POLAR EXPLORATION

Hokitika Guardian, 5 September 1931, Page 8

POLAR EXPLORATION

NOT USELESS EFFORT,

ADDRESS BY MR H. M.NNIS

WELLINGTON, September 2

The difficulties that have to he overcome by adventurers in the great southern ice-cap and the perils which they must inevitably encounter in facing the rigours oft the South Polar region were interestingly related to members of the Wellington Rotary Club by Mr H. Ninnis yesterday. Mr Ninnis has had many experiences with more than one Antarctic‘expedition. He spoke particularly of the. expedition which set out under Shackleton for the fiouth, Pole in August, 1914, when the leader proposed to do what had never been done before—to land on one side of the South Polar region and make his way overland by way of the Pole to the other side. He was to proceed to the side opposite South America jn the Endurance, while the other party wap to proceed to Ross Sea in the Aurora (tnui at Hobart), and proceed to the Barrier, and lay a line of food caches as far south as possible on an arranged line. The lecturer told how Shackleton suffered bad fortune by the Endurance being crushed in the ice, and foundering, forcing the men to take to the boats and make for Elephant Island. From there an open boat voyage of 800 miles was made to South Georgia, where assistance was secured, and ultimately the Elephant Island party was rescued.

While this was happening the Aurora had her troubles to contend with, the chief of which was when, after making all secure for the winter, the vessel was forced from her anchorage at Cape Evans and drifted for months at the bidding of the winds and ice. Just when it became apparent that the vessel, bereft of rudder and with her stem-post damaged, was to be imprisoned for another winter, the ice shelf split open, and she was able to make her way to open water and ultimately’ to New Zealand. Then the expedition was declared bankrupt, and the joint Governments had to finance an expedition to relieve the men who had been left on the Barrier, but only seven out of the ten were brought back, the missing men includ ng Padre /Spencer Smith, who died of scurvy, and ■Captain Macintosh and his (secretary, who virtually committed suicide by venturing out upon rotten ice, among which they became lost. Mr Ninnis said that there were a great many people who thought that there was nothing in these expeditions, but he could assure them that there was always some big motive behind! them. Every expedition added its quota of knowledge about the great southern polar region, the sum total of which was of ,im- ; portance to those countries not so very remote from 1 Antarctica.