the command of his wife, Captain Maisson will Ibegin a six months' "exploration" in New Zealand waters. He will explore and investigate caves and mountains, and other features of the country, specially in the South, mainly to add Ifco his fine collection of photographs, which number 20.000. He claims that .his schooner is the largest and most Jfully-equipped vessel of its kind in the world for exploration purposes. Captain Maisson's name is well known in the Northern Hemisphere in connection with archaeological and itimilar research, and he has done much excavating in the Holy Land and Pompeii. Other adventures include Polar exploration, and a flight round South jlmerica with the late Will Rogers.