FOR ROSS SEA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2956, 20 December 1916, Page 6

FOR ROSS SEA

AURORA TO SAIL THIS MORNING.

The Aurora, which is expected to leave Port Chalmers this morning, will proceed direct to the Ross Sea for the purpose of getting into touch with the men who were left on R'oss Island, M'Murdo Sound, when the ship was driven from there by a blizzard in May last year. Sir Erneat Shackloton stated before his departure from Wellington that he was of finding all well .with the members "of his expedition in the Far South, but he realised that the turn of events had exposed them to danger, and he' was anxious to reach them as quickly as ]sossible._ The ice which oloses the Ross fee a during the'winter ought, to have opened by this time, and he expected that the Aurora would be able, to get through without delay. Asked what the nature of jus work would bo after, the arrival of the ship in M'Murdo Sound, Sir Ernest Shackleton said that he could not make plans until ho knew the circumstances. Bio Aurora had left ten men in the south, and six of those men, inoluding Captain Mackintosh, had been missing 'for nearly two months before the ship was driven from the Sound. They left on a sledging expedition on March 11, 191°, with the intention of proceeding to the head of the Sound, and possibly pushing some way over the Ice Barrier, and they had riot returned on May 6, when the blizzard came. A search party had started from the ship on April 14, but had been forced back by bad weather. The fato of Captain Mackintosh's party, therefore, was in doubt, though it was by no means improbable that the men had simply been delayed by bad ice conditions and had found shelter in one of the old huts m the Sound.

Sir Ernest Shackleton added that if his own plans had succeeded and tho Endurance had reached the AVeddell .Sea coast, he probably would have crossed the Antarctic Continent during the present summer. The duty of the Ross Sea party would have been to lay depots for him south of M'Murdo Sound, and as the members of that party could know nothing of what happened in the meantime, they might be away from their base when tho Aurora arrived. In that case he would probably take a sledging party inland m order to get in touch with the men as quickly as possible. The explorer repeated that his plan necessarily would depend upon conditions 83 he found them after the arrival of the Aurora in M'Murdo Sound. If all went well, lie hoped to be back in New Zealand with his comrades not later than March.

OAPT. WORSLEY AND LIEUT ' , STBiYHOUSE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, December 19. Dr. MNab was asked to-night if either. Captain Worsley or Lieutenant Stenhouse was going to sail with the Aurora. The Minister repliod that lie had 110 statement to make, hut ho intended making ono ofter the vessel sailed. _ Sir Ernest Shaokleton was then asked if the officers named were going to sail on the Aurora. Ho said he had no statement to realto, but that ho intended' leaving one behind him. Captain Worsley and Lieut. Stenhouso stated that th'oy did not know if they wero to sail in the vessel, but that if they did they would have to go in civilian attire. It is understood that the Government received information from England by cablegram to-day that it has arranged that the Aurora bo handed over to . Sir Ernest Shackleton immediately on her return to New Zealand. ' The Aurora is expected to sail about , 9.45 to-morrow morning.