HISTORY OF THE EXPEDITION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 464, 24 March 1909, Page 8

HISTORY OF THE EXPEDITION.

/ THE NIMROO'S VOYACES,

' SCIENTISTS AND CREW. The broad history of the expedition is quickly told. Tho stout little Nimrod left London on July 31, 1907, and called at Cowos, where the King and Queen went on board, on a visit of inspection. His Majesty conferred tho Victorian Order on Lieutenant Shackleton, and the Queen presented tho ship with a flag, to bo planted on the South Pole, ;if tho explorers wore lucky enough to discover it. The vessel arrived at Lyttelton on Saturday, November 23, after a splendid passage. Tho ship's company was then as follows-.—Captain Rupert England, in command; formerly of tho Antarctica' relief steamer Moreing; Mr. John K. Daries, formerly chief officer of the training-ship Port Jackscun; Mr. A. E. M'lntosi, late of tho P. and 0. service, second officer; Mr. Cluthon, formerly boatswain of the Morning, third officer; Mr. Dunlop, chief engineer; Mr. Craft, second engineer; Dr. Mitchell, medical officer; Mr. Murray, biologist; Mr. M'lvay, assistant biologist. Dr. Mitchell, M.8., the ship's surgeon, is a young Canadian, win took his degree at Toronto University. His experience of snow and ice in Ontario was expected to bo of use to him in the Antarctic. Dr. Mackay, M.8., the zoologist, was to have charge of the Manchnriaii ponies, besides collecting work. Mr. Murray; biologist, is a Glasgow man, without previous experience of Polar work. . | On November 23, the Nimrod reached' Lyttelfcon, and soon afterwards Lieutenant Shackloton arrived in Wellington, having como out via Australia. Tho departure from Lyttelton was made on January I, 1908,- the Nimrod being towed to tho ice regions by the Union Company's steamer Koonya, under Captain Evans. Bad weather was 'experienced, and after some days-it was found that the strain of tho towing was telling on the ship. She was badly strained, and began to leak. Lieutenant Shackleton put the scientific party at the pumps, day and night, until they got past,the shrieking fifties, and the weather improved: : The 'heavy seas had washed away the bulwarks forward, port and starboard sides. On January 15 the vessels reached the ice, .and the Koonya put back to Lyttelton; In view of the small amount of coal available, and the strained condi- | tion of the Nimrod, it was decided to try a new way south to avoid the pack-ice, and go down on the 178 th meridian west. For hours the vessel threaded a difficult passage

cept for tiro new hands, one of whom, D. Nelson, had been on tho Morning. There irpin four new men in the engineers' department, i Tho Now Zealand Government contributed £1000 towards the expenses of the expedition, and the Commonwealth £5000. THREE JIECORPS.

Mr. .H. L Dunlop, the chief engineer of the Nimrod, stated that on the first voyago south and back New Zealand coal was