Captain Scott and His Ship.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 July 1910, Page 4

Captain Scott and His Ship.

(.By H. L., in lilie 'Daily Mail.) Captain Kobert Falcon Scott is a man of keen sentiment and enormous enthusiasms, but they are hidden below tilie surface of a very placid ad unconcerned 'demeanour. The traditions of the naval service on the one hand and of tlio great explorers on the other inspire him. Clean .shaven, with a strong a..d determined; faco, tight firm lips, and keen but kindly light-blue eyes, ho is. newly forty-two years of age, and it lis his birthday 011 Juno 0, though ho may forget tho oircumstanee. Ite has moro to think of now than tho slow or quick passing of his own years. He was thirty-three when he first set out towards the South I'ole in tho wonderful but too expensive and not over satisfactory Discovery, in which he made tho great expedition' which penetrated farthest south for the time being. As a good captain lie liked tho Discovery, despite her faults, and if sentiment 'had been given Mill opportunity lie might have taken her with him this time. By a ourioiv? coincfidence slue (lies an 'tho docks now within hailing diistanco of tho Terra Nova, being in the service of the Hudson's Bay Com-

panv, to whom she was soldi who it she had done her work in the Antarctic. _ But now t'ho commander is quite in love with his TERRA NOVA, which lie thinks the best ship in the world for her purpose. The "first time lie ever- saw her lie resented her appearance. He was out in the. lonely Antarctic tlien, cut off from the world. Tt was on a sunny morning in January six years ago, the Discovery was fast in the ice, and: her situation, And indeed that of the whole expedition, was a little serious. The Government liarl guessed this, and had sent this old hut carefully chosen winding vessel raoing throucrh the and Suez Canal, tugged nlo'iig at top speed, bv cruisers and more cruisers until, with the other relief shin, the Morning, she came np to the edge of the ANTARCTIC ICE I'ACR. Captain Scott and some of his companions were discussing after breakfast their plans for the day, when suddenly they saw a. ship. Then Wilson exclaimed, " Why, there's another!" and there was blie Terra Nova. 'Hie sight meant safety and home again, but there >vere considerations which made .•lie reflection not completely delightful. The Antarctic has its .'laims and its hold, and the explorer has a very sensitive pride; and .;o, before he turned in that night, Oaptain Scott wrote ,in his dairy, "fn spite _ of the good home news, and in spite of the pleasure of seeing old friends again, T w«s bappier Inst night than T am tonight." However, he marked the Terra Nova for her sterling worth, and he paid _C 12,000 for her when lie determined on this new expedition. Tn the mean time she had gone back to her whaling and he luid returned to the Navv to command

BATTLESHIPS and cruisers. A fair nmoiint ol money lias now been spoilt on her —most carefully spent -and she lias become a ship of good looks and some excellent conveniences. She has to acconimodlate nearly sixty officers, scientists, and cnew, and u'itli the tliree years' provisions 'hat she takes m*ith her—all selected this time with the most exceptional thoroughness and packed in special cases so that: no case is too heavy for one man to carry—there is 110 room to spare for anyon© or anything. And yet the scientists' laboratories .and special departments which have been constructed in her ore big enough veil fitted and complete. There is nothing wanting. The ship was a schroner before, hut she is rigged now as a barque. To a most' unusual extent THIO DIKCOVfOR V, while not .a ship of the Royal Xavy, enjoyed rank as such. She flew the naval dvsign. The Terra Xova does not fly that, but by a .s pedal grant of privilege, wliicfi is | very u.selul as well as oirnomrntnl, she becomes a member of the Royal Vacht Squadron amtl flies its white ensign. It is «a point also that she has officers and men aboard her who are of the Xavy, being lent by the Admiralty and mmniniing on full pay, so' that they may wear their uniforms "■board. They could not be gazette;! to the Terra Xova, which has no place on the Admiralty iists, but use is made of the imaginary 11. AI. S. President, to (lie service o which _ they are told off while they are in

TIIM ANTARCTIC" fn matters of this kind this naval sontini'.'iit which is imparted -to *he expedition is ia tilling of greater value than most people may imagine. Ft gives discipline, 'nerve, aotennination. Th.« worthiness of the Terra •Nova for the work that is before ' Imm been pro rod, and the men ■lie splendid—in all departments. L'lptain Scott does not .betray bis own K'liels iand enthusiasms, but I have heard him say with high ferJ our 111 his words, "I ,mi immensol.\ pleased with the organisation, the whole thing. Tt is most >xt'eHent. Second in command to linn he has .7 bright a-nd eager young officer in Lieutenant Evans "•ho went out to the Antarctic be-

rore m the 3Loriiinjr relief ship. Mr Skdton, who was cliiof 'engineer in the Discovery. is with him also, and a few others of old Anta-rctic associations. The rest have been cliflsiMi from among hundreds who vol:11 n too red. Lieultenant Oainne" ls « young naval officer of fine nmver and determination, to whom will he given the control of a section of tho expedition which will detached for work, apart from trie mam hodv, in

KLNG EDWARD VIJ. LAND some four hundred miles to the eastward. There aw ten clever scientists on board, as against only three or four that have been taken out by previous expeditions. Little facts like these show the extraordinary thoroughness and determination that characterises this new enterprise. Captain Gates, of the Dragoon Guards, is to ho in charge of the ponies tihat are taken out. There is a man for everything, hut not a particle of waste in man or material. And the whole thing will not cost less than £00,000, which is not half of the expense of tihe Discovery expedition. The Terra Nova goes to •I,*' /. 0!lIamI now (lier eomnwindw jvdl join her there) and she will leave there about the 'beginnin"■ of December for the great venture in the Antarctic.