WHALING EXPEDITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19009, 3 November 1923, Page 15

WHALING EXPEDITION.

THE ROSS SEA VENTURE. AUCKLAND THE BASE OF OPERATIONS. •Tms United Pres? Association.) AUCKLAND, November 2. The two whalers, Star I anti Star 11, which, with throe other vessels of the same class, are to seek their quarry in Ross Sea, arrived last night. With Star 111 they put out from Seattle 40 days ago. Although they had some bad weather, they arrived in good trim. ITiey are not built to withstand ice pressure, and will leave the fishing grounds before the ice comes. Thfiir speed is 10 knots, and each carries a crew of 12. They were purchased by the Hvalfagst Rosshavet Company, of Norway, from the United States Whaling Company, and are to be joined by two other steam whalers and a parent steamer of 14,000 tons for the Ross Sea adventure. The parent ship will carry sufficient coal to supply all five whalers during a season of probably about three months in Ross Sea, ufid she carries a complete plant for rendering down the blubber. She has, a cargo capacity of 65,000 barrels of oil. The greatest problem in the navigation of the Pacific was that of coal supply. None of the vessels has bunker space for ‘more than 14 days’ fuel, but they left with as much additional coal as could be carried with safety on deck. Star II reported that when she sailed out of Seattle her after-deck was nearly awash owing to lire coal loaded upon it. Her first port. Honolulu, was made in 12 days; Tahiti was 'reached in 11 davs; and the voyage from Tahiti to Auckland also took 11 days. The crew were surprised to learn that the shores of Boss Sea are now a dependency of New Zealand. Auckland will bo the base of operations, but although they anticipate that they will be driven out of Ross Sea by the ice about the end of March they do not yet know how many months of each year will be spent here. It is possible that, during the off season, the parent ship may make a voyage to America to dispose of the oil obtained.