A PILOT PARTY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 542, 15 February 1913, Page 5

A PILOT PARTY.

TROUBLE WITH MOTOR SLEDGES Christchurch, Wednesday. The details of the work which was done in order to prepare the way for the southern dash were described by Commander Evans as follows: — The scheme of this journey was as follows: Sixteen men were employed in the advance to the Pole. Of these four went ahead under myself to pioneer. This party consisted of Day, motor engineer; Lashley, third engineer; Petty Officer Krean, Captain Scott's old petty officer; Hooper, a steward; and myself. We took with us two motor sledges and a large quantity of food stuff to relieve the ponies of heavy loads for the first 50 miles of their journey. This was between our base and Hut Point, where the sea ice was very slippery, and from Hut Point to Corner Camp, which consisted of 34 miles of the barrier, with soft snow. We did not want the ponies to suffer these conditions, of which we knew, and so took the motor sledges in advance. Although these sledges did not come u.p to expectations they did succeed in advancing some three tons weight for 50 miles from the base. But in doing so they gave us frequent trouble from incessant breaking down and overheating. This gave those in charge much dicomfort, to put it mildly. The motors being air-cooled became very hot. Frequently the temperature was roughly Sdeg. below zero. When they became over-heated we had to wait for them to cool, and we cooled too. When they got cold we had to warm up the caburettor with a blow-lamp to get going again. The hole business was modt trying, and we were really thankful when they did break down altogether, although we mended them and used them as much as possible. The last motor broke down at Corner Camp, and the carry was really pleased. Leaving the motors, we took SBolb weight off each 10ft sledge, and, marching 20 geographical miles a day, reached the meeting-place appointed by Captain Scott in latitude 80.13. Here we built an enormous snow camp, which we called Mount Hooper, after the youngest member of our party. We waited here a week for Captain Scott to arrive, which he did on November 12th, 1911. Ho had besn delayed by bad weather at the start, and when he reached us he relieved us of most of our weight, and sent us a few miles ahead. We erected cairns to mark the route for the return, and did all the navigating and surveying reauired. We were really a pilot party The pony party behind us established depots, which were approximately one week's march apart, and marked each with a black flag. When I was returning, ill with scurvy, my life was very gallantly saved by Lashley and Kroan. We had then been employed on sledging for six months. SCIENTIFIC WORK. Regarding the scientific work done on the run south, Commander Evans made the following statement:— "Lieut. H. E. De P. Rennick, being the most experienced surveyor, ha 3 had charge throughout of the oceanographical work, and during the deepsea soundings, varying in depth from 158 to 3003 fathoms, spaced fairly evenly along our route, an unexpected shoal was found in the middle of Ross Sea. Advantage of this waH taken by Mr D. G. Lilly, biologist, who let down a tawl and obtained a rich haul of biological specimens. Mr Lilly has made a further study of the distribution of the small organisms which make up the supply food of whales between New Zealand and McMurdo Sound. While in the Antarctic Sea he was again very successful in obtaining rich hauls in depths varying between 40 and 300 fathoms. Lieut. Powell, who is taking charge of the ship on the homewarc voyage, acted as ice-master in addi tion to his other duties, which em braced the' important work of all mag netic observations.

Mr Nelson, the other bioloigst, is going home a junior executive officer of the ship, quite a "sporting" thing to do, as all the other officers of the ship have had masters' for nearly 20 years."