THE SOUTH POLE PARTY

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1685, 27 February 1913, Page 6

THE SOUTH POLE PARTY

DEPARTURE FOR ENGLAND,

EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE.

COMMANDER EVANS INTERVIEWED,

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Christchurch, February 25. Commander E. R. G. R.'Evans, K.N., accompanied by Mrs. Evans, Airs. Wilson, Lieutenant W. N. Bruce, 11.N.R./Dr. Atkinson, and Air. Nelson,-left for Wellington by tlic Alaori last night to meot Airs. Scott, wlio is travelling to Wellington by the Aorangi from ban i'rancisco. Ihe Aoraugi has been in wireless communication with Wellington for some days, and has reported that she will arrive tuero tomorrow morning. _ The party, with the exception of Mrs. Wilson, l)r. AtKinson, ana Air. -.Nelson, will leave Wellington on i'riday by the -Aorangi lor Sydney. r . , Airs, bcott anil her brother, Lieut. Bruce, will travel from Sydney to London by tho J.\ and 0. steamer Aieiuna, leaving on March 5.' . ■ ' T , Comiuamier 1/vnns and llrs. Lvans will leave Syduey on Alarcli 12 by t.ho Otranto fur Toulon, wlienco, tUey wul travel overland to England. :' - . Comniaiuter Kvnns said lie particulaiw did not want to Ijo interviewed, but felt very much leaving Now Zealand, aa l ho wisned to express his gratitude, and that of every member of the expedition lor tho kindness and unbounded hospitality shown to tho officers and crew of the Terra Nova by tho citizens of Christchurch and Lyttelton, and the people of New Zealand generally. '' „ "JJui'iug our • sojourn h&re, saul Commander i'Jvans, ",we havo made friends with men in every walk of life, and wo shall all carry away with us a feeling of intense gratitude and , affection towards New Zealand and its good people. Wo have felt very much the loss of our brave leader and our gallant shipmates. Captain Scott was a great .leader, and if he could not have brought 'back the southern party, safely no other man could havo done so. No ono who has not made an extensivn sledge journey in low temperatures on the Great Barrier can know Captain Scott- and his brave fellows had to contend with. ' . ... "Dr. Wilson w-as a frionu and fidvisov to'every member of . tho expedition. His good advice and splendid' judgment helped us to smooth over many a littlo difficulty. "Oates was a magnificent mail,- and Bowers was tho pet of tho expedition. He was very clever, and as hardy a man as one could find. ; . ' "Poor Evans was a fino specimen of British seaman, as lie was a man ol great strength and endurance, and as sledgemaster to the expedition his services were' indispensable. ' . ' "You must hot forget Brissenden, the stoker petty officer,' who lost his life at the French Pass while the crew of the Terra Nova were carrying out survey . work there. "We all feel ;the loss of these six men more than any woVds of mine can tell, and o'ur one wish is to terminate the expedition in such a way that the reproduction of' the 'scientific results, charts, and photographs will.be in itself a lasting tribute to our noble , leader and his fearless companions, whose memory can o'hly mako us all better men." '. Whilst disinclined to say anything' lest it be thought presumption on his part to express any opinion which might perhaps bo taken as criticism of a really great and good work, Commander Evans said that his ideas in regard!to; the memorial fun(l were.that it should be sent, to the lion.treasurer of -tho expedition, in London (SirtEdgar Speyer), and in. the eyelit of the funds subscribed 'Wing 'sufficient to really handsomely provide for thoso dependent on Captain , Scott arid his lost comrades,"tho treasurer should hand back the New Zealand fund to the New Zealand treasurer to provide for tho erection of a suitablo memorial. It might possibly ' bo that the JC30,000 mentioned in the London press'cable messages having been 1 subscribed included tho ' expeditionaryfunds out of which wages had to bo paUl, coal bought, and many other liabilities met. If this was so, the funds available for tho dependents of the lost men would be very considerably less than i! 30,000, "Alind you," said Coqmander Evans, "I do -. not wish to express any opinion, but you' pressed me for it, and ,my idea is that every penny should,bo available first* for dependents, and once their welfare lias been satisfactorily established, then the other money could -be expended in the erection of a fitting memorial. But the finest memorial will be the carrying out of Captain Scott'.? wishes and plans ■in their entirety." . ..'■-, ' Seen .shortly- before the steamer sailed, Commander Evans said that if a. memorial were erected locally, he thought that it should take the form <)f a large cairn, possibly surmounted by a-cross, erected on tho summit- of Port Hills, at a spot where it would Ixs plainly visibly, not only from Christchurch and surrounding district, but also in full view of Lyttelton and all shipping entering .the port.