ANTARCTIC EXPLORATIONS 



polar work. The nineteen Siberian sledge ponies on board were the 

 first to be used in antarctic exploration. 



While passing through the pack-ice, magnetic observations, deep- 

 sea soundings, serial sea temperatures and marine specimens were 

 obtained. 



On January 4, 1911, a landing was made at Cape Evans and a 

 base established. Depots of food were established before the ant- 

 arctic winter set in. 



On October 24, the South Pole Party, with four supporting 

 parties, left the winter camp. On January 4, at lat. 87" 34', the last 

 supporting party turned back. 



The Polar Party covered the remaining 145 geographical miles 

 in a fortnight. After passing lat. 88", Captain Scott came across 

 Amundsen's dog tracks and followed them to the polar area. Scott, 

 Wilson, Oates, Bowers and Seaman Evans reached the South Pole 

 on January 17, 1912, 32 days after Amundsen. All members of 

 Captain Scott's Polar Party perished on the return journey. The 

 records together with the famous death message of Captain Scott 

 were recovered eleven miles from One Ton Camp by the search 

 party. 



The short expedition led by Taylor and Wilson to various points 

 in the vicinity of MacMurdo Sound were successful, while the epedi- 

 tion to King Edward VII. Land was a failure. 



Many scientific data were collected by the various parties of this 

 expedition. 



DOUGLAS MAWSON 

 Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914 



A urora 



Dr. Douglas Mawson of the University of Adelaide, Australia, 

 left Hobart, Tasmania, in December, 1911, on board the Aurora to 

 explore the long stretch of coast known as Wilkes Land, lying 

 between Cape Adare and Kaiser Wilhelm II. Land, His ship was 

 well equipped for oceanographic and magnetic work. A number 

 of Greenland dogs and Norwegian-built sledges were taken. Dr. 

 Mawson and the main party were landed in Commonwealth Bay, 

 Wilkes Land, on January 19, 1912. 



On February 20, Mr. Frank Wild and seven companions, con- 

 stituting a second party, were landed by Captain Davis of the Aurora, 

 1,000 miles east of the main party. They discovered a tract of land 



