20 
NATURE 
[Marcu 7, 1912 
existence or non-existence of New South Greenland, 
discovered by Captain Johnson in 1821-22, and re- 
visited and described by Morrell in 1822-23—the 
summer Weddell attained the high latitude of 74° 15/ 
S. in those longitudes. If Filchner falls in with New 
South Greenland it will almost preclude the pos- 
sibility of the existence of the suggested ice-covered 
strait cutting across Antarctica from the Ross to the 
Weddell Sea. 
Altogether, the German expedition has most in- 
teresting and fascinating problems to solve, and with 
such a good ship—the Deutschland—with such excel- 
lent equipment and staff, and so competent a leader, 
should not fail to bring us back much valuable in- 
formation. 
The Australian expedition, under the able leader- 
ship of Dr. Douglas Mawson, is on quite a different 
plan from any of the others in the field, and in that 
it will do not only a considerable amount of hydro- 
graphical work, but will also make deep-sea biological 
research a special feature, it resembles more the 
general plan of the late Scottish expedition. In fact, 
the Aurora’s trawling gear is much the same as that 
used by the Scotia, and she carries with her the 
Scotia’s quick-working winch, which was used for 
hauling up the sounding apparatus, the deep-sea 
water-bottles and thermometers, and vertical plankton 
net. Mawson also emphasises meteorology, especially 
in relationship to Australia. 
The Aurora, which was refitted in London under 
the guidance of Captain Davis—who is her master, 
and was previously master of the Nimrod—left 
Hobart on December 2, and pushed south-eastward, 
calling at the Macquarie Islands on December 21, 
after which Mawson intended to land a party west 
of Cape North, directly north of the magnetic pole. 
This party will hope to complete the magnetic data 
yet wanting in the vicinity of the south magnetic pole. 
Proceeding eastward, a second party will be landed 
at Clarie Land, and a third at Knox Land. These 
parties, by man, dog, and motor sledges, will seel< to 
map out the coastline to the east and west of their 
respective stations. The voyage is then to be pro- 
longed westward about the latitude of the Antarctic 
circle as far as Enderby Land, whence the Aurora will 
return to Fremantle. é 
The programme is a verv ambitious one, and Maw- 
son may rest well satisfied if he lands but one party 
and carries out a general investigation of this little 
known and much disputed coast, including oceano- 
eraphical and meteorological survey. In TO cue 
viz., the longitude of Kerguelen Island, an attempt 
will be made to penetrate southward as well as in the 
longitude of the magnetic pole. Mawson regards this 
part of the Antarctic continent to which his efforts 
are to be directed as by far the most important por- 
tion of Antarctica vet to be explored. He points out 
that ‘along the whole 2000 miles of coast between 
Cape Adare and Gaussberg a landing has been made 
once only, and then but for a few hours, by d’Urville’s 
expedition in 1840. Only a few vessels have ever 
come within sight of this coast, and practically none 
since the days of d’Urville and Wilkes.” ; 
Mr. Alfred Reid tells me that lack of coal may 
render it necessary for the Aurora to put into 
Kerguelen for ballast on her return to Fremantle 
under canvas. In April the Aurora will again go 
south with a number of Australian men of science in 
order to carry out dredging and sounding in seas 
between Australia and Antarctica, and in December 
the Aurora will proceed south once more to pick up 
Dr. Mawson and his colleagues at the three stations. 
Mawson carries with him an aéroplane and certifi- 
cated air pilot, and has, like Filchner, an installation 
NO. 2210, VOL. 89] 
of wireless telegraphy. The expedition, which carries 
a crew and staff of fifty persons, is well supported — 
by the Australian and British Governments and by 
private enterprise. 
Mawson is a geologist of the first order and a 
trained magnetic observer, and with Shackleton’s ex- 
pedition gained an intimate insight into the geology 
of Antarctica and its relationship to Australasian 
geology. He is an enthusiast, and his plans are 
original and well thought out. Mawson is well sup- 
ported by Captain Davis and an excellent scientific 
staff, and thus the Australian expedition is sure of a 
scientific success, and more especially so since the 
expedition is not hampered by taking part in the race 
to the pole. 
As I have already stated, little is known of the 
plans and prospects of the Japanese expedition, but it 
is to be hoped that they will be rewarded with a 
rich harvest of scientific results that will encourage 
future efforts on the part of Japan. 
Finally, success is assured for the enterprising 
Republic of Argentina, with meteorological and mag- 
netical work at the first-class station at Scotia Bay, 
which now commences work for the tenth consecutive 
year—a triumph without equal in the annals of polar 
exploration. Every year the Argentines send out a 
party of trained meteorologists and magneticians, who 
winter at Scotia Bay, frozen in and cut off completely 
from the rest of the world for twelve months, and it 
is interesting to note that the leaders of this worl, 
under the able directorship of Mr. Walter J. Davis, 
of the Oficina Meteorologica Argentina, have been 
trained at Ben Nevis Observatory, which the British 
Government persistently refuses to support for no 
other reason apparently than that it happens to lie 
north of the Tweed. 
Wirtiam S. Bruce. 
FISHERIES OF BENGAL. 
pets Journal of the Royal Society of Arts of 
December 22, Itgtr, contains a full report of a 
paper on the fisheries of Bengal, by Dr. J. T. 
Jenkins, read before the society on November 14. In 
response to an invitation from the Indian Govern- 
ment, the author proceeded to India in October, 
1908, for the purpose of undertaking, during a period 
of eishteen months, a practical investigation into the 
| pessibilities of the fisheries of the Bay of Bengal and 
the Sandarbans. He was provided with a trawling 
steamer, the Golden Crown, which was unfortunately 
not so efficient as she might have been; and with 
—— 
this vessel trawling was carried on for a considerable | 
' period in various parts of the bay, work being carried 
on night and day. As a rule, four hauls were made 
per diem, and it was found, despite the monsoon, that 
trawling can be carried on at all seasons of the vear. 
The results fullv confirmed the anticipations which 
had previously been made by- Lieut.-Col. Alcock and 
others as to the richness of the fishery, large supplies 
of the food-fishes most esteemed in the Calcutta 
market, as well as others, being obtained. 
Even the coarser kinds would find a ready sale 
| among the poorer classes of Bengalis, while in the 
case of uneatable species like sharks and swordfishes 
the liver and fins could be utilised. 
As to the practicability of bringing the catches in 
good condition to market, it was found that, if stored 
in ice, the fish would keep perfectly well for a certain 
time. In the event of the fishery being worked com- 
mercially, it is recommended that Diamond Harbour, 
which is much lower down the Hughli than Calcutta, 
with which it is connected by railway, should be 
selected as a base for trawling. 
