SHACKLETON’S LAST VOYAGE.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1923, Page 4

SHACKLETON’S LAST VOYAGE.

In ‘'ShackleUm’s Last Voyage”, Commander Frank Wild speaks ol the extraordinary and inexplicable fascination which polar exploration holds for some people, and with, the man whom everyone called “the Boss” it was almost an obsession. Most: persons would have been ((intent with risking their lilo once in these frozen solitudes, but ever since, years ago. Shaekleton went south with Scott his heart: was in the -south. When Ik; arranged his last expedition in RigJ lie had originally intended to give tim Arctic a turn, hut his plans ini<ea ll ted. and hi-, destination v.as (.hanged to the Anianiic. It was not iua(ipropriate ilr.it since lie was to die it siloiild lie near the scene of his main adventures and tiiumphs. liior-gaiii-i.ng the expedition Shaekleton experienced difficulties and disappointment-, from the very beginning, and trouble <" minut'd during the voyage.

Near South Georgia a s-eHcii-. leak in t!j._ Hnna.'C was disCOiered. which node i; (loulitful w hether Ihe Quest could m, nil. Shack Id on eliiiracteristicnlly i rmolvcd to ‘‘give it a chain e.” though he foresaw that l.c might have to unit hack. Hi-, anxieties were .soon over. On .)au'iaty -T. 1922, just as the Quest v, a, entering p ilar waters, lie died Iroai Iwart failure. Here is Dr. Marklon s a,, ■uiiit of (lie cud; -1 noticed thal. alt.hen,Ml n 'a. a roltf night. he had oldv one blanket and asked lulu li he had no other', lie P'ldied that they were in his. bottuni drawer, and he could not he bothered getting them out. I starlet! to do so. hut lie suit!, "Never mind to-night ; I can stand Hie cold.'' However, I went back in inv cabin and got a heavy Jaeger blanket. from my hunk, which t tucked round him. He was unusually quiet in the way lie let me do things tor him. . . li,. talked of many things quite rationally, and, finding Him in such a complacent mood, f thought it a good opportunity to emphasise the necessity of his taking things very much more quietly than lie had been doing.

. . ‘You art 1 always wanting me to give up something. \\ list do you wr.tu. me to give u;> now' - 'I his was the last tiling he said.” Wild, who now assumed command, had to make up his mind whether to go on m turn lsnelt. lie knew that his late chief would have had him ••carry on”; so carry on. ho did. 'lhe:o wrs nothing spectacular.diuut tlm oh,if t • ol tno I'xpcilit ion ; no nttomj.l to the pole "as to lie made. Its purpose was. to gather .scientific data. Hut there was peril in plenty. Oitcii .t seemed as if the little Quest I” 1 ,2 '’ tons burthen) must he overwhelmed by the huge Antarctic billows, while on the mainland there were dangers 1 o lie faced and hardships to he endured. The party collected a mass oi information of great scientific value, and Commander Wild describes these works and day-- in the south in an inlere.-ling fashion. For entertainment there were the penguins who pioveil a perpetual source of amusement. After t o programme had been completed, the ttr.e-s. went to Capetown by way ol Tristan d Aeunha. a curious little speck in the South Atlantic, which is unique :n tfiat officially it is not an island at all. lint a man-of-war under the jurisdiction of the Admiralty. The vision of the Quest caused great' excitement, for the arrival of a ship is a very rare event in the lives of the inhabitants.