THE NIMROD, 1908

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 8, 10 July 1923, Page 18

THE NIMROD, 1908

rapfi^(CES^i#CAPTAIN R; G;

DB. MHJO ADMITS "INAOOUBAOIEft"

(raoyoßK -ows coumipo»?mi.)

IiONDON^-iit June,

When IJew. iZ.ealanders rßgdjPrrH. B. Mill's ; "Th.^Life of*BhaoWet«n I.«f^ecqnt. ! ly published by Mesrs." Heine'mstj)* they ! will naturally be speoially:dr»wn.to theij chapter relating-to the Nimrod.s-> •-•.-.•:■■;/

In his proiace to the. book, Dr. 1: Mill remarks : I have had .free access to all availabla Records, including diaries .and ] intimate'oorreßpondenoe, and I have con- j suitedyGad.vi'Shaokleton at erery;stag.6'oi tha -"yrorfe in which sHe has af£brded|.nie j the*mosS?<}ins^iaßin?S help. s^hxS^.jjiasC;! thus*be 'regarded;as an authoritative jan*respbn|ibleAic)(rraphy4 It is right toiadri that my' diicretion'has been unfettered both as .to;the* faote <Jealfc with and with th&" p3anner,*pt*rrae6entm^. ■.thera:.r,;,_,;.:l have satisfilcl'mjselj';4sjto^thj sAibstantial iceuracy o£ eyfirv'&'fatenient ojf- fact* and : /pf til quotatibnSl'.' ■ ir&•'■■■■ Sf h Vi s?"-;i ££„ '■ Toward the end'of th^-cJiaßteriJDr. Mill wrote: "TKes'iwtrenie'scaution' of Captain Enpland in approachinK the ice and his anxiety to take-the ship to sea.on any ohanga o£ weather for tho worse, were \ hampering' the work of landing stores and reducing the coal supply by unnecessary steaming. The other officers were indignant, V.but: "obeyed ?'the shore party, were less.'restrained'in their opinion, /and only. Shaoileton;.'who''-felt,tho delays'most _pf ill, upheld the authority of the captain, reprimanding one important member ofthe expedition who had made a djsparaginff remark :abbut England in hisihearing,? and. saying.!that would not .tolerate^ such language-ahout -his in -'com-' mand, and;wpuld. send any man^who to repeat" it home ajjain.in the/Nimrod. More .tharTbnoe 'the .captain's "oautioh- had': threatened the iafety> of. .wintering .party,. and most relubtantlv Shackleton had beendriven to. the conclusion that England's' "health'had'suffered'so"seriously, as.to ■im*' pair hie-'Usefulnesa.-;. Still,' he 'resolved to; uphold the captain's „authority .Aintil .the ship reached New Zealand,: arid to leave it to Mr. J.,, J. Kinsey, the agent and Eriend of the' expedition, to decide under what oommander the Nimirod should be sent back the next year. On the critical question of tho coal supply, Shackleton had to. exert all his powers of reasoning; and persuasion, and even to appeal.to his authority as leader of the. expedition': before England would'•'abate" his demand for 100 "tonb- to ,'.be.J-left;*in.v.the; : :bunkers i : fn order tp.^ejrrj^^ai'BWp'fabfc/toi-port.'i The leader'wentii.wcleed'; to;'the\extremelimit of cpnc^sionyinireducingvtheramount. ■ to be;Janded':for;;.a;.y'ear'B. supply'.'for,,the: wiaterV^jM'/;f^jn.°j3o*'to>is;vitßg.- quantity; jet out: in'';thev:i3lansi ■tcii.'lß;.:t'pns';. bu£»he.i did sb'-andi.^lwt^?? tpns*iioift.bpard;>ithe' XNimrod.^'^i?f*as^itpK&prienSdK'wa9,;3o\ tons 'otTthei voyage' to Lytteltdni-bui'^hen, as'alwiyaj Shackle-' ton £.took^tne.*e£eater4 risfc-ifov .-■ laii 'r'omn.' ptttfi'> ~:"^~"Si~]~-;:?,-:- i~'~^::- ■■.'*?-7rirt:zi':..* - A e'VT days aßo'there'appeared in-'/ThQ Paily Telegraph tho accompanying letter signed, Hugh ; Eobert - Mill;. ./'Sir,—The publicity given-.byryou tovmy 'iiferof ■Stt Ernest-iShwWefcon,' jieoently ushed, has brought' me / into commuhick> tion with Captain Bupe'rt England, who was in- command of the Nimrod during (her voyage to and from the Antarctic regions in 1907-08. I am sorry that I had £ot this advantage six months ago, ag it (would have enabled me to give a more loourate account of some incidents which w set out in-jthe, book, and auote'd in your cphunns Jo less'than justioe td'Captam England's rservioes to.' tha Expedition of whioh he'was'the sscohd'iii comniand. I shall put this right, in any subsequent Bditaon, but in the .meantime T-should be gratified, if you * would -allow me the 1 cpportuniiy of wtpressihg fmy regret rthat jnapouraoieg^liould have ropeired.; and of jaymg that Ja my opinion Ciptain England was * brwe «nd »ble navigator, whose Pa»«il eoSWe cpnduoed to the saia-