THE SOUTH POLE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1018, 12 March 1912, Page 3

THE SOUTH POLE.

CAPTAIN AMUNDSEN’S NARRATIVE.

London, March 10

The Daily Chronicle has again surpassed its rivals in the matter of Polar exploration. It secured the great scoop of Nansen’s story of his Polar expedition in 1896, and it publishes to-day the exclusive record of Amundsen’s expedition telegraphed from Hobart. Captain Amundsen chose as his base a point near the edge of the great ice barrier in longitude 164 degrees west, and in three weeks after arrival a house was built, tents fifteen in number were pitched around, and the personnel and all the equipment for the expedition lamded. A FALSE START.

He started on his dash for the Pole on September Bth, but it was too early, the temperature falling to between minus 50 and 60 deg. Celsuis. Part of the expedition accordingly returned, with some of the dogs, which had suffered from the extreme cold. THE RE-START. Captain Amundsen and a party of four re-started on September 20th, and met with severe blizzards, but had a pleasant trip between the 82nd and 83rd degs. Sir Ernest Shackleton’s “furthest south” (100 miles from the Pole) was reached on December 9th. On December 14th the party reached its destination —the South Pole. All hands were then well. A flag was planted and the spot was named the King Haakon VII. Plateau. INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS.

Minute hourly observations were taken, and the party commenced the homeward journey on December 17th. It averaged 25 kilometres daily on - the outward journey and 26 kilometres on the return trip. It determined the extent and character of the Ross Barrier, and also discovered the connections of South Victor:. Laud and probably King Edward Land with their continuation in the mighty mountains to the south - west stretching in all probability across the continent. FIXING THE DEPOTS.

Between February 10th,' and April nth, Captain Amundsen established depots between the Brst and 82nd degrees.

The surface of the barrier was smooth and finely adopted for dog driving. There was no sastrugi, only local crevasses, only two of which were dangerous. The weather was excellent with light breezes and calm weather.

After fixing the depots the party returned to the base, finding that the Fram had departed after sailing farthest south, namely, 78.41 degrees, WINTER QUARTERS. •Before the arrival of winter they had stored sixty thousand kiles of seal meat and built winter quarters wherein the Lux lamp furnished light and maintained the temperature at 68 degrees Fahrinheit. They spent four months of winter in changing the outfit, which was found too clumsy on the depot trip. They obtained astonishing meteorological observations. There was little snow, the temperature ranging from 65 degrees Celsuis. Many excellent aurora were witnessed. There were only two moderate storms and the water remained open throughout the winter. STARTING SOUTH. On September Bth the journey south was commenced, but the party was forced to return owing to the continuous fall in temperature affecting the dogs, several dying. THE COMING OF SPRING. Spring came in earnest in the middle of October, and the party of five, with four sledges, fifty-two dogs, and four mouths’ provisions, started for the south. A party of three went eastward to explore King Edward’s Land. The southerners erected cairns at intervals to serve as guides on the return journey. They reached the 82nd degree on November sth, where the dogs got their last full meal. They rested for three days and on continuing the journey everything went with the smoothness of a dance. They covered five kilometres daily, establishing depots at every degree. They reached the 83rd degree on November yth, and investigated the Ross Barrier. They arrived at the 85th degree on the 17th November, having marched due south, reaching the place where the land and the barrier were connected by a few big crevasses, indicating the limits of the barrier. UP THE MOUNTAINS. Here they established the head depot with sixty days’ provisions, and commenced the ascent of the barrier mountains, which were most imposing, the summits ranging from 2000 to 1500 feet. The ground, however, rose in easy slopes, and the. dogs negotiated the route without difficulty. They encountered a few steep glaciers, where the going was hard, and were forced to make detours owing to big crevasses. The first day they climbed 2,000 feet and camped, and on the second day 4500 feet. They descended on the third day by a glacier dividing the coast mountains from the mountains further south, and then the longest ascent commenced. The glacier was much broken and narrowed between two 1500 feet mountains.