New Britain herald., 1928-07-30

New York. July 80. Rt-When the
ancient geographers put big Write
patch at the bottoms of their maps
and labeled it Terra Australis, 4"
they made good guess.
Although subsequent exploration
revealed that they had assigned
far too much space to land in the
southern regions, the discovery of
Antarc,ica, Australia and the is
land groups off those continents
substantiated the hypothesis that
the lower attitudes Of the globe
We're by no means occupied only
by water.
Early sixteenth century mans
extended the south polar lands as
tar north as the Tropic of Capri
corn, but this theory was quickly
dispelled by the voyagers who cir
cled the tip of South America, The
age of discovery also cast discredit
on the pretty story about the four
rivers of Paradise that flowed from
a mighty mountain at the Soutb
Pole.
Strangely enough, men learned
later that the pole actually w,
atop 1o.o0Ofoot plateau in the
heart OF Antarctica, and SO the
savants of old got credit for anoth-
er good guess. There are no rivers
In the vast southern continent, but
there are many high mountains.
This fall and early winter three
exploring parties, equipped with
airplanes and the best scientific
equipment obtainable, will sail into
the pack ice that surrounds the
Antarctic land. Their purpose is
to dtspel more Of the mists of un-
certainty that still hide this utter
most part of the earth. Before
them will ne unusual opportunities
for achievements: behind them. the
records OF other sturdy adventure
ers who in the course of the last
four centuries braved ice and
storm and ocean to extend mans
knowledge of his planet.
Partly because 1t was made so
inaccessible by nature and partly
because civilization was always at
such distance. Antarctica was
forced TO wait for recognition -
even for discovery-until the lower
Arctic regions had been fairly we'll
explored. The earliest contacts
with the island groups off Austria |
liza and southern South America |
we're made by the first circumnavi-
gators of the globe and by ships
that were blown by accident into |
southern ATTITUDES.
The first planned Antarctic prof.
sct was the voyage of Pedro dc
.luiros. who in 1905 sailed south |
rom Lima. Peru, to test the verac-
ty Of the map-makers and their
Terra Australis." His two little
ships got to rs degrees south lati-
ude. but there the commander
shifted his course, alarmed by the
,eavy ocean swells, and ended his
adventure by discovering the New
Captain James Cook gets credit
or having the first association
With the true Antarctic. In 1913 he
'rossed the Antarctic Circle. a feat
lever before accomplished, and
alter dipped beyond it again. PEN
trating past II degrees. His chief
accomplishment. however. was a
ircuit of the southern ocean. and
Though he saw only few islands.
lie showed that the southern CONT
tent. If 1t indeed existed. was not
onnected with the other large
divisions. Cook was
onvinced. however. that there was
ontincntal land nearer the pole.
Credit is generally given to an
Imertcan. lieutenant Charles
Wilkes of the United States navy.
or proving the correctness Of
'ook's theory. In 1slO Wilkes out
med features of the continental
margin for a distance of 1900
niles, and that part Of the Antarc-
Ic coast still bears his name.
Prior to Wilkes discoveries,
british sealers had added the South
hetland and the South Orkney is
ands to the map. and a Russian
xpedition under Captain Belling-
auscn had visited islands within
he Antarctic Circle. In 1923 James
Veddeil. whaler. pushed beyond
he seventy-fourth parallel of lati-