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The discovery of the Antarctic not only proved one of the most interesting of all geographical adventures， but created what might be called the heroic age of Antarctic exploration。 By their tremendous heroism， men such as Shakleton， Scott， and Amundsen caused a new continent to emerge from the shadows， and yet that heroic age， little more than a century old， is already passing. Modern science and inventions are revolutionizing the endurance， future journeys into these icy wastes will probably depend on motor vehicles equipped with caterpillar traction rather than on the dogs that earlier discoverers found so invaluable and hardly comparable. Few realize that this Antarctic continent is almost equal in size to South America， and enormous field of work awaits geographers and prospectors. The coasts of this continent remain to be accurately charted， and the maping of the whole of the interior presents a formidable task to the cartographers who undertake the work. Once their labors are completed， it will be possible to prospect the vast natural resources which scientists believe will furnish one of the largest treasure hoards of metals and minerals the world has yet known， and almost inexhaustible sources of copper， coal， uranium， and many other ores will become available to man. Such discoveries will usher in an era of practical exploitation of the Antarctic wastes. The polar darkness which hides this continent for the six winter months will be defeated by huge batteries of light， and make possible the establishing of air-fields for the future inter-continental air services by making these areas as light as day. Present flying routes will be completely changed， for the Antarctic refueling bases will make flights from Australia to South America comparatively easy over the 5，000 miles journey. | 
