THE ALBERT EXPEDITION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue VI, 7 March 1879, Page 2

THE ALBERT EXPEDITION.

The Albert screw sloop, which left Portsmouth at the close of last year, is bound upon an expedition of considerable geographical and commercial importance. Sir George Nares goes out m his old ship, upon which something like £20,000 has been expended m repairs and refitting since her return from her last famous voyage. The Straits of Magellan and the coasts of Patagonia having been thoroughly sounded, surveyed, and explored. Sir George Nares' work will begin m the South Pacific, and the rough, boisterous climate !6f the Magellan Straits will be changed for one suited to British blood. His energies will be employed for the most part on several isolated ishnds which have never had their typography fixed, and with which the low Pacific Archipelago is generally credited with being studded. In fact, this archipelago is said to comprise an immense number of coral reefs and islets situate to the eastward of the Society Islands, and stretching from 135 to 149. Surveying will commence at Minerva Reef m 136.30, and will go on till the whole neighbourhood is surveyed. The changes m the depth of the sea, caused by volcanic agency, towards the Fijis, will also require exploring ; and the hard work of the expedition will come to a practical termination there. The Albert will then go on to Sydney and refit, and should everything proceed prosperously she cannot arrive there m less than two years. After refitting she will proceed through Torres Straits to the West Coast of Australia, and soundings will have to be obtained m Geography Bay, which can scarcely be concluded m less than three years from the present time, even should there be no delay of any kind, seeing that the survey will extend as far as King George's Sound, which is one of the principal settlements m Western Australia.