ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 28, 18 September 1911, Page 7

ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.

! U MAIYSOX AND HIS BEAN'S. “Some Australians still don’t seem to know,” said Dr. Mawson to- a Sydney pressman last week, “that we are not making a dash for the Pole. Captain Scott is to uphold the honour of the ,British Empire in that respect. Our wor|c first and formost is geogrnphical. We are going to chart 2500 miles of uu.known coast-line—to discover harbours and so forth, so that they can - be readily visited from Australia. We don’t intend to go very far inland. The interesting bolt is that within ICO or 200 miles of the coast. Our journeys ■ will be mostly dog sledging along the coast. There will be fifty-two men altogether in the expedition. Twenty-five will be permanently attached to the Aurora, and 27 will bo landed in three parties along the coast, at intervals of about 100 miles. The vessel is now on her way to Ausralia, and will arrive at Hobart about the end of October. She will land the dogs and general cargo at Hobart and then visit Sydney.” Dr Mawson is very proud of his little vessel, the Aurora, of which bespoke in the following terms:—“The little vessel Aurora is one of the finest of her class. She carries about 050 tons of cargo, and is practically a sister ship of the Terra Nova, now under commission by Captain Scott in Antarctic work. Her master is Captain J. Davies, who commanded the Nimrod. The Aurora is a* roomy vessel, quite different from the Nimrod - width ranied Sir Entfiki Slnmkikton’s expedition. .His party wav

handicapped severely through insufficient room. With the Aurora J believe Slmckleton would have readied the Pole. So cramped were the conditions that from that cause alone he lost several ponies.” Another point Df Mawson is proud of-is his combined aeroplane and motor sledge. Speaking of it lie said: “I have obtained*.'a combined" aerbphtm! - and motor sledge. In ball an hour it can bo converted from a flying machine to a sledge, and vice versa. It is the heaviest but the best monoplane made. Its construction is of nickel stool, and it is of the make that seems most likely to he adopted by the British Army. I will give demonstrations of it during my stay in Australia, and you may look forward to seeing it flying in Sydney. Such demonstrations should be of some value to our own military authorities. Lieutenant H. E. Watkins, of the Essex Kegiment, wiio is an airman of proved capacity, will be in charge of the aeroplane, which is capable of carrying a passenger and considerable gear. In the ice regions we will use it more for sledging purposes than flying. I don’t suppose we will fly more than a hundred miles at a time from a base. It will come in very useful. If, for Instance, wo were on floe ice, and a break-off occurred, we could fly ashore. And it will enable us to travel with safety over unsafe surfaces. At any time wo will be aide to fly over heavily crovassod ice, which would bo impossible under other conditions. With case wo should be able to travel distances of 20 or 30 miles in relays, and take several tons of stuff with us.” ’The oxpediion will leave Hobart, for Antarctica about December Ist. Something more than half qf the £50,000 required for tiic expedition has been obtained.