IMPORTANT GEOLOGICAL DISCOVERY.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13382, 3 April 1912, Page 6

IMPORTANT GEOLOGICAL DISCOVERY.

A party comprising Messrs Debonham. Gran and .Fordo, under Messrs Griffith and .Taylor, left headquarters on July 7th, 1911 for Granite Harbour, which was reached on December Ist. They built a stone* hut nine miles insido Granite Harbour. During tho next fortnight they sledged round to the west of the harbour, finding masses of marble and remarkably largo interesting contact minerals, such as topaz. On tho 27th of December 1911, 'the party started exploring tho western highlands, and found numerous well preserved fossils, probably Crustacean, :ind specimens of bituminous coal. .These- wore almost certainly derived from well marked outcrops. Hero wore found the most remarkable examples of glacial action hitherto seen in Victoria Land. The party returned to tho stono hut on January Bth, 1912, to await the ship's arrival, but after waiting some weeks until only ten days of available sledging food remained they decided to retreat to Discovery Hut. No specimens or personal gear could be carried. They reached tho Bluo glacier on February loth, when they were nicked up by tho ship. Absolute magnetic observations had boon made weekly. All through the winter tho Aurora was observed every hour, but very few brilliant , displays occurred. ' - The mainland offers a rich field for petrology, with an abundance of mineral bearing quartz veins, but of no economic value. The specimens of coal were of economic value. Well preserved fossils had been found naar Granite Harbour. By trawling from tho ship a largo collection of det-p sea fauna had been obtained. Natural history research had \vsen j greatly assisted by" the use of the cine- | rnatogrnph, which &Hua-eu animated records or the interesting bird and animul litV in these regions. Every phase of the seal, penguin and .skua life has.been thus illustrated, and joino remarkable cinematograph films imv? boon secured 1 showing for tho first time tho killer whale, or tho wolf of the sens, in its native element.