THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY
AUSTRALIA'S RULE IN ANTARCTIC
ADMINISTERING
AT THE POLE
PROTECTING COLONIES OF WILD LIFE
By CMDR. M. H. MOYES, R.A.N..
sumed control over the Ross Sen aren discovered by her ships in 1840 und sarveyed to a great ex- lent by later British expeditions. This dependency which included the aren between longitudes 150° W: and 100 E. was placed under the control of New Zealand with to whaling regulations similar those of the Falkland Islands Dependency,
France claimed territorial rights over Adelle Land, longitude 139* to 142 B., and placed it under the administration of Madagascar in
1924.
In the sector, between longitudes 160° E. and 45 E. the British. Empire had a claim to a title In In The Christian Science Monitor
many areas, including Enderby Ever they hear the floe-pack sector of the antarctic-continent-Land, Kemp Land, Queen Mary clear and the blast of the this name was given to it by Wilkes Land, George V Land and Oates old bull-whala
began to take shape, Rosa' Cape Land. By claim to a title, I mean And the deep seal-ront that Adare, D'Urville's Adelie Land, claim by discovery calanced in beats off-shore above the and. Wilkes Land showing that the many cases by visitation and sur- loudest galo
continent extended roughly to the vey. At the imperial conference Ever they great the hunted antarctic circle (66° south Inti-in 1926, Australia gave notification feet lono kools off head-tude), but except for a few ships, of a claim to certain regions, and lands drear ..
antarctic sens now had a rest for the magnitude of the whaling en- When the scaling schooners flit 50 years, when the siege began terprises with the attendant danger
that way, at hazard, year by once more.
усак.
KIPLING.
AT CAPE ADARE
under
of the extermination of the whales in southern seas caused the Aus- tralian Government to tako fur- ther steps in the matter.
The extent to which the industry had grown is shown by the follow
Year Number of whales killed 1922-23
history of the portion of In 1899, Borchgrevink landed at Tthe antaretle continent which Cape Adare with a marty which lics to the south of Australla and was the first to "winter on tho New Zealand in faterwoven with continent, and was followed during ing figures: the histories of these countries. the succeeding 30 years by the One hundred and sixty years ago, great polar expeditions when he was surveying the coast Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen, Maw-
aon and Byrd. lines of Australia, Captain Cook also searched for the mythical con- tinent around the south pole, and although he found no land, he showed that, if such a continent existed, it did not extend past the sixtieth parallel of latitude,
Each of these lenders, with the exception of Mawson, chose the Ross Sea as a base, and, although they performed a great amount of scientific work, there is no doubt that the "south pole" was the main objective.
1923-24
1924-26
1920-20
1926-27 1927-28
1928-20
1929-30
1930-31
18,000
. 17,000
23,000
28,000
23,000
23,000
28,000
31,000
.42,000
While in 1930 there were about During the early years of the nineteenth century, daring Ameri- Many Australians and New Zea-280 vessels of various sizes in ant- can acamen, particularly those landers took part in the Scott and uretic sean. from Stonington, Conn., ventured Shackleton expeditions and the
After this season the supply of year after year into the seas south names of some-David, Mawson, whale oll became greater than the of America, but as they could Tayler, Ferrar and Debenham-demand, and the firms engaged obtain all the seals they required are now well known among men made an agreement between them-. from the subantarctle Islands, did interested in polar exploration. selves limiting the catch to about not try to probe the secrets beyond Of these, Mawson and David made two million barrels per year (prob- the ice pack.
that wonderful journey to the ably about 30,000 whales). This Captain Cook's report of the south magnetic pole, while all con-was a business agreement only and wealth of life in the southern seas tributed to the geographical and something more permanent was re- aroused the interest of English geological knowledge of the region. quired to insure the continued ex- firms, among them the firm It was on their return from the istence of the "life" in antaretle Enderby Brothers. This firm seat Shackleton expedition that David seus.
BANZARE EXPEDITION out many ships with instructions and Mawson again aroused Austrá to explore the area as well as carry on their aenling operations, and their cruises along the edge of the pack gave to the world the rat knowledge of the antaretle contin-
ent.
of
to
lian Interest in the great unknown
In 1929, the British, Australian coast to which Australia is the nearest continent, and enthusiasm and New Zealand antaretle re- was so great that the Australasian search expedition, commonly known as the Banzare expedition, was antarctic expedition of 1911 sent to the antarctic. to obtain 1914 was financed readily.
The plans of this expedition more information about the region Most of their work was done on tho Australian alde. In 1881, differed from the other land ex-between Oates Land and Enderby Capt. James Biscoe sighted Ender.peditions in that scientifle know- Land. Sir Douglas Mawson was by Land, but was not able to force ledge was the sole object, and the again in command, having with £1 party of scientists in Cap- his way to it through the ice, and jaren chosen was along the unknown him
tain Scott's ahlp Discovery, and its position was not verified until coast line to the west of the Roas. K. Davis as master. It i the coast was charted by the Sea. Leaving Hobart In December, Capt British, Australian and New Zea 1911, the S. Y. Aurorn under the was found impossible to penetrate land Antarctic Research Expedi-command of Capt. J. K. Davis the ice pack in some areas, but dur. tion in 1929. Two years later, landed a party of scientists at Mac-ing the summers the expedition of land quarie Island and then get sull for was able to chart the const lines Kemp reported signs adjacent to Enderby Land, while Adelle Land, unseen since 1840. of Enderby Land and Kemp Land, Dr. and extend it through the new arcus of MacRobertson Land_and Balleny farther to the east dis lere Sir Douglas (then covered the Balleny Islands, and lawson innded with a large party, reported continental land which while the Aurora pushed through Frincess Elizabeth Land. Knox Land, named by Wilkes in 1840, the ice pack to the west, to land has been called Sabrina Land.
All the scaling ships refitted in another party under Frank Wild. was sighted from the seaplane and King George V Land was again Sydney and Hobart during the The heavy pack, prevented a land-visited. At various points land- winter acasons, so that it was from fall being made till 1,200 miles had theso Australian towns that the been passed, and then a landing ings were made and Sir Douglas news of the discoveries spread not was made and hut bullt on a large hoisted the flag claiming British
sovereignty over only to the world at large but also ice shelf 20 miles from the con- addition to the mapping of the to the leaders of the great aclenti-tinent.
great length of coast line, much fle expeditions which were in ac
oceanographic work was carried
directions during the following surveys were made on subantarc Admiral Wilkes, in charge of the year, and with their surveys and tic islands such as the Crozels and American Expedition of 1837, met those of the Aurora many hun-Kerguelen. Biscoe himself in Sydney. Admir-1dreds of miles of new const line
TRAVEL BY SLEDGE
****
the area.
lu
Elon at the end of the fourth e- Sledging parties went in all out, including 1,800 soundings, and
'cade.'
Australia's notification of claim
al D'Urville and Capt. James Clark were charted, in addition to the made in 1926 had not met with
any opposition to date, RORA of the French and British mapping by the inland parties. expeditions had their headquarters Much scientific Information was February, 1933, an order-in-council in Hobart, where the Governor was obtained by the geologists, biolo- was passed in
kists, etc., no that Gordon Hayes stated.
OVERLAPPING
and in
England which
1935.
Sir Basil Zaharof, the munitions king, whose dislike for photo- graphers and publicity is proverbial, le shown here with his private secretary and bodyguard, Ernest McDermott, an Irishman, leaving
the Hotel De Paris in Monte Carlo, where hu je apanding the winter.
The Nel swastika dominates the Saar without question result of the plebiscite. The victory sweep surprised even Nazi leaders who arranged the tremendons demonstration of strength at Saarbruecken pictured above. The 100,000 voters brought from all parts of the Saar for the rally stood in a whirling snowstorm at
lute while Storm Troops marched in review. "
Sir John Franklin, who later lost his life in the arctle while search in his "Conquest of the South (1) that part of His Majesty's ing for the Northwest Passage in Pole" anys, "More geographical Dominions in the antarctic scas the same ships, Erebus and Terror and scientific discoveries had been which comprises all the islands and which now lay in Hobart with minde than on any previous antare-territories other than Adolie Land Ross' expedition,,
tie expedition."
which are situated south of the Shortly after this expedition had sixtieth degree of south latitudo returned, the World War changed and lying between the one hundred toward the distant polar platenu. The routes taken by D'Urville the attention of all to the north and sixtieth degree of east long-
MINERAL WEALTH? and Wilkes overlapped to some instead of the south, and Austra-itude and the forty-fifth degree of extent, and it must have been alla's only connection with antare-cast longitude is hereby placed strange meeting when their ships tic matters was in the Shackleton under the authority of the Com-whether minerals of value will be sighted one another near the land relief expedition to the Ross Sen monwealth of Australia; which had been discovered and in 1916 and 1917, but as affairs
It is Impossible as yet to any
(2) this order shall conte into found in that ice-clad land. Most
ци
named Adelie Land by the French drifted back slowly to the old chan- operation on such date, after legis-of it is hidden under the thousands leador a fow days previously nels, thoughtful Australians relation shall have been passed by of feet of ice, and although conl- This was the only const line seen alized that a new development in the Parliament of the Common-bearing beds and metals such as by D'Urville's expedition, but the southern seas required attenwealth of Australia providing for lead, zinc, antimony and copper Wilkes ships reported land in tion. This development was the the acceptance of the said territory have been found in other areas, the many places from Ringgold's Knoll great extension of the whaling In- and the government thereof, small extent of visible land in the
may be fixed by proclamation by in longitude 158° E. to Termina-dustry.
I mentionce previously the E., and there is still much discus. activities of the sealers towards the Governor-General of the Com Australian sector would not lead sion as to the accuracy of some of the end of the eighteenth and the these reported landfalls.
early part of the nineteenth con- When Ross left Hobart, he took turies, but did not comment on the
fact
that these sealers had prac-
tion Land in about longituds 97"
after him. Salling past Capo 1778, for instance, British scalers for a short period," do not bellevo i tho régulation of whaling was
monwealth of Australia,
one to be optimistle about its The necessary Jogislation was economic value.
ernment in 1934.
The wealth of the depondency is passed by the Commonwealth Gov- bis ships farther to the east, and tically extorminated the sea bears, antarctic continent will envy Aus- lia's wealth but her responsibility Fow of those who have seen the in the sca, and this is not Austra pushing them through the ice pack better known as fur scals, and tralia her acquisition, while many was fortunate in finding himself
At the Assembly of the League of those who have seen that con of Nations in 1931 a document for in the large opon sea now called caused a great diminution in the
numbers of sca elephants. In tinent, or have worked on it even Adare, he followed along the ma-alone returned to England with that Australia has
signed by the majority of the na Jostic range the Admiralty Range
gained il he came to the Great 40,000 senlskins and 6,000 tons of but responsibility. tlona interested, but this is not yot
In a few places along the three thousand in force miles of the new dependency is any These regulations prohibit the land visible. Very different is it killing of certain species, calves, from the wonderful western coast ote, and for the licensing of the line of the Ross Sea with the glori vessels engaged, but it is also necessary to watch over the other.
Barrier, since famous as the start- sea clephant oil.
ing place of the polar expeditions. Ross was very disappointed at be
IMPROVED METHODS
ing unable to reach the south With the Improved methods of magnetic polo, as he had with him whaling, there was a danger that
numerous
the same flag ho had planted on the whales would follow the fur ous peaks of the Admiralty animal, re of the south. The the north magnetle pole (1836) reals into oblivion, and in 1908 the The western portion surveyed
Ono can imagine the enthusiasm Weddell Sea area was proclaimed ing 1929-31 has some mountain penguins (peculiar to southern with which the nows of the disa dependency by England the ranges, but except for the small waters), seals, and coveries was received at Hobart Falkland Islands Dependency and Gaussberg in about longitude 10 varieties of birds must be protect and also in England when the in- ordinances were issued which re- the coast line which has beened lest during the future activities formation reached there three gulated, the whating, while provid-
between MacRobertson of the Increasing number of whal- -months later.:
ing money for eccanographic reLand and Oates Land consista ing ships, these animals share the search in that area.
mainly of vortical Ice cliffe, with fate which overtook the fur seals In 1929, England had also as the ice cap sloping over upward one hundred years ago.
As a result of these expeditions, the const no of the Australian
sighted
This is the first of a fleet of motor torpedo boats, built in Eng. land for Slam. Thay are 55 fast Jong, have a speed of 40 knots an hour and are equipped with
· torpedoes and machine-gunac
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