POLAR TRIALS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 467, 27 March 1909, Page 6

POLAR TRIALS.

PARTY'S DILEMMA. THE FARTHEST SOUTH DttSH. RETURN JOURNEY. FOOD ENOUGH TO REACH POLE, BUT NOT TO RETURN. [Tho party in the Farthest South Dash: Lieutenant E. IL Shackleton, commander; |Lieutenant J. IS. Adams, meteorologist and niagnetioian;. Dr. ii. Marshall, surguon, mapotician, and surveyor; Air. Frank Wild, one of tho officers in oharge of horses, dogs, and sleighs.] lieutenant Shacklekra's account, published in yesterday's issue, carried the bold party of four down to 88deg. 23min., beiug about 97 miles from tho South Pole, and 366 : miles farther than' any previous explorer. The following telegram from Christcburch (per Press Association) gives Lieutenant Shackleton's narrative of the return: We picked up our outward sledge tracks (said Lieutenant Shackleton) and this was fortunate, "because the blizzard bad blown away tho flags from tho poles. (These wore the. tent poles, on which thoy had previously put flags made from provision bags, for their guidance back.) Alter that, with .a sail up on the sledge (tho sail being improvised out of one of the floorcloths of the tent), we did marches daily, assisted by the wind, of distances ranging from 20 to 29 miles, crossing crevasses at full speed. Back at the Big Glacier. Wo readied the upper glacier depot on January 19. The travelling down the glacier was not w easy a job as we had expected.We had only left four days' food to carry us to the depot at tho foot of tho glacier, but owing to tho bad crevasses—rendered worse by the snow which covered them lower . down—our travelling was very slow. On the morning on January 26 we had finished all our food; our last meal consisted of boded pony and ;naize. Seeing the absolute necessity of reaching tho depot, wo tried to make forced marches, but through the deep snow and amongst the crevasses, we only succeeded by 2 o'clock on the morning of January 27 in covering 16 miles in 22 hours' hauling. We eventually reached within a mile of our depot on the afternoon of January 27, and whilst some of us pitched camp, Dr. Mar-' shall went on and got some food, consisting of- horse meat and biscuit, from the depot. Lieutenant Adams fell half an hour before wo came to camp, but directly he had recovered a little/ he went on pulling again. Picking up the Chain of Depots. After leaving the depot, we got soon on to the ice harrier again, and reached Gresi depot on February 3. Mr. Wild during this time was suffering from dysentery, due to something being wrong with the horse meat. After leaving Gresi depot the whole party was similarly alfected, and for one whole day we were unable to leave camp at aIL Helped by strong southerly winds, we eventually reached Chinaman depot with no food remaining. At Chinaman depot we loaded horse meat, 'and digging down in the snow found the frozen blood of the horse. This we added to our stock of food, the daily rations now consisting of (for the whole day) one pannikin of half-cooked horse meat, with blood, and four laiscuits, two pannikins of tea, and half a spoonful of cocoa in warm water per man. We reached depot "A" with no food left.

Once More a Square MeaL We reached the Bluff depot, helped by strong southerly winds, on February 3. This depot was made by Joyce in January, and hero, for the second time sinoe the middle of November, we had a square meal. The other timo was on Christmas Day, on the plateau, when we had a full feed consisting of Dominican, pony ration, and a small plum pudding weighing about half a pound. We boiled the plum pudding in the, cocoa water to give oil. Leaving the Bluff depot, we made a forced maroh tho second day of 24 miles, as Dr., Marshall had a relapse of dysentery, and we wero very anxious to get to the ship as early as possible. Though he was suffering much he kept going in bis harness aD that day. Dr. Marshall in.— Two Men Push On. On February 17, Dr. Marshall -was too ill to proceed.' Though he wished to, go on I decided to leave him in camp with Lieutenant Adams in charge, whilst Mr. Wild and I pushed on to the ship for relief. We reached Hut Point in a. blizzard on the night of February 28. On the morning of March 1; we heliograpbed the ship, which had been lying at Bhelter at Glaciqr Tongue. At two o'clock the same afternoon, with a relief party of three men—M'Kay, Mawson, and M'GiHan —we started back to pick up the lest of our party. We found Dr. Marshall much better, and eventually we all arrived at Hut Point late on March 3, and burnt a flare to the ship, which picked us up early, on March 4. : ' Nlmrod's Ice-Breaking. During the morning we sailed north, and only just in time, for the Nimrod was two days pushing through heavy new pancake ice. .We tried to push to the westward beyond Capo North, but were held up by heavy old pack ice, but not before we had found 45 miles of now coast mountains ranging from 6000 to 7000 feet in height. After a boisterous passage we arrived at Half Moon Bay on March 23. "EITHER DEATH OR RETURN." SHACKLETON'S VIEW OF HOW TO REACH THE GOAL. POLE' SOMEWHERE ON HIGH PLATEAU. tBI ULEOaAI'II—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Chrlsfchurch, March 26. Lieutenant Shackloton has not yet decided whether he will make further Antarctic explorations, but the probabilities are that the, next expedition in the direction of the South Pole v.'iH be led by him. For a final dash for the Pole, however, more elaborate arrangements will be made. The supporting parties will be bigger, and the number of depots larger, and the appliances more complete. Lieutenant Shackleton is naturally much disappointed at failing to reach the Pole, when only 97 miles off, but the plight of the small party was so desperate that it was either death or return.

If Alone, Would Have Pushed On. Those who know Lieutenant' Shackleton say that had he been alono ho would have pushed on at all hazards. Lieutenant Shackleton informed a reporter that the matter of reaching the Pole was by no means an impossibility, but better equipment was required than what he was provided with: Prom what he. saw of the surrounding country the situation of the Pole would be somewhere on the high plateau discovered by his expedition. This plateau is very irregular, and makes very hard travelling, and, further, from its altitude, is swept by severe blizzards, which are one of the worst difficulties encountered. Regarding the Nimrod, Lieutenant Shackleton stated that she was to go back to England.' e AN ANTARCTIC JOURNAL. tBI TBUSQEAPH—PttKSS ASSOCIATION.) Chrlstchurch, March 26. During the long winter night at the Base hut, Messrs. Marston, Joyce, and Wild were busy preparing the official journal of the expedition, "Aurora Australis," for publication. Ln all, one hundred copies were struck off. The publication is bound with wood taken from packing cases containing stores, the being of specially-prepared hand-made paper, and the whole volume is secured by i silk cord. The .compositors (Messrs. Joyce ■id Wild) carried out their work under great !' ..culties, the type cases having to be heated n lamp before the "stamps" could be • iked up. The intense cold also caused great utiilf with the ink. Mr. Marston had 0011Mdarabla difficulty with tho lithairoj)hio re-

those and a number of the etchings being the result of his artistic ondeavours. Tfio results, however, were admirable, seeing the disadvantageous charactor of the circumstances. Spaces bad been loft for photographic reproduction of members of the party, and these will bo printed in subsequently. The "Aurora Australia" contains 120 pages, filled with most interesting matter. There is a splendid article by Professor David on the ascent of Mt. Erobns, and nearly every othor membor of the expedition supplied something of interest.

ANOTHER EXPEDITION POSSIBLE. EXPLORATION ONLY. TO 'WORK WITHIN RANGE OP COASTS. CBI TELiaEAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.! Chrlstohurch, March 26. It was whispered on board the Nimrotl yesterday that Dr. Mackay (one of the Magnetio Polo party) may possibly head another expedition to the Antarctic, not with the object of reaching tho Pole, howover, but to cover a vast amount of exploration work, pure and simple It is stated that the expedition will be carried out on lines which differ materially from those usually laid down in undertakings of tho kind, in so far as the whole of the work will be done close to the coast, in order that dog-sledges, moving very rapidly, and carrying members of the party, may be used with the utmost effedt. Food Problem Easier—lmproved Mobility. By skirting the ooasts, ample food supplies for, the dogs' could be secured in the shape of seals and penguins, this fare also furnishing the foundation for tho larder of tho men. This would enable the party to travel very light and also ensure a large amount of ground being covered each day. It is pointed out that the coasts, extending from Graham's Land East to King Edward Land, are quite unexplored, and comprise an area of 1800 miles, whioh could bo rapidly and effectively traversed by the means stated. More Time for Observation. The men, being carried on sledges, would have to do no marching, and of course would be in much better condition to carry out the main object of the expedition, via., scientific observations and researches. Nothing definite has been decided in the matter, but tho scheme appears most feasible, and is endorsed by those who have had large experience of Antarctic exploration and dogsledge work.

MAGNETIC POLE EXPEDITION. VALUE OF ITS WORK. DIFFICULTY OF PICKING UP THE PARTY. /Personnel of the "Northern Party," which located the Magnetic Pole: Protessor T. W.'David, geologist; Dr. P. llaokay, surgeon, farrier, and' surveyor; Mi. D. Mawßon, physicist.] IBT TXLSOBAPH—PRESS ABSOCUTIOH.) In answer to a question regarding the expedition that resulted in the attaining of the Magnetic Pole, Lieutenant Shackleton said that this had been a very important part of the work, and was a most difficult one for those who engaged in it. This party, which was entirely unsupported by ponies, did BUO miles of relay work over the sea ice. They hauled one sledge for a certain distance, then returned and hauled up the other sledge, and they did this from October 5 to December 15, and under the relay system every mile of ground had, of course, to be covered throe times. The surface of the sea ice was very sticky with salt, and made the sledge travelling extremely laborious. Seal and Penguin Meat. What about the provisions? asked • the reporter. ... . ■ ■ . • The party, said Lieutenant Shackleton, to'eke out uheir provisions lived on seal and penguin meat. One of them tasting the seal oil in the blubber lamp pronounced it excellent, and from that time on seal blubber was always part of the menu. Their provisions were much the same as ours (the Southern Party's) excepting that they had dried milk instead of plasmon. The equipment was similar to ours. Could you say a word, as to the importance of the attainment of the Magnetic Pole? Mr. Mawson, with the Lloyd-Creak dip circle, absolutely fixed the position of the south Magnetio Pole, which is a matter of. great interest to science, and helps the forwarding of ■ that branch of knowledge. It is a matter of great importance in all magnetic survey work This party arrived at a point on the sea coast on a glacier ISO miles from the winter quarters with practically no provisions except a few biscuits. On arrival there they obtained seals and penguins. The Nlmrod's Detonator. I had left instructions at winter quarters that if they had not returned' there by I'ebruary 1 the ship was to search the coast for them. This seems a fairly simple thing to do, but one must realise that it was a practically unknown coast, with heavy packice extending out from it, and Captain Evans had a most trying job manoeuvring in blizzards and through the pack whilst going up that coast to search for a black flag only about 2ft. wide. He went as far as Cape Washington, and then, keeping in shore again on the way south, searched every inlet and nook. He arrived at the Bpot where the northern party had come to camp only sixteen hours earlier. He sighted the tent, fired a doublo detonator, and the three men came rushing out. Mr. Mawson immediately fell down a crevasse, and was held up on a snow abutment 20ft. below, and was pulled out by the party from the ship, so that in a moment the gloomy prospect in front of them was changed, and they were in comfort.

PROFESSOR DAVID IN WELLINGTON. DISCOVERY OF COAL MEASURES. Professor David, of Sydney University, who was one of the party which reached the Magnetic Pole, arrived in Wellington yesterday morning by the Maori, from Lyttelton, and left for Sydney in the afternoon by the Maheno. The professor was greeted by a number of' local scientific men, who were pleased to soo him in excellent health and strength after his adventurous journey. Professor David called on tho Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) in tho afternoon, and received his congratulations on the safe return of the expedition and the valuable results achieved. In the course of conversation, the professor stated that the scientific work of the expedition would bo of much interest to this country, and tho collections made for the museums of New Zealand were very valuable indeed. Tho data obtained would be sufficient to give occupation to himself and other scientific members.of the expedition for some years. Sir Joseph Ward afterwards saw Professor David off by the Maheuo for Sydney.

Speaking to a DosrnnoN representative, Professor David threw some further light on the discovery of coal measures by the expedition. There were seven seams found, he said, of a thickness of soven feet, along a belt of sandstono 200 feet thick. The coal was evidently formed under water. The discovery of coal measures and thick masses of limestone as far south as 85deg. was extremely interesting, as slowing a former mild climate close to the South Pole, since both limestone and coal accumulated only under conditions of a mild climate. • The coal measure and sandstone formation extends from 85dog. in an almost unbroken sheet south to Mount Nansen, near the Magnetic-Pole, a distance of over 1100 miles. Under the coal and sandstone formation there' is a widely-spread foundation of very old rocks of granite gneiss, schists, and ooarsely crystalline marbles. The mineral marazite, from which thorium is commercially extracted for incandescent gas mantles, is so common in places that it is one of the local rock-forming minerals. It is, in fact, like black mica in granite. This mineral was discovered by Mr. Mawson at several places along the coast on the western side of Ross Sea in the old foundation series at granite and schists.