EXPLORERS ENTERTAINED

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3003, 14 February 1917, Page 9

EXPLORERS ENTERTAINED

. o — ANOTHER WELCOME FOtt SIR • ERNEST SIIACKLETON.

A complimentary luncheon was tendered to air Erics t Shacklcton and the members of liis expedition by the Commercial .Travellers' Club yesterday. Mr. E. A. Phelps, vice-president of the club, occupied tho chair, and had Sir Ernest Shacklotou on his right hand and Captain J. K. .Davis on his loft. Ifie club's dining hall was filled. The chairman brielly but warmly welcomed the explorers, and proposed their health, tho toast Leing honoured with enthusiasm. Sir Ernest Shacklcton, in the course of his reply, said that ho appreciated very warmly indeed the kindness , and sympathy that he had received from the commercial men of Wellington and other parts of tho Empire..' When lie had reached Punta Arenas, at the southern end of Chile, after his boat voyage to South Georgia, the. English business, community in that distant corner of tho world had fitted out a schooner in which ho had' made one of . U ,s to rescue his comrades fzoin Elephant Island. He had found a similar spirit prevailing in Wellington. Sir Ernest proceeded to relate some of the lighter incidents of polar exploration. He mentioned, before con- I eluding,, that the Commercial Travellers Club had very kindly undertaken to assist him in arranging for the opening of the Aurora to public exhibition, so that the people of Wellington might have an opportunity to inspect the ship and her. equipment, and at tho. same time provide some financial assistance I for the widow and family of the late 1 Captain Mackintosh, lvhose death in the south had heen a, loss felt keenly by; every member of the expedition. .The explorer stated also that lie wished to have the pleasure of presenting to the club .one of the sledges that had neon used /by the expedition in the Antarctic, a pair of ski,■ and a stuffed penguin, as some small recognition of the kindnesses tlmt he had received. The health of Captain" Pavis\was pro-, nosed hy.Mr. Carr. In the course of his reply, Captain Davis, returned thanks on behalf of himself and the Officers and men of th<J Aurora. He

was very clad indeed, lie said, to have assisted... in bringing the men back, even though his psvrt hat* been 'merely to not as a sort of Antarctic ferryman. Tim 'Mayor of Wellington (Mr. ,T. T\ Luke) responded to the toast of "The Visitors," and the proceedings terminated with the National Anthem.