BURIAL OF THE BODIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1674, 14 February 1913, Page 5

BURIAL OF THE BODIES.

THE MEMORIAL CROSS. ,

.(By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) _ Christchurch, Febrnary 13. The Times says that some groundless speculation was indulged in when the i'erra Nova had,left Oamaru, and the news , of .thi -tragedy had . percolated through, as to whether tho' bodies were being brought up from tho south. As a matter of fact tho vessel could • havo brought, tho bodies up,. and Commander Lvans gavo a reporter an assurance on that poiut. When asked' whether any attempt might bo made in that direction he said that tho matter had confronted Dr. Atkinson, when he came upon Captain Scott's tent on the ico barridr, but lie and every ono of tbe party agreed that lb would bo .bettor to leave the explorers in thbir eternally fresh white marble, where they had given their lives in a great mission. In this decision all the other members of tho expedition had concurred, when they orected tho cairn overlookipg the ico barrier in which tho bodies lay. ■ It has been. pointed out however, that tho bodies have no'permanent sepulchre. They are.on tho barrier,' a.huge glacier' Which, however, 1 slowly is -moving down to the sen, and 'drbrdMTßffln "Icebergs I little by little. • If nn attempt is made to bring the bodies brick it would have to be made next summer. In tho Antarctic tho, snowfall is continuous, and soon levels up: tho. surface.'; 'A cairn marks the snot' where Captain. Scott, Dr. Wilson, and Lieutenant Bowers sleep, but oven by now Captain Oates's and Potty-Officer Evans's graves may have become indistinguishable on tho , ice plain, and 1 would be hard to find, even' if : their positions ' wore fairly accurately charted. No trace was found; of Captain oate3 by the relief party, and Petty-Officer Evans's was beyond their reach. -

Speaking of the memorial erected for Captain Scott and his comrades, a member of tho expedition stated that Mr. F. Davis, carpentcr of the Terra Nova, made a , large cross/of jarrah timber, which would last almost for evor in .the Antarc-

tic climate, where there.is no decay. The memorial cross was landed in chargo of •ft party < consisting of^: Dr.' Atkinson, Messrs. Cherry, Garrard, Wright, and Debenliam, Seamen Krean, Abbott, and ,'Kcohano, and Carpenter Davis, about ten miles north of Hut Point. The party went away on Monday, January.-20, to erect the crvxta oh Observation Hill, • overlooking the Great 100. Barrier.' Tho cross was painted white, tho carved lettering being picked out in black.'