Evening star., 1953-11-24
French Probe Antarctic
From Windiest Bose
Nap Mission Succeeding
Despite 100-M.P.H. Coles
By Thomos R. Henry

Frances southernmost outpost is the
windiest spot on earth.
1t is Port-Martin on the ice-cliffed
Antarctic coast of Adele Land less
than $50 miles north Of the south
magnetic pole. Here the velocity Of
the winds blowing northward from the
South Pole seldom goes below 100 miles
an hour. A settlement, with personnel
changed each year. has been set UP for
exploration Of that sector Of the Ant
arctic Continent claimed by France in
virture Of the discovery Of land by Capt.
Jules Dumont-D D'Urville in 1840.
D'Urville and the American explorer
Capt. Charles Wilkes, founder of the
Naval Observatory in Washington, were
in the same waters at about the same
time.
These French explorers are making
considerable progress IN mapping the
Adele coastline, according to reports
in Cambridge Uuiversity's Polar Record.
Much Of the territory was surveyed and
photographed from the air by the
United States Navy expedition led by
Admiral Richard E. Byrd In 1867.
One of the major efforts Of the French
has been to secure astronomical fixes
for points which can be identified from
the Navy tri-metragon photos.
Precautions Necessary.
Much of the Adele coastline, ac-
cording to the report, now has been
traversed by snow vehicles fitted with
enclosed cabins. When it Is necessary
to leave the vehicles, three men go
out roped together because Of the
danger of falling into crevaSses or OF
being blown down and knocked un-
conscious against the ice. The ex-
plorers have found the coast generally
lined with sheer ice cliffs, 100 to 200
feet high, facing the sea.
There are, however, occasional rock
outcrops which form low capes and sew
eral rocky off-shore islands which had
not been recorded hitherto. Several
attempts have been made to reach the
south magnetic pole, but all these have
failed, due to the high winds and the
rough ice.
theoretically, the unceasing winds
should be an excellent source of electric
power for the little settlement. The
French have found it impractical, how
ever, because their machinery quickly
becomes clogged with drifting snow.
Penguin ROokery.
Among the most interesting discov-
cries has been a winter rookery OF en-
peror penguins at point called Cap
Geologic, described as the Cote d'Azur
of Adele Land because it is somewhat
sheltered from the blizzards. This ap-
parently is the reason it has been picked
by the birds. This rookery seems to
differ from those observed in the past
because the penguinS show no activity
and seem to be alternating.
When first seen, says one report. this
rookery looked like huge black slab
of rock. There were more than 5000
penguins huddled together, each with
its head tucked between the shoulders
of it's neighbors."
Even at this far outpost some OF
the amenities of Partisan life have been
preserved. The expedition cook last
winter, for example, was Paris chef
who turned his art to strictly native
dishes. He prepared tournedoS rossini
de skua; bouchees a la refine la cer-
velle de phoque, and Saint -Honores aux
oeufs de pingouins.
With his ministration, according to
the reports, even skuas, the gullS which
are abundant all over the Antarctic
coast and are reputed the most vora-
cious birds on earth, were quite edible.
The chef went wrong, however, when he
prepared a tasty dish Of "amphipodes
a PAmericaine," that is, out of the
minute shrimps which abound by bill
lions in Antarctic waters. Everybody in
the party got food poisoning from that
concoction.