Antarctic Expedition.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 7, 3 October 1907, Page 10

Antarctic Expedition.

ITS OBJECTS. THE POLE IF POSSIBLE. Lieutenant E. H. Shackelton, who is in charge of the Nimrocl Antarctic expedition, contributed ail intcrestng, account of his plan of operations to the March.number of the "Geographical Journal." He stated that the expedition would, unlike that of the Discovery, consist of a small shoro party of nine to twelve men, who . would winter at the winter quarters of the Discovery. The ship, ho stated, would not leave New Zealand until . February, when tho sua in the south was freo of ico. On anding the party tho vessel would return to New Zealand, and tho charter would be up until the following year. There would thus bo no risk of the ship being frozen in, and there would be 110 responsibility to thoso at home. "The funds at our disposal admit of the following programme," continued Lieutenant Shackclton "The shoro party of nino or twelvo men will winter with sufficient equipment to enable threo separate parties to startoofu f ,ii tho spring. One party will go east.,' and, if possible, across tho barrier to the new land known as King Edward the Seventh's Land, follow the coast-lino there south, if the coast trends south, or north if north, returning when it is considered necessary to do so. T'ho second party will proceed south on the same route as that of the southern sledge party of tho Discovery. This party will keep from 15 to 20 miles from tho coast, so a Gto avoid any rough ice. The third party will possibly proceed westward over the mountains, and instead of crossing in a lino due west will strike towards the magnetic pole. PONIES AND A MOTOR-CAR. "The main changes in equipmvit will bo that Siberian ponies will bo taken for tho sledge journey both east and south, and also a specially designed motor-car for the southern journey. A North China or Siberian pony is capable of dragging 1300 lbs. on a food basis of lOlbs. per J'iv. A dog drags lOOlbs. a tho outside and requires over 21bsr of food a day. Therefore, one pony drags as much lis eighteen dogs at less than onethird in weight of provisions, and i on travel comfortably 20 to' 25 miles a day. "The motor will bo of a special type, taking . into consideration the temperatures to bo encountered and the surfaco to bo travelled, on. I would propose to take threo or four ponies on tho southern journey, and the motor-car. As long as tho car continued to remain satisfactory it alone jvould' ho used to drag our equipment and provisions. If it broke down and- could not bo fixed up; then the ponies would take over the load. ■ OVER TWENTY MILES A DAY. "I would proposo travelling at the rate of 20 to 25 miles a day, and feel assured that, providing ?hr motor does its work, s we. could reach with it a point beyond 82deg.' 16 mill. S. I intend every 100 miles to drop u sledge-load : of provisions and equipment, so that, in the event of every- means of traction breaking down except' by men, we would >r !y have 100 miles to go between' each -depot on return. Tho geographical South Pole is 731 miles from the winter quarters, and, allowing that .we only go with tho motor to 82dcg. M.Gmin.,. we would then practically be -starting for the remaining 464 miles as fresh as if' wo wore starting from the ship. "What lies beyond 83deg. S. we cannot tell, but 1 am of opinion that we can follow tho. trend of the south ern mountains for a very long way south, before they turn either cast or west. Should they turn to the eastward, and wo find it impossible to'get over thein with tho ponies, wo would pull the sledges ourselves tip tho nearest available glacier. If no way up the mountains is found, wo would continue following them round to the'eastward until wo foi.'J it necessary to return towards winter quarters. If, on the other hand, tho mountains turned to the w.-st, we would continue straight southi and, if tho surfaco were favourable, would increase tho distanco between our depot's to 150 miles, to admit, of a moro extended journey. On reaching the geographical Pole, wo should striko at angle about north west, and so pick up the mountains to tho westward. When it became necessary to return, wo-would then striko due oast, and begin picking up our last depots. SCIENTIFIC OBJECTS.. "I do not intend to sacrifico tho scientific utility of the expedition to a mere record-breaking journoy, but say frankly, all the same, that one of my great efforts will bo -to reach the southern geographical Pole. I shall in no way neglect to continuo the biographical, meteorological, geological, and magnetic work of the Discovery. Should wc ; luivo' sufficient funds we would -land a small party of men at the nearest available point to the south-magnetic Polo. When the time camo for sledging thoy would movo over the mountains towards tho Polo, taking careful observations tho wholo t.inio, and if good fortune attends them, •iiid they roach tho Polej thoy would survey ,tho magnetic aror. as far as possible. During their winter, stay in tho vicinity of Mount Melbourne, the magnetic instruments would bo running, and meteorological observations would bo taken at the; same' timo as thoy would ho taken in our winter quarters, so that a comparison could bo made afterwards. If possible, in tho winter quarters, where also magnetic observations will be taken, wo would have a small launch in uso for tho remainder of the sumnie r,in which the biologist could do marine dredging in a more continuous way than wo were able to do on tho Discovery. . As regards geology, the wintering party by Mount Melbourne would havo a new field to work on', and I would propose that careful observations and collections be mado in nil departments, -the results of which could lie worked out bv thoso at Home, more qualified to do so than the. field workers; and if tho expedition proves a success, we intend to publish in as complete a manner as possible all the scientific results. By this means I would hope to havo an .expedition that will not only be successful in the field, hut will make a mark in the scientific world on its return. < PLANS FOR RETURN. "On tho return of, tho vessel in February, 1009, the first party to be picked up would bo that in the far south the second party at Mount Melbourne would be picked up on the return. ... I propose, after picking up the party at Mount- Melbourne. to proceed north of the Ballenv Islands, come down south again at the longitude where the Discovery turned north, and keep m as far south as possible before it is as for south as possible to trace the north-western coast of Wilkes's Land, going as far west as possible before it is necessary to turn north. If we eould settlo the cxact coast-line, of Wilkes's Land, it would bo a ffroat help to geography. liy the. southern ami eastern sledge iournav we may

possibly solve the problem of tho great ice-harrier; by t!io journey along Wilkes's Land wo may lay down a definite coast-line; by tho charting of new mountains and discovery of now lands in the far south wo aid geographical science; by tho magnetic work wo help not , only tho academic; sido of magnetic science, inifc we may help tho mercantile community in tho way of better variation , charts."

Lieutenant Shackelton ' also stated that, if possible, during tho winter tho expedition would try to watch the breeding and nesting of tho Emperor penguins. Such things as a cinematograph for showing the movements of tlio penguins, and a phonograph for recording their cries, would bo :>ngst tho things taken to give people at Home a netter knowledge of tho natural history of the place.