TO THE SOUTH POLE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 743, 16 February 1910, Page 8

TO THE SOUTH POLE.

SCOTT'S DASH. , .'.Captain . .Scott:i;has been ... .granted ;■ £%6W ,, by the'- British Government -in ' aid;6f ,Kis.coming.South.Pole expedition.'. . From now' when' he, 6ails| : he ; will (writes -the. .''Daily Mail" 'of- Janu- ;■ ary .8). be busy':.making.iprep'arations for j,that dash, southwards'which. it, is hoped J will put another o! -the discoveries of t history; to the: credit 'of the British na- J tion.-' He will..stay iyear: after, year", in- f the ■". Antarctic. .till: • he ; . achieves : bis ■' ob- d ject. '".'■ ■'■'■]■'■■:■■-::•. ■-:':■■:■■:■:•'. \<-}''■ ,-;.' ; a .-A-representative of : this journal found e the;explorer.in':offices.:in Victb'ria'Street, 1 * already•.busy.;in ; his:ivbrk:,df organisation, j A: keen', discussion was .going- on.between, j him.and r an 'expert;; as-to.:the-policy- of ; fising sledge': ropes;in-a..'particular., way.. t It.was-'bne-.ofia.thpusand-incidental de- ( tails .which . have; to;be;-, dealt ,mth' ; be- t fore., the great.' strenuous-struggle.-be- < .eius.-. ._-•;•;.,.;;■;'-.!-,-' : -:::- : :;-v':; ; , '::..',- j ,-The primness .of-the}conventional' ; lipndon office ;srrong; setting.ior ■ the Idiscussion'of/preparations for Polar ;' adventures... On,'-the -other 'hand,.: c a 'p- : tain.'Scott, looking; the picture ;.of: tho -Britishf.'sailpr,,-fitted the. talk- exactly:. ■ .The.'man,'who-i^fc:''try-', to. plant the ; Union Jack at:the South Pole has'a per- ; sonal 'forcerwhich-'is'plain: for all -men to,see...' Thick-s'et,v deerMihested; ; ."with: a ' thoughtful geniality:'in- his" clean-shaven '' '"naval, officer"; face, he: is'much-'-of the' bulldog .type,;' with blue- eyes' that : look ' out. sparldingly. from'' a.< face hard-bitten' with .adventure. -,- ' ;: ;,'': ';;• -.-" ;:■■:' ' ■'.'-:.^:.; p.. Two Bases... : \.. ::'•■.. :;.-> ; : -".TheVgrant-has : ppt the expedition on its feet,", said the-explorer. "I am ask-' ing. for.;.£{o,ooo from; this country, : ; and the,.grant,-, together ,wjth:the-.subscript tibns,. leaves,only.'dEßooo;or•Je9ooo;to';be raised.. ; .:Tho.ngh'X:. ; felt ,the.country would not-allow..tho'.expeditibn'-to.fall tfirbugn'; ; the Governihent;'grant.-,has-..relieved >':me of.: a ~serious.'.weifht; : of; anxiety'■ and -free'd mo .'for;. the.- wprkr'qfr.preparatiori...;y •., ■;: : ''. :• in :> 'the,. ■. present 'X summer:"' Captain',Scott 'went /.on; ■' "we 'propose' in January .and: Eebruaiy, '1911,' ; to'-establish t»»;. bases on'the ice- barrier,; one: at -Mac-'Murdo'.-Bayr-the other fat King'-Edward's •Land,.-spme>4So'miles apart;: to: be.-ifipos-sible,'.cphnected/by i ;:wireless 'telegrapriy; .Eacli-.: of,;. these' -bases- will /.be'-'-'about- 850' ;statute.m'iles.from'the'Sbuth'Pble, and-by means- x bf,. them both, ends--, of'the :barrier wilh.be-.explored.' :Our;task/Vrill-;be:.to cpTerv.fr'pm'.,6ne;.or ; other'of those'pbints the, 859.;miles'telher Pole.. .',', Th e, journey will.bo;'over' ice> : . some of: : 'it: clear,' some of;it'snow-covered, .tains.'vlOur'.means'of.Vttans'port'.-moixir-sledges 'ahd'sledges'drawn'by.ponies-,and.;.dogs'.-i;The.'--more''-we.:can-.-vuse'''.the ■ motors:'thß.'niore '.wb vCai 'i'relievei.'th'e animals. '.I.calculate .that'.we.shall/have: from)l2oxto;.lSo^dayff-:in';whiii.;to.''''abcbm-plish"thevipurney'. to''arid • from-: our' base'. '■' >'■-.:'-'■: '■'*■■ss■■ F ' na !'- Da ? h ' : :.'fl 'am-sending; to Siberia'for dogs/and ponies:' .-.The -' .lattery .'will'',' probably..' -be . similar-;'to'., those.'used',': by. '.-.the; '.Cossack ■.'r^ments,.'"ant'.\nU-'be'''vew-'BtjongVand . .hardyiM'The dogs.l/am'getting'from'.remote districts;,to..the .nprth ,of :Vladiyosof 'these .animalsproved,;■ notably, .in ,' the., .Germari ■'' South Polar:expedition; '."•;?; : ' -/..■/■' -.'-•.;■:.' .'•ln.-'my^nnal,.march'.-: forithe-pole,': I, propose,": to) take sixteen-'men. ,'Theparty •must, Vof ."course/ possess';an;go'od..,deal 'of 'expert-knowledge^in. the way-;of surveying/ 'geolbgyy.etc';,'".and so'me.bf those-wKb,come willbe skiUed.-in '.phptogra'riKy.'/'.The'fin'al ; selection .of, : „wQI, be.;,left ,'till'. :one:: has' had" ah -opportunity ;■ of' 'judging •the': candidates^.v/Everyjman/must- be, in - ■.hard' , ;'ahd-''fitj'cohditibh, -and must/be^'a ; 'man' of ig6qd'.temper'. T/Th'e'iatter;:is' .very, imporlaht/in'such./anyexpeditioh.' -";'/;:' •. :' : - ■'.' M,v7;,inteiitipii''',is'.'to make' an'; effort; for. ,the'Poleahd : continue gebgraphicai'explo--.f"tttibiis''::in-- the/southern "-summer ■ of, 1911- . :1912.:V■'■■:;." -•;.': ■:-.- ':■■: '■''■. ' -: }:: ■■-.•,•■••: ■■:-- ■ l % :f:.yTry>'Try, Try^lAgain/:';/:-; '' : ■ ;;•'"Suppose yqii'-do .not:succeed;at first?"., . .-Captain/Scbtt.'- was :'aske'd. .- -" ■'-" ■;/-. ' '■•'. ■ :/ j i V'S! 1 . < i' s -' :a '? ons '" n e said/-"willi be'- pro- .- visionea 'so. that'- if: our.' object- is-' not ac.coniplished at: the. first.:attempt. we. shall 'cfl'mo. 'back to the' biCse; stav on, and make -. ''tlratMpt'thenext'.year.''.;:'/:, -:,',/' ',v .''"lf ybu fail; in',': the, second, year.?",:,;:.,:, '".If/.we: fail-then ;we /shall '.stay, oh and try-'in.Vthe.' ; .third:Sye'ar;"i;H , ':':-r,'.';\' ; '..'"-.-;.'. I \ :;>',Captain'.Scottjtook. his"cigarette tfrom'' . .his'lips/ahd/broußht his'.finger ■dbwh/oh' with/slow emphasis.-;;" ,'■•■/''■; ■ '.' : -"lh'.'fact;V.we;sh'air.'jolly;.well''stop':'there :.till;thb/thing;,is/done:" ~_\!7"•;.■:'<■ -.'■'; 'j