THE ANTARCTIC.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9316, 17 August 1908, Page 2

THE ANTARCTIC.

DR CHARCOT'S EXPEDITION

"United Press Association— -By Electtio Telegraph— Copyright • (Received August 17, 8.52 a.m.)

PARIS, August 16. Dr Jean Charcot' s Antarctic expedition has sailed: for Terra Loubet.

The Antarctic exploring ship which is to convey Dr Charcot 1 s French expedition, has been specially built at St Malo. The following description of her was published in Home papers in January: — "She will be 135ft in length, 30ft in beam, barquentine rigged, fitted with compound engines of 550 horse-power, and will carry 230 tons of coal in addition to provisions. The latter will amount to about 100 tons, which will be sufficient for tliree years, or one year longer than the expedition, with ordinary luck, will occupy. The crew will consist of twentytwo men, ten of whom were employed in the last French expedition. There will be a scientific staff of three naval officers, two zoologists, one geologist, and one expert in magnetic and photographio work besides the leader himself. 1 ' '

On the land journeys us© will be made of motor-sledges, which are being manufactured by the Marquis De Dion, and will be presented by him to Dr ChaToot. These are to be tested on ice stretches of the Alps before being shipped. The French Parliament will make two votes to the expedition, amounting to £24,000, and public subscriptions will- bring the total up to about £30,000. The Acamedy of Sciences has drawn tip the scientific programme, and a permanent commission connected with the Ministry of Public Instruction has reported very favourably on the general scheme of the expedition. Dr Charcot has received assistance also from the Oceanographieal Institute of Paris, and from the Marine Department, the latter giving a supply of coal and the use of a valuable collection of scientific instruments.

Graham Land, which will be one of the main pointe of land explored by Dr Charcot, is to the south of South America, on the Antarctic circle. Alexander I. Land, from which the journey southward will be made, is to the west of Graham Land, Whether the two are connected by land is not known. Dr Charcot's expedition is the result of a proposal which he laid before the 1 Academy of Sciences of France, and recommended by a committee of that body. At Dr Charcot's own expense, a vessel is being specially built for the expedition, and, while large enough to permit the carrying on of scientific work under suitable conditions, it is small enough to enable it to navigate in safety along the coasts, and to seek shelter in the small coves of Antarctica. The first object of the expedition will be a thorough exploration of the rich deposits vt fossils discovered by the Swedish expedition four years ago, at Mount Bransfield, in the extreme north of Louis Philippe Land, and at Seymour Island, to the east of James Ross Island. Then Dr Charcot will proceed to Wendel Island, off the coast of Graham Land, making it his base for much of his future work. In discussing the objects to be kept in vie\r, the explorer lays stress on the importance of penetrating ae tar as possible into the unknown, while atthe same time disclaiming the intention of risking the scientific results ior the sake of mere vainglory. The choice of the same field of exploration as on the first French expedition of five years ago was made, after due consideration of the plans of other expeditions now organised or projected, for tho following reasons : — (1) The importance of gaining further knowledge qf the nlmost unknown Alexander I. Land ; (2) the possibility of the existence m that region of an ice barrieFsimilar to that of Ross, over the surface of which an advance could be made • (3)' the advantages of continuing the scientific work begun by the former expedition and utilising the experience gained by it; (4) the support to be expected from tho Argentine Republic in view of the excellent relations entered upon on the former occasion. Besides ordinary sledges,, it is proposed to take motor sledges for possible use on the surface of tho ice barrier. From Wendel Island a« tho base, it is hoped tp explore Alexander I. Land as far as possible, choosing winter quarters on the land, and thence undertaking expeditions into tho unknown area, scientific work being at the same time prosecuted at the* base. During the second summer •an attempt will be made to navigate westward as far as possible in the direction of King Edward VII. Land, the base of operations' of the Shackleton expedition.