THE SOUTH POLE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1018, 14 March 1912, Page 3

THE SOUTH POLE.

AMUNDSEiN'o COMPANIONS. NO FURS NEEDED. Hobart, March 12. The embargo placed on the Fram since her arrival has been removed and Captain Amundsen invited the pressmen to visit her. Everything was found to be spick and span. The four men who accompanied Amundsen to the Pole were the central object of attention. They were: Bjaalaud, Hansen, Haasel and Wisting. All were accomplished suowshoers. Better comrades, Amundsen declared, one could not wish for. To them, to the dogs, and to the skis success was due.

Haasel said the cold experienced

on the journey was really not very lormidable. Near the pole itself the weather was fine most ol the lime. He had known it colder in Christiania. The party wore furs to start with, but found them too warm tor marching in, and went into ordinary clothing. They would never have got through at. tar as food supplies went without the dogs. Dog flesh was not of the worst, while the dogs themselves seemed fond of each other as food. In fact, some were fonder of their companions dead than alive. Amundsen was a wonderful man, and to him getting through without accident or mishap was due.

AMUNDSFN SPEAKS AGAIN

Sydney, March 12

Captain Amundsen thinks the tent and flags left at the Pole should remain in position a long time. Unless the weather is worse than was experienced, there is no danger of the tent being blown away, and probably it will be a couple of years before it is covered with snow.

Referring to Sir Ernest Shackleton’s statement that King Haakon plateau is the same as he christened King Edward plateau, Amundsen said there must be some mistake. He does not think Shackleton said that. He may have meant that it was all part of the same elevated area. “Shackleton, when he reached furthest south, was still going up,’’ said Amundsen, “while we reached our greatest height about the same latitude as that in which he had to turn back, and then began to ascend again a slightly sloping plateau, on which the Pole stands, and which we called King Haakon.’’ The plateau named by Shackleton, Amundsen pointed out, was a place ascended in the mountains, about 15° miles eastward of Beardmote Glacier, up *which Shackleton made his way. It would have been a round about route to have gone up Beardmore, and the place chosen was easily ascended, over 10,000 feet being negotiated in four days. “At the Pole itself,’’ said Amundsen, “we exercised the greatest care in making observations. We stopped when we got as nearly as we could ascertain to Sgdeg. 55mm., or five miles from the Pole, and took our reckoning from there. Then v/e went on to the Pole itself, where we individually took the most careful observations we could. In order to make quite certain, the four of us went out to four points at about five miles from the Pole as the centre, and took observations there, in addition to observations at the Pore itself. We could not, of course, determine it as exactly as a nun in an observatory, with all his instruments at hand. At the same time we used all possible care, and

do not think there could be any material error.”

Amundsen says the spot located as the Pole is perfectly flat as far as the eye could reach. Had Shackleton crossed the plateau he named King Edward Land, he would have been within seeing distance of the Pole, so flat and even was the ice.

Besides Amundsen’s party, another parly under Captain Johansen, with its base at Framheim, devoted itself to. exploration in the neighbouring portion of King Edward Land. It went eastward, and met many escapes, losing several dogs. It would happen that the skis would pass over the ice all right, but suddenly, without warning, the dogs would sink right through into bottomless crevices, and would not be seen again. The men, by following the dogs, escaped what otherwise would have been instant death.

Captain Millsou, oi the Tram, staled that during his stay in the Bay of Whales he met the Japanese expedition. Then the Japanese landed, and climbed the Great Barrier, and stayed till the following morning. Afterwards they erected a lent on the barrier, and left two men there for five days. After that a strong breeze sprang up, and the Japanese vessel let t That was the last he saw of her. The two Japs who were left behind said the ship had gone to King Edward’s Laud, and was going to call back for them. They were well provisioned and found, and were still there when the Fram left with Amundsen and party on 30th January.

CONGRATULATIONS TO AMUNDSFN.

Mr A. Fisher, Federal Premier, has cabled to Captain Amundsen, congratulating him heartily on the success of his expedition and its safe return. He hoped to see Amunuseu on a visit to Meluourne,