THE MORNING'S RETURN.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 850, 26 March 1903, Page 2

THE MORNING'S RETURN.

THE DISCOVERY'S PROGRESS.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, last night. The Antarctic relief ship Morning returned to Lyttelton this morning. The Antarctic steamer Morning arrived at 9.30 a.m., all well. She found the Discovery on January 23 at Mac Murdoch Bay. It is stated that the Discovery's men, sleighing, had been further south than any previous expedition. The Discovery was hemmed in the pack ice, but the pack might soon break up. Tho Discovery lost a man by accident. The Morning brought Lieut. Shackleton and nine men from the Discovery, leaving Lieut. Mulock and nine of her own men. The Mayor of Lyttelton welcomed the Morning, and subsequently the Mayor of Christchurch, the members of the Harbor Board, and the Hon. C C. Bowen.

INTERESTING DETAILS, (Per Press Association,!) CHRISTCHURCH, last night. The Antarctic vessel Morning, which left on December Glh to bear lelief to the Discovery, arrived at Lyttelton this morning.

A crowd quickly gathered on the wharf, and hearty greetings were exchanged. ■' The leading facts of intelligence brought by the relief ship soon became public property ; that the Morning had sighted the Discovery frozen in, about 77.40 deg. south ; that at last eight miles of ice separated the vessels; that three miles of that broke away, so that the Relief got within live miles of the vessel she had to assist; that stores had been transferred from one to the other by, sledges, but that it was not possible to get all the coal to the Discovery ; that one man of the Discovery, named Vince, had been drowned, hut that all the others .were .well. ...Lieutenant Mullock and several men oft the Morning were left with the Discovery, and Lieutenant Shakclton and some men,- of the latter .vessel, came back in the Morning. Captain Scott, in his official report of the Discovery’s voyage and operations, states The vessel entered the pack on January did, in latitude 67 south, and reached the southern edge on January 21st, proceeded along the

uarrier aiul coast, line to latitude 71, south, iong 3 1524 IV. Owing to the heavy pack and the rapid formation of young ice, the expedition turned, on February Ist, to seek winter quarters in Victoria Land. ; • On February 3rd the Discovery, enteied an inlet in the barrier in long. 171, W. _ A balloon was raised, and a small sledge party sent to examine the surface of the barrier. Cape Bird was rounded on February ath. The Erebus- and Terror are on

an island, and the expedition found apparently excellent winter quarters near its southern extremity, at Cape Armilage, lat. 74.48, fc>., long. 103. 53. W.

The expedition next observed the coast of Victoria Land, extending to a conspicuous cape south of the ship in lat. 78.40, south of the Barrier. Pressing up against this there are some detached islands and, the Erebus and Terror, the Parry mountains not existing, but I think the mistake is of easy explanation. Living and magnetic huts were erected, and the expedition prepared for winlcring. 3'he weather was very boisterous,

but reconnaisance sledge parties were sent out. It was during one of these that J. Vince lost, his life, on March 11th, by falling over a hgh ice-cliff into the sea during a snowstorm. The remainder of the party narrowly escaped a similar fate. 'ihe ship was finally frozen in on March 24th, the .temperature falling rapidly. The expedition passed'a comfortable winter, the ship being well sheltered, and the lowest recorded temperature being minus 82 deg. ...We commenced sledging on September 2nd.; During this and following months,' reconnaisance and depot parties were out to the west, southwest, and south. Royd, Skelton, and parly, successfuiiy established a record at Mount Terror, travelling over the barrier unuer severe sledging conditions, with the .temperature down to minus 58 rieg. ; On November 3rd, Dr. Wilson, Lieutenant Shakelton, and I, with dogs, left for the south, and reached land in lat. 80.30 S., long. 162 W. We proceeded along* the coast to lac.- 82.17 S., long. 163 W. We turned on January. Ist, and traced land to the. continuation of Victoria Land,

arriving at the ship on February 3rd Ranges of high mountains continue in .Victoria Land in approximately I. So meridian,- the foothills much resembling those under the Admiralty Range. r l he harrier is presumably afloat; if continues horizontal, and is slowly fed by land ice,

Mountains ten and twelve thousand feet high were seen in lat. 33 8., the coast line continuing to at least 83, 20 deg. nearly due south, Armitage, Skelton, and party ascended a glacier on the mainland in iace of many, difficulties. They found a new range of mountains, and gained inland ice. At a height of 9000 feet, they reached a level or slightly descending plain, with unbroken horizon to westward.

Barnes and parly, made a successful .journey to the south-west-, and Kuettlilz and Fcrrar made several less extended journeys to examine the geological and icc formation. The Morning was sighted on .January 23rd, but five miles of fast icc still intervened. The spot in which the Discovery

lies was cleared of one year’s icc early in February last year, the ice continuing 1o break away to four or five miles beyond Cape Armitage. This season is much later, but there is hope that the ship will eventually he freed.-- In the meantime, I think it advisable that the Morning should return.... If unable to follow, we are all prepared for another winter. I submit that permission be asked

to name the new land to the eastward of the barrier after His Majesty the King.Captain Colbeck, of the Morning, thinks that the chances of the Discovery being freed this season are very, doubtful. ...The following is a summary of the scientific work done :

Hodgson has been working indefatigubly throughout the year. He reports that a very rich marine has been found, with a large proportion of new species of the sea.

Bernacchi has a complete year’s record with E.schenhagen instruments, including the term of days ; also seismograph records and pendulum observations.

Wilson’s collection includes skins anti skeletons of all Southern seals, with a series of embryos, and the young of weddell and seal, and exam-

ples of known Antarctic birds. Emperor's penguin were found at Cape Crozier, with young in down, and eggs were procured, with excellent photographs of rookery, and a. series

of skins of young and adults. ...Met-erological observations have been carefully made throughout and totai observations obtained during the winter months.

Ferrar reports” extensive quartz gric accumulation, practically horiz* j.tally bedded volcanic rocks in scoria cones, and lava flows in frequent, Plutonic rock forms the base ment of the mountains, so far as can be seen. Koettlitz pursued his botanical studies as far as possible, and cl-tajiied bacterial cultures from seals and penguins, and other sources. He also obtained a large collection' of photographs and sketches.