AIR ROUTE OVER ARCTIC

Taranaki Daily News, 1 September 1930, Page 7

AIR ROUTE OVER ARCTIC

REPORT FROM EXPEDITION SURVEY CAMP ESTABLISHED WELCOME BY THE ESKIMOS FORCED TO KILL SEALS By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. London, Aug. 29. The British expedition which is seeking to establish a route for an allBritish flying service across the Arctic to Canada in a report from the base camp dated August 8 states:— , “We reached the edge of the drift ice, 40 mites off the east coast of Greenland, on July'2l. Wc had difficulty in forcing our wav and had to shoot seals to feed ourselves and 49 dogs. A man with a rifle stood in the bows of the Quest. Eskimos in kayaks (men’s boats which can turn completely over and still retain the occupant), and umiaks (women’s boats which arc larger) flocked out from Argmagsalik to meet us.

“We found a site for a base camp 35 miles west of Argmagsalik, and rowed the stores, ihcluding 15 tons of coal, ashore, covering ourselves with coal dust. We completed a four-roomed hut. Scott and Chapman with dog teams ex-, plored the ice plateau for a sledge route. 'The ice was heavily crevasscd, necessitating great care on the first two journeys. We started on July 18 to the ice plateau to establish a meteorogical station, 140 miles inland. From there we will study the flying conditions, the staff being Scott, Rymill, Bingham, Riley and Lindsay. “Another party will take the Qdcst north-east to the coastal mountain belt, because the proposed air route will possible cross there. The weather is most suitable for air photography.”