POLAR EXPLORATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2985, 31 May 1911, Page 30

POLAR EXPLORATION.

DR MAWSON'S EXPEDITION. LONDON, May 22. Dr Mawson has purchased the 385tonner Aurora, which was specially built for ice work, and has hitherto been used in Newfoundland as a whaler. She will arrive on the Bth of June, and will be refitted as a barquentine. The PoTt of London .authorities will remit all dues and give her free wharfage. The Daily Mail's fund on behalf of Dr Mawson's expedition has reached £IO,OOO. May 25. Owing to his British supporters strongly urging the necessity for doing so, Dr Mawson will remain in England for three weeks. Be believes that there is a proba-. bility of receiving increased subscriptions. May 27. The British Treasury, through Lord Denman's efforts, has granted £2OOO to Dr Mawson's Antarctic expedition.

TERRA NOVA DOCKED.

HULL SLIGHTLY DAMAGED. CHRISTCHURCH, May 23. The Antarctic exploration ship Terra Nova was docked at Lyttelton yesterday to complete her overhaul. An examination of the hull this morning disclosed the fact th.it the vessel's keel was damaged by grounding on a shoal in M'Murdo Sound.' The damage is amidships, and the keel has been crunched and broken by grinding on the shoal for a length of about 20ft. The timber is splintered and crushed to a depth of about 6in on the starboard side of the vessel about Bft from the keel. Two of the vessel's heavy timbers have also been scored by contact with the reef. The damage sustained by the vessel is not at all serious, and she is not leaking. The ke?l blocks in the dock have been removed from under, the damaged part of tbe keel in order to enable the shipwrights to proceed with repairs. The damaged timber wul be cut out and replaced by a new length. The vessel will probably be in dock for about a fortnight, during whicn time the whole of the hull will be recaulked, and any defects made good. The vessel's bottom, apart from the damage mentioned, was in remarkably good condition, although a good deal of marine growth had accumulated since her arrival in Lyttelton on March 31.