THE STACKHOUSE EXPEDITION

Press, Volume L, Issue 14985, 4 June 1914, Page 7

THE STACKHOUSE EXPEDITION

Ctroj. or* owk connri.roN-ni.NT.*. LONDON, April 24. The British Antarctic Expedition, 1914, will not start from this country until September. August Ist was the

original date- fixed for tho departure. Tho delay, however, makes no difference to tho time schedule drawn \i_y Mr J. Foster Stnckbouse, tho loader of the expedition, explains:— "Wo want to get'into tho ico about tho end of January, and if wo leavo England in September, that allows us plenty of time. There are several reasons for tho delay. Ono is that wo have not got quite all tho money we wanted. Then some of our men are getting certain instructions, and wo also want to havo tho ship properly overhauled. I don't suppose for a moment that there is anything tho matter with tlio Discovery, which is possibly the finest ship ever built for this kind of work, but if we are going to spend three years, and possibly four, on hoard her, wo want to mako quito sure before embarking on tho undertaking that everything is quito sound. There has been" no real hitch anywhere, and you may rest assured that tho oxpeditioi. wilt sail in good time and properly equipped." Tho Discovery is to bo overhauled at Appledore, near Bideford, where thero are efficient facilities for properly examining a wooden vessel. SIR E. SHACKXETON'S SLEEP.TNGBAG. • Sir Ernest. Shackleton will have-tho lightest slooping-bag in existence when ho goes on his next expedition. It is t> bo mado of kapok—tbo fibrous, silky material obtain.cd from the seed-pods of a tree growing largely in Java. Kapok is six times as light as cotton, and is so oily that it is quite waterproof. A new machine has been invented with which it is intended to "card" tho kapok fibre- attempts to prepare it in this way, go that it cau ho used for coat linings, bed quilts, and ?o on, have been made for tho past iwenty "rears, without success. Tho new machines will shortly bo installed iv London. A mattress stuffed with kapok was recently tested in tho water, and though only weighing 101h, it supj ported a man weighms 2001b lying on lit. _'.■:.