AURORA DUE SHORTLY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2730, 27 March 1916, Page 6

AURORA DUE SHORTLY

; London, March 24. The following wireless message from Lieutenant Stenhouse, R.N.E., second in command of the Aurora, states: "The vessel reached Cape Crozier. on January 9, 1915, where it was intended to establish a depot for the winter journey'from our oase; but the conditions were so . bad that it was impossible to effect a landing. The- Aurora proceeded east along the Barrier and up tho Sound. She encountered great difficulties from the ice, but eventually made a landing.' A party of three men with dogs started on January 24 for the bluff to lay out a depot, taking stores with them. Next day Captain Mackintosh, accompanied by two members of the party, left the ship for a sledge trip with the dogs.

"On January 31 six men . started southward, taking a motor sledge with an aeroplane engine., All this time the Aurora was lying at.her moorings off Cape Evans. Many attempts had been made to find a safe harbour, but they had failed owing to the extremely bad season. The party returned from the south, and on March 4 embarked from the Hut Point. A week later the ship

was still off Cape Evans. Four of the staff went asliore to do j scientific work. A violent blizzard on May 6 drove the Aurora from the.moorings which she bad taken for. the winter. At this time Captain Mackintosh and two companions, as well as three men who had gone to the bluff to establish a depot, and four members of tho scientific staff, were ashore. "We saw no more oi them., "The names of those ashore on tho barrier are Mackintosh, H. Wild, Joyce, Cope, Stevens, Spencer Smith, Richards, Hay ward, Jack, and Sag;e. Wo sent a wireless appeal for a relief ship during the winter, but can't say if it was received. We hadn't any acknowledgment. "The Aurora is proceeding to New Zealand under a jury rudder. We lost our anchors and are short of fuel. We expect to arrive early in April."