ANTARCTIC RESEARCH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22712, 26 October 1935, Page 17

ANTARCTIC RESEARCH

DISCOVERY II DEPARTURE FROM LONDON (From Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, October 5. Discovery 11, the royal research ship, left for the Antarctic this week, and the officers and crew do not expect to see the Port of London again until the summer of 1037. The ship, which has a tonnage of 1030, is painted battleship grey. She carries a complete outfit of scientific gear for deep-sea exploration, including the taking of special soundings at great depths by echo-receiving apparatus, the catching of deep-sea specimens by trawls, and other appliances. She has a special bridge for survey work and two laboratories, while her long-range wireless installation will enable the commander to keep continuously in touch with the Discovery Committee in London. It is expected Discovery II will reach the edge of the ice about the end of November, and will circumnavigate the south polar continent, making calls at Australia and New Zealand, before returning to Capetown to refit in June of next year. She will then go south again for another season’s work in the same regions. On her last voyage but one Discovery II circumnavigated the south polar continent in the winter, when the long hours of darkness and the icebergs made both navigation and scientific work difficult. This time the circumnavigation will be done in the summer months, when there will be almost continuous daylight. THE STAFF. The executive commander of the Discovery II is Lieutenant L. C. Hill, K.N.R., Glasgow, who was first officer on the ship’s last commission, and who has served continuously in these exepditions since 1930. The chief engineer is Engineer-commander W. Morton, E.N. (ret.), who served with Scott. Other officers include Lieutenant R. Walker, R.N.R. (first officer), Lieutenant H. Kirkwood, R.N.R. (second officer), Sublieutenant T. H. Oates, R.N.R. (third

officer), and Engineer-lieutenant Porteous (second engineer). The ship’s surgeon is Dr Strong. Mr G. R. Deacon, M.Sc., who will be in charge of the scientific work, is a Leicester man. He went to the Antarctic in the Discovery II on the voyage before the last, and during her last voyage he has been at work in London examining and correlating the scientific data with which the ship returned in 1933. A similar task will now be undertaken by Dr N. A. Mackintosh, who was in charge of the scientific work on the 1933-35 voyage. Others of the scientific staff on the present voyage will include Mr J. W. S. Marr (senior zoologist), Dr F. D, Omanney (zoologist) and Mr A. Saunders (photographer and laboratory assistant).