THE GREAT DIFFICULTY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1387, 13 March 1912, Page 5

THE GREAT DIFFICULTY.

SUCCESS DUE TO SKIS AND DOGS. ABSENCE OF LIFE. London, March 11. The "Daily Chronicle" publishes additicnul iletails of Captain Amundsen's journey to tho South Pole. - Captain Amundsen says: "I saw nothing of Captain Scott. If he did not get there soonur than myself, it is exceedingly likely that he reached the Pole later. "The altitude was the greatest difficulty we experienced. It. was 10,0(10 feet at the Pole, and we found a difficulty in breathing. "Twenty-four dogs wore killed nt 851 degrees. They wero fat, and good eating, for the dogs had always had full meals. Throe of tho be3t dogs were lost through desertion; on tho return journey it was found Uiat they had plundered one depot. "There was a remarkable absenco of life. Two skua gulls were seen at 81.} degrees. "Christinas Day was spent at a high altitude. Extra biscuits and porridge were served out." Amundsen attributes his success to tho use. of skis, anil the magnificent condition of tho dogs, which ware quite fnl; at the end of the journey. No real hardship was experienced by the party. The. King Edward Land expedition saw n bird of a. new species. The party was unable In erect n cairn at the Pole, owing to the alconcr of stones. Aiiiundt-rn considers mini, Mill weather, is the prevalent couditiou round tho Polo.

SCOTT'S CHANCES. 1 DR. NAXSKN DOES NOT THINK HE WAS I'IUST. Bj TelcEraoh—Press Association—ConjrlKlil Christiania, March 11. Professor Fridlpf Nanscn, the wellknown Arctic explorer, anil now professor of Oceanography at the Christiania L'nivoinsity. states that tho< fact that (ho amount of precipitous country that Amundsen traversed was small may explain why the land was not buried in an icecap similar to that in Greenland. Professor Nansen thinks it is unlikely that Captain Scott was ahead of Captain Amundsen at the Pole, which was only one of the many tasks Scott had set himself. It would ho impossible for Captain Scott's ponies to travel so early in spring* as Captain Amundsen's dogs. FUNDS FOE AMUNDSEN. NORWEGIAN COMMITTEE FORMED. (Rcc. March 12, 10.15 p.m.) Ghristiania, March 12. A committee has been formed to secure subscriptions to pay Captain Amundsen's debts in connection with his expedition. These amount to J3lO. The committee wilt afterwards raise a national subscription to Captain Amundsen himself.