Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22,1886. An Antarctic Expedition.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1892, 22 October 1886, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22,1886. An Antarctic Expedition.

A few weeks ago a cable message stated that the project of another expedition to the South Pole was being discussed in England. Mr John Murray, F.R.G.S., who was one of the members of the Challenger Expedition, suggested that the colonies should contribute £IO,OOO each, and that England find the balance. He estimated that the expedition would cost £150,000. Admiral Ommaney advised that a committee of associates of the Royal Geographical Society should be aopomted to develop a plan before applying to the Imperial Government, which alone, he thought, was capable of conducting such an undertaking to a successful issue. Mr Dixon, a survivor of the Antarctic expedi. lion of 1815, gave as his opinion that an Australian steamer expedition would succeed. The London Standard and other papers have supported the project; but whether anything further has been done we do not know. Many enthusiastic adventurers have tried to reach the Noith Pole, but without success, and the loss of money and life has been considerable in carrying out the undertaking. Efforts have also been made to reach the South Pcfle, but they have been unavailing also. As the subject ol an Antarctic expedition is of more than usual interest to New Zealand colonists it will doubtless be instructive to review what has been done in the past. The first to penetrate within or southward of the Antarctic Circle with an avowed purpose of ascertaining whether land or water occupied the far-distant region, was Captain Cook. More than a ceniu - ago he started and discovered Sandwirb Island. Coming down to the present century one navigator discovered the South Orkneys, -I'-ither Palmer’s Land, a third Alexander’s uar>d, a fourth Eaderby's Land and Graham's land. One, Weddell, reached as far South as the 74th degree of latitude, within 1000 miles of the South Pole. In 1837 Louise Phillipe despatched Admiral Duruot D’Urville with the corvettes Astrolabe nnd Zellee, and dc. -v- a series of three years’ voyaging many islands were discovered. The United States Government about the same time placed the ships Vincennes and Peacock under Lieutenant Wilkes, with instructions ts push as far South as possible, and look out for new lan Is. The Porpoise, the Sea Gull aod the Flying Fish afterwards joined in the search, and for four years much ocean was traversed, but the results were small. The Sea Gull met with disaster somewhere, and was never heard of. Some of our readers will remember the memorable expedition under Sir James Buss. The British Association suggested it in 1838 in order that information might be obtained concerning the South Magnetic Pole—a matter of much importance to science. The Government responding to the appeal fitted out the Erebus and Terror, and placed them under James Ross. This expedition left England in 1839, an# was away for four years. Ross first sighted latge compact icebergs in latitude 63, and four degrees further southing brought him to the edge of the pack, a vast field of hummock ice extending over an unknown number of miles. The men were supplied with extra warm doming, although it was only a fortnight after the longest day, and preparations were made for dashing through the fioe-ioe and hummocks at points where the more solid pack could be avoided. Steering boldly but carefully through huge masses of ice they espied land in the shape of two ice-capped mountains, each exceeding 7000 feet in height, with glaciers filling the intervening valleys. On dry land near these mountains Sir James Ross hoisted the British flag at a distance of about 1300 miles from the South Pole and 1800 due south of New Zealand. Victoria Land was the name given to the regions. Farther inland "tlmr magnificent icescovered mountains ould he seen soaring o - height of 12,000 or r4 000 leet, far exceeding anything known i . the Arctic region. When some days after i •in the aaips reached the 76th degree of eoiuh latitude Ross felt certain that no human buiug had ever been so near the South Pole (then just about 1000 miles distant), and there was great rejoicing on board both ships. Wonderful it was to see a raging volcano in such a region. A long stretch of laud was seen to be marked by two magnificent mountains ; one of which, an active volcano, 12,000 feet high, received the name of Mount Erebus ; while the other, an extinct volcano of somewhat less height, was named lit the companion ship Terror. All on board the em," wcrein . ho P ea ** '‘ ould surmount the icy obs L r lca to further progress, but they were disappointed. Jn front of the mainland to which the mountains belonged could be seen a white lino marking a perpendicular cliff of ice, averaging 200 Aet above the sea, perfectly flat and level at the top. There was no possibility of pene» bating through it or climbing up upon it. Distant mountains could be seen over and beyond the barrier less than 700 miles from the Pole. The ships followed the im- of this gigantic ice wall, watching for an opening in it. Fully 100 miles were thus traversed but ithout finding a gap or chasm. As there . depth of nearly 2000 feet of water where the ship coasted along, Roes inferred that the great icy barrier was formed upon a ledge of rook. Rosa did not winter in these regions. He spout three summers in bis exploration, while bo boused his ships for the intervening winter either at Tasmania or Falkland Island. The gallant commander ones touched the 78th parallel of latitude, leas by three or four hundred miles than the approach which has been made to the North Pole. Lieut Moore, in the Pagoda, a few years afterwards sttoff to make further discoveries, but he did not get within 1400 milts ol the Pole. So far little is known of this southerly region, and should another attempt be made to penetrate it the people of Australia and New Zealand will be specially interested in the explorations.