ANTARCTIC HERO.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 570, 27 July 1909, Page 6

ANTARCTIC HERO.

'' LIEUT. SHACKLETON IN LONDON. MESSAGE FROM THE KING AND QUEEN. •EXPLORER'S MEETING WITH HIS , i" * /CHILDREN. A man who has mado history relumed to tondon on Monday, Juno 14 (says the "Daily - . \Iail"). Lieutenant Shackloton and many of his comrades have arrived in tho metropolis iiom the 'Antarctic wildernesses. Their achievements aro well known. Thoy have carried tho British flag to within 97 geo- !•". graphical and 111 statute miles of the Sonth ', , Pole. They haye rendered inestimablo ser- •<. vices to science,* and have added to iho knowledge of mankind. It may be briefly recalled - > that the South Magnetic Polo was reached: > ■ that eight mouutam chains were discovered ' ,and 100 mountains surveyed; that a new coast was seen; that tho great volcano of Mount Erebus was .ascended for the firet' *"' time; that coal measures were discovered in n tho Antarctic Continent; and that tho theory . . of the "Polar calm" was discovered. ' Lieutenant Shackleton on Wednesday received the following telegram:— I ' „ - "Windsor Castle. "The Bang and Queen congratulate Mr. ■ Shackleton on -his safe return from his long, arduous, and successful journey. "Private Secretary." ' \ , The Explorer's Wife. Shortly j after five o'clock on Saturday afternoon - (June 12) Lieutenant Shackleton set foot on tho Admiralty Pier at Dover.' > ' „ There were no cheers, no formal greeting; I i ' but a tall, slender woman in bluo, whoso i ; ~ eyes danced with pleasure and whose cheeks < i • • were, pink,, was there to meet this broad- i i ' ehouldored young man in tho plain serge suit 1 1 I", " and .light cap. ' J i • Never did returning hero come home with t >'■, less pomp or circumstance. 'With a stride, ' ' ',■> < Lieutenant Shackleton cleared the rail of I !,'.,. , the gangway of tho steamer Victoria, and . in a moment gripped the hand of his wife. < 1 Tall young Sir Philip Brocklebank followed I ?•• ' and warmly embraced bis mother. All four i * , . . had been speaking across the intervening I water - during'the few minutes which elapsed ] ', ;. r botween th 6 arrival of the Calais steamer i <-.-,' and the lowering of the gangway. 'Now they I , '" " talked busily again while the piermen stood : respectfully on one side and whispered, i '.;' "That's Shackleton 1" . I i > There can be little doubt which greeting ; , . —the familiar welcome at Dover or thepopu- < \ , lar reception in London —was most agreeablo ; ; to this modest young naval officer with the : '" ' eloquent eyes and strong, mobile face. Ho ; ] was grimly humorous on the subject of tho < » popular welcome when he found time to say j [ <;■- 8 word on'landing.' s ;< "Why Talk About It?" i ,' "There was a timo when we would have ( been glad of the banquets," he said, "and > ■■ . we wouldn't mind now if they were spread ' , ovW a longer period. ' Many a day, on the j ii, 60nthorn plateau we talked of the meals wo 1 would have when we got back to' London at < ' f the Carlton or Savoy. Each man took it in ' - ' turn to describe tho meal he would order, ' - - But when we got really hungry we did not ' talk of big dinners and social functions; we < just came down to the level of a hungry tramp and thought what a good time a man v- ' 'might have with suet pudding and golden 1 __„.> syrup at fourpence. - 1 ' ~- VWero we ever really starving? I remem- < *"* ber the tragedy when ; we arrived at Bluff 1 depot and fell upon the pemraicaa and bis- i cuit until we could, eat no more, only to i find that tho ship had also stored for us all < *• - '- kinds of delicacies. Carlsbad plums and the ' ' " like, which we couldn't eat because we were i full up!" i ; i Lieutenant Shackleton is a typical sailor, i \ " and loves to talk of the odd things tliat hap- I j■' Ipe&ed in. tho land,of ice. The uangeis and ) 'difficulties of his journey he dismisses as so ' ' -•■ many matters of ordinary 'occurrence hardly i '•' , worwi mentioning., Did a man fall dow.n a i " \ crevasse' to be rescued therefrom with skill : -'" , ' and daring? 'If ho did,' said Lieutenant 'j ' Shackleton. 'he was probably pulled up again, r ' otherwise he would Dβ there still, wouldn't \ » "■ he? There was plenty of danger and exr --, ' oitement, why talk about it?" ' <" " '"Things came along," said the explorer in ' --..' his blunt, quaint, sailor fashion. "Thoy * 1,,' were the sort of things.thajf-were inseparable from the job. Evorjone'is pretty smart I ,' J i at saving his own life. /It was all in tho * j ' ■ day's work." '"' , Taking as little credit as possible to him- * ' self, Lieutenant Shackloton paid striking tribute to his men. . He said that all did !' ' \ their work cheerfully, always without grumbl- ( ing, ever ready to get up at any hour of tho ■ ; i night to take an observation or do any neces--1 —■■ sary , work. "Only the combination of such men—men who have no share in the lime- </\ light—made the thing possible." Comrades All. was British from Adam" was another of his phrases. "No man was a , servant. All took their turn of work. Ono , of the things you learn down there is that you aro not , indispensable. The world wags ' on without you, as it will when you are out , of it for good. Neither are newspapers indispensable, though we did\>our best to sup- ' ply the place of ore with'the 'Aurora Aus- ' , tralis.' That was a v book of which we printed one hundred copies. There are no copies for salo. -We filled it with articles, poetry, and illustrations etched on aluminium and printed •' in colours'. ' Christmas Day passed unnoticed in the south, on Midwinter Day the hut was 1. decorated, crackers were and the pem- ; J mican was washed down with something j; stronger than water. Alcohol was only used • ■ by tho explorers on such festive occasions, • i and tobacco was treated as a luxury to bo '' quietly enjoyed after a hard day's work. "Aro jou going back?" Lieutenant Shackleton was asked. ' ' ■ "Early dajs to talk about that," he re- ■ ' plied. "But I see lots of others are going. I ' Bruce thinks ho can get through from ihe l $L other side." '■ "Would vou take the same route again?" -' "No, I should not," said the explorer definitely. "But jou must not ask mo any ' ' moro questions on that subject. I have i plenty to do. My book will keep me busy until September. It appears, bj the way, on • . November 11. Then lam lecturing in the ; United Kingdom, the United States, and ' 1 afterwards m Germany and France. I also promised to lectuio in Italy, where I am *' to receive a gold medal from the King." A Power Beyond "Our Own. ■ ' "Some of the experiences of our journey," added Lieutenant Shackleton, "can- neverbe * effaced from my memory. It'was during ' these periods that we learnt that some Power beyond our own guided our footsteps. If wo acknowledged this—as we did —down among tho ice, it is only fitting that wo ~ should remember it now when the same " Power has brought us safely home, "Tho knowledge that with another 251b. of biscuits and 301b. of pemmican wo could have achieved tho Pole was certain, but re- '. grets were useless. AH along our food had : been decreasing, until wo wero down to 20oz. of food per man daily. On some days, in fact, we had only 16oz. As our clinical thermometers showed that our temperatures ' did not reach 93deg. we had to increase our ;- food. At 1 a.m. on tho memorable day of our farthest south (January 9) the wind dropped considerably, and we crept out of ? sleeping bags under conditions which oan '; hardly bo described. We had a scanty breakfast and then .started south, but by 9 ■ a.m. the wind increased and I decided to • "'. turn back. At that hour, in 88deg. 23min. ' south, we planted a long bamboo pole in the snow and hoisted tho Queen's flag. Formal possession of tho plateau ivae taken in the name of tho King, and the scene was photographed. Wβ toft a cylinder of stamps and o dooument stating what we had done, and finally, before turning our faces homewards, ; " looked Polewards through our glasses." LONDON'S WELCOME. - It was a memorable scone at Charing Cross Station when a broad-shouldered, clear-skinned young man stepped from the Continental train, and the frank, eager, boyish smile with which his resolute face lighted up at the sight of his children and relatives gare wa? to a look cf bewildenaeni aa m.

spectators burst out in deafening cheers and he suddenly: found himself the centre of a surging, exoited crowd./ Learned geographers, relatives, personal friends, strangers, horo : : worshippers massed themselves about him, eager to.reach him witih a welcoming liana, a congratulatory word. He shook this outstretched.'hand and that, oxehariged a word, here and there, but still with, bewildered look was searching the turmoil. AJid then, passing through the crowd, came an elderly' man, with a long grey, beard, carrying aloft a little baby girl, and following him a lady holding shoulder,' high a big-eyed little boy in a white sailor suit. It was Doctor. Shackleton, the explorer's proud father, with the- two children Raymond arid Cecily. As they oamo'near the orowd made way. The bewildered, look gave place l : again to the eager boyish smile as ho kissed Tiis, children, the boy radiant and triumphant, the baby girl rather amazed by all the excitement, and shook his father ,by the hand. -Then the crowd surged round again. There was more 'handshaking,..more press of .welcoming -.words: Once again the bewildered look, and then once again the '.'returning' smile ras. the children, still shoulder'high,'stretched out their arms for another' kiss. : -Whdn; at last a' move, was: made to the waiting carriage 'the lieutenant .led: the ; way, ; ""oarry'in'g his baby girl. He assisted'.his: wife, arid his sister to their seats'; ; handed in : the"'little'"daughter,'.then : c'arriedin the boy./ So.it was a joyous party n-hdeh the packed crowd beyond the barriers greeted .with tremendous waving of hats and handkerchiefs. ~■■ ■■■-•'■■■ . ... ..•__ ■ .- :■!■ '■■ > y Tribute to Comrades. ;The first of the series'of welcoming functions in-honour of Lieutenant Shackleton and his "comrades took place On' Jniie 15, when'the band of.heroes wore entertained at luncheon by the Royal Societies' Club. Loaders of'the science arid the thought of England, and,' since science knows no boundaries; 'of foreign nations filled the great'dining; hall. Lieutenant Shackleton; sat by 'the , president's side. Nine of his comrades, : to be identified '-by 1 weather-, ■pickled -faces, were prcsent--Sir Philip : brocldehurst, Lieutenant Adams, "Dr. Marshall, Forbes Mackay, : and.Messrs; Wild, Joyce ; : Armytage, and Priestley. Dr; Usher, consulting physician to'the expedition,was there,., too. /'■ ' .' '' ..-■•/■ ■■ Sir Cdnan Doyle delivered an eloquent oration > pitched ' upon a lofty note.-,-. Sir Clements. Markham. and Mr; Mas 'Pemberton spoke .with 'effect. .But, the speech of afternoon was that of the young explorer himself. It was a revelation of the ■ man:'-;' , .; Naturally and with ease, .without the' arts of the'practised orator, but without a trace of; selfHMnsciousness, without search-: ing for word or idea, , he revealed in straightforward >phrases , the qualities of. a , .strong, , simjile, and beautiful character. Sense of dutyj-sense' of ■responsibility, sense of nationality;' courage ah(f truth, hope and determination gleamed through his words. His loyalty and generosity to his comrades explained the cause of their loyalty and affection for him; He did not/hesitate- to reveal■ the calmj and simple faiththat had sustained him'in dangers. .v,'.'.■': .''''.:■■;';: Praise of ; Comrades.■■.•, ', •}'',/ ;■ "I -notice,", he said, "it is 'Mr. Ernest Shackletbn{ and his comrades' on' the toast list; Those men have gone with me. through thick .arid .thin; ■.'.■ No.'fierce" limelight of./publicitybeats,down; upon/them, but jl : take this bpportunityCcbf" saying ; that"the expedition would never have been such a success-but for : their loyal'co-operation,/their■ denial of self, their having the absolute interest of. the expedition ■at their;hearts, , ' which was .shown by -the fourteen '■ men, I had , the honour to have' with /me.■■■■■;- ''(Applause.).' There: vhave'. been, miraculous escapes,/ there have •'" been tjinies when "we saw'inp...light -ahead,- and yet at.;\the.:-ywy\':Wwflt'.''ln«>nieht')tluiigs .fell ;fbr ■the .•best, 'rand w'e; as : we'did..'• downi<south; must ascribe thisto a ; is higher and'.greaterj. than''our .It' is only my duty,to! sa"y;.that we .believe in ifr now that we'aTe \safe home ■.again.' (Cheers.) //What the future , may .bring forth it is hard .at the /moment to: say./ 'When .oncfe we have been 'to'.the"south;-or' out beyond those • parts of ithe world.:known: to rnari,.-there is; a call which, calls .you back,, something; fascinating 1 -which appeals 'toi our hearts more than London/or the pleasures and luxuries >of .life. (Applause;) i-E have spoken to my men since I have been back, v ahd they are tired.of it and ready to go back. '(Applause.) It may •be my good fortune before long again ; to. go ■souti/but.it.is .early yet.to .talk- about it... 'I 'trust .it will be a British, expedition,'and if -I;, have the-. honour, of . leadingVanother' to" ; the south in the" liear future 'it will be composed of who', regardless, of;'self,, helped.me in'the work that we have already done."'.(Applause.):- .'■/;;■ •'■;.;>•''...■ ':