THE POLAR EXPEDITION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 447, 13 March 1912, Page 5

THE POLAR EXPEDITION.

AMUNDSEN'S JOURNEY.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.-CopyrißJlt London, Monday. The Chronicln publishes an additional message from Captain AmendBen, in which the explorer says that lie saw nothin<: of Captain Scott. "If ! he. did not get {hoe sooner than my- | self," lit: niiiis, "it, is exceedingly likely that. Seoit. reached the Pole later." The altitude was the greatest difficulty, sometimes reaching 16,500 ft. (This figure is queried). The Cole's was 10,500 ft, and the explorers had difficulty in breathing. Twenty-four dogs were, killed at 85J dog. They were fat and good eating. The dops always had full meals. Throe of the host dogs were lost by desertion, and the return journey showed that, they had plundered one depot. A feature of the journey was the remarkable absence of life, only two skua gulls being seen after passing S-Udeg. Christmas Day was spent at a high altitude, and extra biscuits and porridge were served out. He attributed the success to the use of skis and the magnificent condition of the dogs, which were quite fat at the end of the journey. The party suffered no real hardship. The King Edward Land expedition saw a bird of a new species.

He was unable to erect a cairn at the Pole owing to the absence of stones. He considers calm, still weather a prevailing condition round the Pole.

A NATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION. Christiana, Tuesday. A committee has been formed to se cure subscriptions to pay Captain Amundsen's debts in connection with his Polar expedition amounting to £3910, and afterwards to raise a national subscription for Amundsen himself.