WILD’S STORY OF THE QUEST.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1923, Page 4

WILD’S STORY OF THE QUEST.

2( )i)- Y E A ll S-( IT, 1) TOR TO 1 S K. LONDON. May 31. To those who love adventure, seafaring and the exploration of remote and rarely visited islands. Commander Frank Wild’s bonk “Shackleton's Last Voyage" will afl'ori’i entrain ing t.-.i 1ing. It tells the story of the Quest, and tells it. well, with the advantage ol magnificent illustrations from photographs. There is incident in abundance. for life in “Die stark and sullen solitudes that sentinel the Pole" iiicver insipid. The craving for curb an existence as Ihe Quest’s crew had ai moments comes over all. These days impressed I boiust-h •■** vividly in one’s memory. I think A is impressions like these which, working perhaps sub-eonseiouslv, produce tint: haunting restlessness which makes one 1 1 -cl suddenly and without apparent i a use dissatisfied with civilisation, its veneer and artificiality, its restrictions and its ugliness.

The crew of the Quest, sailing where a century before early explorers had forced their way without steam, i. ■ ; iiiseil the splendid character of thoi'work:

1 was compelled for the sake of " *ommiy to shut off si cam and proceed under sail only, which gave me some idea of the difficulties which Belli.ig*. hausen ami Biscoe had to contend wiHi and enabled me to appreciate their ie~ luctanec to push deeply into the ice. In the whole ef my experience as a s**:lliinn I have never encounlereil a perl oi the world where weather and sea conditions are so lim-oml'ortahle. They saw much of the killer whale, that, horrible creature: It is smaller than Ike large varieties u: t rill* v. bale. Init it has immen-e. inn and a wide gullet, and live- not on whale lend but on seels and !>'■)■ :i!in.* ami il is i-o'iici-iable that il has o:i occasions aceoiiiin.nhitcd a imi’i : though whether it ever let go again is a ilill’erent mailer.

TIMSTAN DA GUNIIA. The full at .-omit of Tristan da Cunhn the lonely isle! in the southern Atlantic. and of ils British settlers is ol special interest. ‘'‘The longevity of the islanders is remarkable, few seem i » die under 99 years of age.” Nor is there to he found among them any sign ol mischief cnised hv intermarriage. Dr Ma-klin. win: spent some time with tie-ill, state*: As ti mental de general inti, i siderei! these islanders to he very intelligent. They are uneducated, limiled iii outlook, neil geiiercllv “iusnlar hoi how could thcv ! *e aw! hi n - el-e in l heir i: * -liliar i ircumstam es 7 Si- Helen:’, was visitcl : VYe were introduc'd to a. liege tortoise. reputed to be 2( '9 year*- old. v.liieh sometiiie*s leaves Hie grounds lor the ruti'l and ca u- •> Ik” - which encounter il to shy. II takes *-i.x men to lift it oil’ (he r-*:- :. This I*. :: hook to eiiioy. ami C'.mimi:u! r AYihi writes well.