VAST POLAR ICE TREK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17740, 29 March 1932, Page 9

VAST POLAR ICE TREK

NEW EXPEDITION PLANNED ACROSS ANTARCTIC WASTES MARCH OF 1500 MILES SYDNEY, March 17. Among the recent arrivals iu Australia is Mr J. Hyniill, who is recuperating after a strenuous season in tin 4 icy wastes of Greenland with tho British Arctic air route expedition, lie announced that lie had been selected as a member of a new all-British expedition, which would leave in October in the Discovery for the Antarctic regions.

The object will In* to land a little party of six that would attempt to cross the frozen continent from one side to the other—a feat which Khaekleton failed to accomplish when lie tackled it IS years ago. Shuck let on and liis party were not even able lo .set foot on tlo' coast, for their (ship was caught in tho ice, crushed and sunk, and the party escaped with their lives after appalling hardships. The new expedition plans a march of 1590 miles on that ice bound coast in the hope that, they will clear up some of the last great mysteries of this vas! unknown land. LEADER OF 25 YEARS

The leader of the expedition will be Mr LI. C. Watkins, the most youthful leader of any polar party. lie is no! vet 25 and lias already led expeditions to Spitzbergen Labrador and Greenland. llis object now is to inarch across the Antarctic continent from tlie Weddell Sea to the Boss Sea, rims securing for the British ding the honor of being the first to accomplish tho journey. The march will be (-onducted in the good old-fashioned style with dog sledges, the young explorers having; rejected tho idea of a flight in Hi hours on the ground that such a venture would not add to the world’s knowledge. It is expected that the journey will occupy Hi weeks, tit an average of about 90 miles a.week. It is hoped to make a thorough examination of this inhospitable country, in which no living thing exists. It is believed the whole interior is so cold that il never rains and very seldom thaws. Blizzards, which have no equal elsewhere, sweeji across the void. It will be necessary for the party to take food not only for themselves but for their 150 dogs. FIRST FORMIDABLE TASK The first task will Do to push the old Discovery into the ice and force her down to the head of the Weddell Sea, where, by some means or other, the party should be able to make a landing on Luitpold Land. if they are able (o' get a footing on the const the dog teams, sledges and supplies, together with a lmt, will be hurriedly taken off the ship, which will then hasten to the open water before she is caught in the pack ice. The Discovery will then be taken right round the continent to the Ross Sea, there to pick up the party when it concludes its hazardous transcontinental march.

Once the party has landed it will set out to lay down depots and food on the route before the winter sets in. This completed, the men will return to the coast for the long, dark winter night. In the laying down to the depots the expedition will experiment with motor sledges, and an aeroplane will lie used for reconnaissance work. It is not intended to approach the Pole, but to explore entirely new country, about which practically nothing is known. A portable wireless may be carried, but this will bo of little use in communicating with the outer world.