In the meantime we know that the members of the expedition on board the Maud are busy with the work previously laid out for them, Meteorological, magnetic oceanographic and aerological observations fave taken as it is the chief object of the expedition to bring—home Valuable data on these subjects, but this is not all, A number of dogs and sleighs are part of the equipment and sub-expeditions are being sent in over the ice in various directions in search of things: unknown, A small Curtiss aro-plane, the Oriole, was also carried along' but this was smashed in the sunimer of 1923 when making a Jnnding on the Due to the fact that it is now more than six months ago that the Maud was last heard from by wireless, many reports and rumours are in chreulation, Some. of the old whaling captains fear that the Maud has joined the phantom fleet, which according to ancient Eskimo legends, caught by a mysterious current, is eiveling round and round the Pole vainly seeking for peace, while an authority like Captain J. E. Bernier, Canada's veteran favetie. explorer," has expressed his fears that the Maud, powerless in the grip of the ico, has been caught by the wrong current as a result of which she may have been, sooner oF later will be, wrecked 07 the coast of the Siberian Islands, Needless to sny these reports and rumours are entirely without foundation. There may be a hundred and one perfectly good reasons, why the Maud cannot now or during the remainder of her journey send communications by wireless. The: atmospheric conditions in her present position may prevent her radio from being heard; again, storm may have damaged her wireless outfit beyond repair, something may have happened to the batteries or even the motor or the wireless operators—the Maud carries two—may be incapacitated. The wireless station is really more of @ luxury than a ossify for the expedition and ite being out of order will way delay or handicap the drift.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.