FOR THE ANTARCTIC.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 922, 15 September 1910, Page 7

FOR THE ANTARCTIC.

AND' DOGS. ! " Y;. * T; 'bTTHE'MOANA.-Y 1 ': -.There J was. 'a .flutter if excitement "on ! ■ r. th-y.-Queeh's Wharf>yeaterday when:.it be-. i'. : '. cams■-known;thit-:twomembers.of ,Cap- : ■'; taiaj?cbtt's .expedition -tol-tne : AntarotHy ';.. •Messrs.;: Af;.;Bruee 'and C! H.. Meares (in ;'■'■■■' ciirje ';: of.:transport),;; and: a.; number. of -' and dogs were.on board " ; '.tVeVMdana,'.- bound Cor '.'Lyttelton; where ;, : ; thejfvvrilt await the ;arrival v of;the Terra Nova: ".'.There is "something', about an ex- ' • ■■••' peSitiori'to the unknownwhich- avakesa I ': . livelvYititeresfc in'; most' people,, and dur- ■■'.■-.. in'gYth'o'.noxt week oi' two. this is-bound' '• " to/develop;'as it is-considered , almost a : '!■ point:'bf:hononr, that ,an English oxpedi- ." v.' tioii- should secure . the - distinctions of '"'■.■' reaching-thc South- Pole, since the hon- > ' 'outs'; have 'gone to America. iu,tho North. ' ' 'lheYnews .spread, rapidly, 'a'n.d;-;.ftU day •.'. ; loiig'there-'was a steady stream, of ,pco- ; p!o;; : passirig:.: up. tho; Monna's ', gangway, to . view;.;tiie; hardy' animals, on--whom,. in ' a '-. ■' ver'yY'laree ; rntnsnre- depend :'the v ; success . of iCdptain-Scott's enterprise.,- - ;■.;._,.; ' / :The ■' Dominion representative.met Mr., ' (whose sister..is tho. wife of fi ; CaptainVScbtt), who escorted him to the I.'..foredecki'-'.where the -animals;, were.;'cbm- *: fortabiy',housed,,.the-ponies'in their own ••':'' boxes and the dogs in. a built-in enolosur© '■■ '. bnstheCdecb ;';There are .31.dogs in all—. ■'.." picked,.from' about a"..thousand■ submitr' ted'-ito'Mr.^C/'H.-Mearw, who has been r ; inYSiberiii, : :f or six -. months.' past—and'.-.19 • i ; -. ponies' Hall .geldings), - selected ..with, the '.. ::grenteit--cark; ':The..,dogs,:'aU i trained i to. .Bledge-Vbrk, are pure .Siberian—to the '•■■'■ ...English eye, ottho. heavy collie '.typo, ■ ■;■ With';."hc'adsVof-WblWiko formation. They ! 'are'friqlV'any ■bifeger."thari.' ! the' ordinary !.'--''.ahißCp?dbg''of.'r,tn'ls'v'coiiritrj r |-'::;bnt.-7hav*- -•■'.- heayiferyfo'rcqnarters .; and particularly f, .'strfihg iforelegs,. as the result, of-r.gener-' '£''.'atio'Bs bf : trairJnglri : eledge T wbrk.. v..■-...-: ■ Are'they.tame?"-. .;- -.'■• ■■:■■:■ ■ :-■■■ l' •:■::.■; i'ate'vhot"./said Mr.■■:Bruce, <■ ':'■ "anyone. l but-those "■■: ';are':'.usfid.'to - y. ■' ■ i wbuldirhaTe: a -pretty ; -bad v time :• if - they ; , wint in; amongst them,: and long confine- ■: •'jmeiit''has; not-sweetened:: their:; tempers. ;■' - - ;They. ; are fed on, Pratt's.:dog biscuit, and i: , dov.JTell. : :bn-,it.'. That young fellow;:over ■'j 'there one not', ; far . leraovcd '.■•''from : is ; a fma ; ;, little V chSpi-VasHame- as; any.'dog—a child cpnW •■.:.play.fwith',him.:' : .-Their ■ ages?-.:v^Frpm,■ IJ- .' toi^ : years."; ; ..'-.•.;; ,",'.'■' ,":.'"'U "■ : .,:jhe■■■dpgß.'^a'nge■■'.f^om"■lu^blftCK;;to.'.tna■ '-'■-. lightbi''tints':of. brown,:'but: having;.been -penned- up'.for eo many,..weeks ; on -short ; ohi"ihs, : ;tneir'colours I :were not so, pro-.-i-iiptige'ed' as they.:v/ill-beipme'. when.., the. '^"■■ : oj*6rtuMty : b'ccMß;to.'-giv6 , . ; -.tli«m a little v '■■ .literty i: ■-This. will. Wat ;'Lytteltonr i-': •;.■ where:'they,'..with: the.' ponies, ire to ; lw. i- placedV; on,;'Quail'lsland,- to await -the '■:'■ arrivalvbf'the 'gallant 'little-'Terra Nova, '-.'-' nowibattlvng he'r'-way'acrb'ss the Sbuthv : ern.i'6csan;:;;The v ;phc-k>i9''led;by.-,Osmaio, :- ; ': whoVallVuncbnsciousJofihe^digttltyipf'his ■v- position;-ilay.:basking ; : ih' a shaft i '::-6hin^' ; VJh -: little - dreamirig._oS ■'•' theMhiporfance:.ofMiis; work, .ahead,,.- He; ; dark-brawn-rdpg. ''■ with brilliant reflibted : ■■'. of a-.- '.leader-^of-. d«s. f .;. : ;TheJ'T(ritei- .wa's-;tbld.'nbt:te; get.too'close'- ■'.■"•;■ to'himTrhe.was the.snappiest of the.pack., ■i.. /ihe-s;ttath;t of was ;: ..not '-'".- .testtd!;p,"". : ; i-;-..::; '.(:''■'■■''' -^:'- : '. ■■ '.''•■j':-Vr- \: '...-.-;■"'■'TBe'.':ponies;, all, white,' big-boned, and .-;- : ..; ; -'tliSvireT.erse'.'6f pretty/'inftv horsey: sense; '"". were;'tanged.;in' boxes valohg both-sides : ': of deek;, ;; : They ;• had vnpw, ,:./ been'"stafidiiig. .fifty days;..in>fh«v.;Erii«. ••■:.Valdem'a;-■ and.' the>;Moann,;and\oh" tho : ; whole,;werb in -fine condition. 'Two of; -' the.- : hiheteeti had.gbno- at : the. fore-hocks, : ... result -had had'-, to I :be-sluhg '' in itheit'" boxes. -They-, averaged .about 14. r ; hands'iii height, but looked tather mora, 'i- ' otri'tig.;tS -i the general sturdihess ,;of,< their 'v'build.r-if'From.-.Siberia'were, brought:two. '■; .Russians'.'and the f .7 i.'hor'scssiaiid ', d6gs y ; but beth Messrs;-. Bruce. ; : ..:aridiM(iares' :; have ' travelled iw'ithi /the 'ani-:;:'malsUihce-they: left ■ VladfTostock.: ■>;;';; 7■■'■••.:■ ;; Mr;';.-Bruce?has-the : .highest'.:Siopes j,for- ';-:' tfife'-iexpedition.'.:;He- says:- that {Captain. .;-.",Sc6tt;.;;Mrs.-:Seatt,:::Mr.-.8.V C; :Day.r)(in charge bf'<the,'motor-sledgesiandtietQies),-, ■'■'V''MrS;^Evaiis'v'(wlfß : '!6fvvLi6utenantsßv«n^? :: - master ■of . the' ; . Terra' '.-Nova);- iand .Mrs.: - v 'VWilMLv(wif6. of Wilson),-. are:;pas--;'serige"rs ; ;by the v Tongariro.:;but-they.are toT:l'elvve' ? 'thatvesselr-at'!B[obaik-;to--.visrt ■■ : iMelbbfirne, • and .perhaps'-. ;>:(.; comihg?pn'to 'New,:: Zealand.:.:The.:,Terra, ;/ Novaisiduoiat-Lyttelton 'on'Octpber 20.= '-.; -anflvwilineave that.port.'f6r ; the Antarctip '■■:'■ ;.". ;onANbvember 15?r ':-: :^lNrt^VlEwswiTH|^ iSETiTHE.RE:;;;:;' . ':'.■. ::.'Mr;..'Meares,:-iri:'the'.course.of ah. inter- .-. ; : new;-/explained. the; yoyaphg'•■-. which' '.he :; ■■ . himself•' has ; : alreidyvdone: m the ■ interests ; i ;i:of£thb' ; -.Scott.';.Antarctic ';Ex'peditibni'.. He \ ,-: has J ;Had;.bohstderable 'experiencß in'North-. '"■".;■ easterhJv.Siberia,;.having ■!; 'connected '..-■']■ with'/'exploratipn,;;fur-tradihg,'.and .tr,ap« :;': ping-:'in>tUose-.parti,V-and for eight ;nlpnths ■; hasv-Been,selc6tiriß-;pbnies:and dogs,,while. . ; his'.'cbriipanion,,Mr.; Bruce,"V'as.for. many .-years."^h-the'yemploymeht- of ;.the:P.'-.and" '.'■ OS'Gbihpariy.bn ithe; Oriental.';- M'Murdb ; .Sound.. williTsethe 'base: ; bf : . the expedition," V ; .■lbufc'there.will.be'.aWether, 100::.miles',e'ast, -;-". ,'of/ihb!,-base.;.;The:;ship.:,will/not remain ' •'>;:inythe ;Aritatctic:;regipns,.but: will return ',;-'. to .New'- Zealand, -going back I 'to the Polar ,-■ H; ..regibhstih the- following'.summer;. They :'.;' ;exbect;-tb-be absent'about.-.threo •year's;-:-.; •*■' .'' to• get to, the '-Pole,"-' said ;-- Mr';'-,'Me'ares; i'.'ahd-Scott' 'declares:.that he :::. .lie "does;-■'Thafs"'all'--I----j: i :' ! ::canStbll;yon'iaoput:^hatpart v ofiitr,:-Tflu r--'.' ; alr&dy,' know the personnel of the .'party,. - thel'finincial. arrangements,;.'arid'biir plan ;'■:/ of :,»ctibh;"-;'':fe : : ;::':'--V';':' : :'-' ■'':- : .t : y : ': ] : ■■... ;-v'Abbut:the^a'nimals?'-'Yes.' r I haye'Veen - cight-'month's in;:Siberia; r fixing them up, ' ..■-.: aiid i ;- , Tro'] brought them- all '^through; with- -..•> outrmishap;-;;Thes ponies, have been oh' ;■ ( ' theiri ftet for -50; days, andVsome of:them ; areia.bit tired.now. They'll be glad to -. ; get:'ashere, >-. ; They -'cost from',' £6 : io:- . ","; ifcVladivostock';-, ah'd':afe':-Siberian ;-. ;,:ponies,;:with ; the.exceptibh'of one.;or two , . .whichi'are- Manehuriah, theVsame sort ; : , fas IShackletbnV.had. ;.We think ours will -;..'be;; the ;Tiardier..'; : The'; dogs '-' sledge dogs; all. males.'arid-range between <■': : 'one- and two .and a half years, of age.; The '•■;'.-..pbriiesiare, 1 all .aged,.between■eight: years : ■ ~ and'-twelve. ;'They'are,between 13.2; and - M.2 'hands high. Thev their summer;:coats .'on now, but will be a' little' V-\mbT'ev-shaggy j ;..wheri-:;they:' get "into,cold ■; . ; quartera ,again.'V'-,'•-.■: : •'.:'.:-;"."-:■'".:, '