NEW VOYAGE OF “DISCOVERY.”

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 29

NEW VOYAGE OF “DISCOVERY.”

Scott s Antarctic ship Discovery was recently purchased by tne Crown Agents for the Colonies, on behalf cf the Government of the !• alkland Islands, to be employed principally in research into whaling in South Georgia and the South Shetland*, which are dependencies of tile Colony (states the Morning Post). There is a very large v, haling industry in these dependencies, and tile present amount of scientific knowledge regarding the numbers anti habits of the whales is insufficient to enable the industry to be controlled in such a way as to afford security against depletion of the stock. .The principal task for which the Discovery will be employed is to ascertain the geographical limits of the stock of whales, to trace their migrations, and to form soma idea of their numbers and the rate of reproduction. But the expedition will also afford opportunities for adding to scientific knowledge in many other directions, and particularly in oceanography, meteorology, and magnetism. The work will be generally on the lines recommended in the report of the Inter-departmental Committee on Research and Development in these dependencies. The Discovery will require extensive reconstruction, and it is not anticipated that she will be ready to sail before next year. The enterprise will be carried cut under the instructions of the Secretary of State for (he Colonies, and the Duke of Devonshire is taking steps for the appointment of an executive committee to undertake the management. It is proposed that the Colonial Office, the Admiralty, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the British Museum (Natural History), and the Royal Geographical Society should be represented upon the executive committee. The committee will keep in close touch with other institutions and individuals who are interested in Antarctic research. The Discovery was specially built for the first, national Antarctic Expedition under Captain Scott, at a cost of £51,000. She was a wooden vessel, with frame of solid oak. and some difficulty was experienced in arranging for her construction, which was eventually undertaken by the Dundee Shipbuilding Company. The architect was Mr \Y. E. Smith, Chief Naval Constructor, and no pains were spared to make her as perfect as possible for the work contemplated. Cantain Scott described her as “the finest boat which was ever built for exploring purposes.” Her registered tonnage was 485. length between perpendiculars 175 ft. and breadth 3411. She v.a-e fitted with two cylindrical boilers arranged to work at a pressure of 15Clb per square inch, and a set of triple expansion engines designed to give 450 indicated horse-power. A large area of the hull was kept entirely free from any magnetic metal, so that the most delicate magnetic observations could be made on board. Her keel was laid in March. ISOO. and in March, 1901, she was launched and named the Discovery bv Lady Markham, wife of Sir Clement Markham, president of the Royal Geographical Society. bhe sailed from Cowes in August, 1901. and in February. 1902. took un her quarters in the Antarctic in M’Murdo Sound, at the western end of Ross’s Great Ice Barrier. There she remained for the next two years, serving as the base for the extensive explorations which were carried out bv the expedition fill its return in 1904. Afterwards she was offerrd to the Admiralty, to be kept for scientific exploration, but the offer was refused. and she was sold to the Hudson Bay Company for £IO,OOO.