THE SOUTH POLE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 776, 28 March 1910, Page 7

THE SOUTH POLE.

SHACKLETON THINKS SCOTT WILL GET THERE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Cony rleht. (Rec. March -27, 5 p.m.) .New York, March 26. Sir E. Shackleton was the guest of the Transportation Club of New York. In responding to the toast of his health he said he felt sure that Captain Scott would succeed because he had the right, methods. He also stated that he believed the American expedition would' have an equal chance of reaching the South Pole. CAPTAIN SCOTT'S PLANS. Captain R. F.Scott, R.N., the'leader of the British Antarctic expedition (1910), speaking in a meeting in Southwark recently, said he hoped the Terra Nova would start from England in June. They would have 25 men in the crew, and when they left New Zealand they would have another 28 men, who were to form the landing party. They were going south to M'Murdo Sound, the quarters'used by Sir Ernest Shackleton, and would land ,22 men there. Then he hoped to go to King Edward's Land, where he would leave a small party of six. The object of that was to get comparative meteorological observations/ and also to try to work out the geography of the region. He hoped-to leave New Zealand in November. and get down in December. In January the

huts should be erected and the party landed with their stores. That would be half-way through tho summer. In February and March he hoped to do some laying out of depots, taking about 20 ponies', 25 dogs, and some motorsledges, of which ho hoped great things. By these means he hoped to get a good deal of provisions 200 or 300 miles to the south that Beason before settling down for' the winter. ■■

The main journey for the Pole would probably begin in October, 1911. They had got to get over 800 miles, and the probability, was that they could not do more' than. 10 or 15 miles a day. That would bring them to the middle of December before thoy got to the South Pole, if they wero going to get there at all. He wanted to get • to; the Pole on the Midsummer ; Day down there, December 22, and he hoped to get back about the middle of March, 1912. It was hoped that with the various means of traction they would bo able to carry a great quantity of food down 6outh over the great ice barrier and make a big depot there;'and from that place he hoped, not only to send or go with a party to the South Pole, but also, to send parties in various directions to do exploring work. He thought he was right in saying that when they got their base established, the _party would not leave that place until tho thing was done. ,

THE AMERICAN EXPEDITION. On behalf of the Peary Arctic Club, Commander Peary recently proposed to the National Geographical Society that a joint expedition ■ should be fitted up by the two institutions to endeavour to reach the South Pole. He'made the proposal at a dinner given by Mr. Alexander Bell to the directors of the National Geographical Society., He said that, the Peary Arctic Club would contribute the steamship Roosevelt, provided that the National,. Geographical Society would assume responsibility for the- first 50,000 dollars (£10 t 000) towards the cost of the expedition, all expenses above that to be shared by. the two bodies. According to the scheme which r he suggested the expedition should reach the coast of the Antarctic Continent in March, 1911, at a point directly opposite the base of the British South Polar Expedition. The two camps would bo equal distances from the Pole. Ho estimated that the explorers would, if successful, reach the South Pole about the end of December, 1911. Commander Peary said that ho could not conduct the" expedition in person, as the sledge work would require so much physical exertion that it would need a younger man to undertake it.