MAWSON EXPEDITION

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 28 February 1914, Page 5

MAWSON EXPEDITION

CABLE NEWS.

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).)

RECEPTION AT ADELAIDE.

doctor interviewed.

(Received February 27, 10.10 j»,ih.) ADELAIDE, February 27. Dr Mnwson's Antarctic exploration ship 'Aurora has arrived here. The University Council has decided to tender a reception to Dr Mawson's party. The Federal Prime Minister and tiie State Premiers have been invited. "

The Mayor is convener of a public meeting, of citizens to tender a reception to Dr Mawson and party.

AN INTERVIEW.

| Interviewed,. Dr Mawson said he would be delighted to give any information he could without interfering with other arrangements made. Alter the ship had relieved the two bases, the Aurora made an extended cruise vest, attempting to discover new land, and taking soundings and doing deep-sea tdre<jlging. He was sure his collection of biological material was the "best that Jjad /been, obtained ■ from. the, .Antarctic. The operations had - extended for miles down, and nearly everything that had been got, was new to science. When the British Association meets in August he will give a preliminary outline of the party's achievements. JTNIMALS. , in addition to H large number of animals the party had secured hun■dreds of birds' skins, which would bo distributed among Australian museums gratis. . The party had had very trying times.- Adelieland had tlie worst climate in the world. Despite the, scientific study, there was - not " man who. r had returned after the long, .sensational sojourn there who would not commit suicide rather than stop another year. MAWSON'S HARDSHIPS.

Dr M'awson was reticent . when questioned as "to his own heroism after the deaths \of Ninnis and Ifetz,saying simply -that lie \vas- thirty days absolutely alone," and had had a. most marvellous escape. • He had /been reduced to tlitj ia-st stages of Starvation and] while tramping along in the deep snow noticed: something, black.- It was a bit of food dropped by . the •search--party .sent to ascertain his whereabouts.- Ho was then twenty miles from the lint, in a place no previous expedition had ever been. NEW COUNTRY. ■'

The great points of this nudertaking were for the most part the travelling over new country. With the exception of the death of Ninnis and Metz, the expedition had been very fortunate. Those two, died like heroes. Nobody had ever lived a braver life than either. -Taking account of the. number of men in the field and the.length of time of the expedition, with the exception of Shackleton s.and Amundsen's expeditions, his .party ha<l suffered fewer losses than any other. The health of the party had been remarkably good, great care having been taking of the provisionThere had very nearly been loss of. life at the start. Of the parties sent out, one led by Mr Madigan had proved most successful. Yet then tent, had been carried away., and the men had had to make a long march, Madigan being badly frostbitten, his toe and finger nails falling oft.

A LATE SUMMER; Dr MaW&on continued: "Very little sledging was undertaken, this year, owing to the late summer after the ship left. 1 was in poor condition, and there waa always the' possibility that the Aurora might return. The wind has a velocity of 63' miles an hour for every hour of the whole month. On ono occasion i.t recorded 116 nliles an hour. . The puff velocity - reaches from 200 to 300 miles an lisur. Hurricanes very much hampered the wireless ' apparatus, biit experience had demonstrated that no expedition should dream of going without wireleas equipment. On one occasion the Macqxiarie Island station had been lieard off Cape, Horn. MINERAL DEPOSITS. - Regarding mineral wealth, Dr Maw - .eon explained that" only . scattered patches Of rock had been exposed throughout 1500 miles of country traversed. When such a small area ha 4 been exposed it was hopeless to seek payable deposit, but what the r&rty did find showed great variety. There had been secured good specimens, Which seemed to indicate land' even richer than tho ordinary country. Copper was the most, abundant ore found. The jjarty had discovered .a ; visible outer dp of ooal', and" dredged in "many places' on. the coast), the r-esul indicating a large foration running through the land. . v The doctor said he had no, inclination to return. At the present n*o~ meat there was plenty of scientific work to occupy any, mind.. He must go to England very spon.

heroic STRUGGLES. WOULD NOT LET THEM DIE. (Received Feb. 27, 9 »*) LONDON, Feb. 26. THe Evening Standard says :~- 1 Though *the tragedies of the Mawson expedition were eclipsed by those ox the Scott expedition, the world 'will not willingly let die the story of Mawson's and Mertz'e heroic struggl.es. There are few more thrilling- pages in polar history."