"CALL OF THE WILD."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 576, 3 August 1909, Page 6

"CALL OF THE WILD."

LIEUTENANT BHACKLETON AMONG THE "SAVAGES." ' ,"THE GREAT''WHITE-SILENCE." Lieutenant Shackleton was the chief guest of the London Savage Club at their house dinner on Saturday night, June 19. He sat on the right hand of another ranowned explorer, R. F. Scott* who presided, and among thoso present were the following members of his expedition:—Sir Philip Brocklehurst, Dr. Marshall, "Messrs. 4 Wild, Marston, Macintosh, ( Joyce, Arnntago, and Buckley ' " ' ' ' X special menu was designed for tho occa. sion by Mr. J. Hassall, "and" Mr Charles ( Dixon. The centre picture represented the , Nimrod amongst ice-iloes. and ,' the border consisted of penguins smoking .cigars, a Union Jack planted on 'a snpwfield, with ] Lieutenant Shackleton uii his explorer's "hood, and Captain Scott in naval uniform i ' Captain JScott, in proposing their guests, i Baid he did not know exactly what tho con- i nection was between the club and explorers ■ / Two years ago in looking, at this voxed question ho thought that tho piobablo cennection was that the explorer had primitive-and i savage habits (Laughtet.s ' < "I remember," he said, "submitting as a i claim to be considered by you tho fact that 'I had been for ninctv-threa days without a i bath ' (Laughter) "Well, that record, like most of these records! has been handsomely broken by pur friend,* Lieutenant Shackle- ' ton, who has been more than-one hundred and twenty days without a bath. (Loud < laughter.)' > ' i ' Captain Scott's Eulogy. ' ' " '.'Lieutenant Shackleton ,has paid a tribute to his rearing m the Discovery. Well, all I i can say is, if I had a hand in rocking his Antarctic cradle, I am very'proud pf, it, und ' I think vpu will allow he is a healthy prp- l duct of that cradle" (Laughter and cheers ) * j Introducing severally the members of the | crew, the speaker introduced Mr. Wild iby , his nickname of "John o\ Stumps "(Laughter.) Sir Philip Bincklehurst was minus -'a toe, and to have left it in the Antarctic, a great henour. (Laughtor ) At this point L.eutenant Shackleton whisfiered to the speaker,, and, amid roars of j aughter, Capta'n Scott said: "I hear'he has brought the toe back in a bottlo " ' , Captain (Scntt urged that fpr 'the hononr and sentiment of the country, the South Pole f must be discovered by an Englishman "Per- . sonally, I am prepared," said tho speaker, j "and have been for the last two years, to go forth in search of that object" (Cheers) ' The toast was honoured by cheering and the singing of "For he's a/jolly good fellow " t Mr. Peacock,..the secretary, announced that , Lieut Shackleton had been elected an heno-' rary life member of the club (Loud cheers , Lieut Shackleton, in,, acknowledging tho toast, said he could very inadequatejy reply to'the eulogy which his-late commander, 1 Capt. Scott, had passed on him and on the 1 members of his little band "There are six '<■ ' of them here to-night," he added, "and they 1 are £ix pals, six comrades of mine I have 1 been praised, and the members of the ox- 1 podition have been praised, for tho work that 1 we did, but I can't ferget that the pioneer < ' of Antarctic travel is sitting in the chair < here to-night-(Cheers.) I was ninety- three i days with him over that snow plain, and ] < thought I would never be as again ' in my life. But I found I twas just as 1 i hungry, ir not more so, this time, and I have 1 qualified fer a savage by eating hpr.se-meat 1 raw, when we hadn't oil eneugh to cook it ' _ ' (Laughter.) " ' Explorer Lapses Into Poetry. j "We became primitive savages during our j journey ' We certainly kept a little bit of j that idea of giving way r to one anothor in < the matter oT food, but m the hearts of each ' one of us we looked enviously at the pocketed ' bit of biscuit put away by other men I agree ( with Capt. Scott that there is more work to ( be .done dem South, aiid never until the 1 British'flag fhe,3 t on the South Pole'will, the |l work be accomplished as regards that senti- ■ mental portion which sways humanity so much and is the saving grace of ..this commercial age " (Applause ) < ■• There was a time, he went on, ivhen they .all had known the great" White Silence And ' tho distinguished explorer, lapsing into poetry, continued. — ;< "Have you known the,great White Silence, . not a snow-gemmed twig a qniver, i, Eternal truths that shame, our soothing i 1 lies? , Have you broken trail on snow shoes, mushed your huskies up the mor? • '• Dared the unknown, clutched the prize? Have you mapped the world's "Void spaces, i mirtgled with the mongrel races, Felt the savage strength of brute in every thew? , , » ' And though grim as Hell the worst is, can you round, it off with ourses?— Then hearken to ,the Wild, it's calling you."' "It is calling"every man who is standing and sitting Tiere -to-night," Lieutenant Shackleton added. "It might be hfe when tho expedition goes, but, when it doesj I know it will go with the'sympathy and good wishes of tho Savages." r Among the honours which are being showered upon Lieutenant Shackleton, not the least notable is that which is to be paid him by'Tnnitj House Lieutenant Shackleton has 'accepted an invitation to become a Younger Brother of tliejfc ancient Corpora tipn. Tho letter of invitation intimates th.u the bestowal of this honoui has the "none approval of the Prince of Wales, who is Master of Trinitj House Tins is only tho second time m the history of the Corpora- i tion that such a distinction has been conferred.—Londpn "Daily News "