THE NIMROD.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9091, 10 March 1908, Page 5

THE NIMROD.

ANOTHER INTERESTING STORY

DR. MICHELE’S NARRATIVE. Christchurch, March 9. An interesting narrative of the Nimrod’s voyage, and the landing of the stores, was told to a Press reporter by the genial doctor of the Nimrod, Dr. V, A.,, R, Michoil. “Once clear of the Heads,” he said, ”tho Nimrod started to roll, fright fully, and wg nil suffered the inconvenience of seasickness. The Nimrod, through being so heavily laden, wont through all the combinations of mot ions one could conceive when the heavy wearhev struck hThings were as wet and disagreeable ns thov could bo—nyg.vr.t change from the comfortable mail steamers wo had known. The ivovua left us just over the Antarctic Circle, and I believe rise steamer grew i il v disMnerum or wing M.u rirsu Area ship to cross Mm civi i-.j. V.’i! had vary line weather in the circle, and we just steamed along withor.t botimriug to sail much. .Vie encountered no pack ice, bat threw vmr (wu-dress numbers of icebrews of a .(lot tubular variety—-toe typical'Antarctic bergs. Tho sides ‘wore white with the action of the vw, deeply Assured, and in pieces too beant-ifni dark bine ice cordo. to .wen. After passing through the brags' see creme into perfectly open sea. Toe only ice, 'visible was on the horizon. At this time wo wore getting twenty-four hours daylight. Yon could only toll what time it was by your mealtimes aw' everyoody fossa lot of sleep-—wake up at midnight, and fch.o sun would Oe shining brightly. The ice barrier, when wo sighted it, 'was juN line one huge ire-brag. The big diu of Avid to reminds yon, of tire chalk cliffs of England at a distance. Air en-Tora.tion of the barrier shovved that Bcr eiignov ii: 1 1 r’ s ba-3h) o■ i b 1';; i. i had diirenpoarcd. Dr. Mioirell described tiic oarh.re.dy anti wresdrely voyaging;; of the Nimrod, and the lined landing at Ross Islam!, at the foci; of Msg.g; jJndnr.s, an active volcano idydH; e. st inns,. ' ‘'Thu vole-ore is a nrervreik.as sight” said Nr. Michel:. THE redATATAR OF ANTARCTICA it lore ts'w- true volcnuo c.me, aiui.is cover.si with snc.w aud ice. from the base to the summit. Tin; snow-clod | sides urn deep:,} fissured right Mare: the sea revel fo Am top. it is wonderful to sere the steam issuing ceasemin is a .-gdrerdid we;Airereg;reg--. as you c.':i tell by chi: ekred:- round it what ch« weather is going to bo. Altogether Erebus woo cm inagsAA o; s'-e, .c.ee iirerWire T-Awret Torrer, sh-O:- A C-jO R-m is- no re-Minot volcano. bin- iW a.rreeecions are cumrdeiely ovrerdredoreaA The- nreAreg Dr. NTi;:b;o 1 1 .staled, were delighted to get on shore, and td 10 fh.re ruing they did was to enjoy an uproarious carnival on tho wren, vod-reg 2i-- ; ;;;eii!g about and giving every sign of equine delight. They were very soon got into condition, and were utilised in the lauding of the stores. The building of the hut, stud the landing of the stores occupied the energies of everybody. 'Work was carried on duv

and “night.’ ’ No one know any difference until soft; s'eop put iii.-s chain on the eyelids. The sun was very brilliant, but no one suffered from snow blindness, that scourge of some Arctic exploration parti'. l ?.

Tho hut was built near a penguin rookery, aud the party got no end of amusement watching the antics of those laugh able birds. A few of the penguins went to replenish the larder, aud tho epicurean verdict was that “the}’can be used down here all right, but that’s all you can sav. ’ ’

THE ANTARCTIC BLIZZARD greatly impressed Dr. Michcll. A blizzard or blow would coma on in full force in the short* space of ten minutes with hardly any previous warning, and the Nimrod had simply to make for open water. One party of which Dr. Micholl was a member, had a thrilling epxerienco owing to the sudden descent of a snow blizzard. They had lauded some coal from a ship’s boat aud were making for the Nimrod when the snow commenced to fall, completely blotting the shiji out of their vision. Providentially the snow cleared off temporarily and the party were able to pick her up, aud get on board. Tho snow then came on again so thickly that it was physically impossible to see over the side of tho ship. The storm developed into a very severe blizzard, and the Nimrod had to steam out to sea, where she was hove to for about three days. “The ship,’’ Dr. Micbell continued, “became practically an iceberg. Site was coated with ice from stem to stern, and each sea that came over seemed to be frozen in the process. Some members of the lauding party were on board, aud they spent most of their time in making up for the sleep they had lost and sitting about the engine room, getting warm. The cold was intense —about 16 below zero. The officers on the bridge had a terrible experience, they" being nearly frozen. WONDERFUL SUNSET EFFECTS. Dr. Micbell gave a picturesque description of sunset effects in the Antarctic. “The sun began to dip about the 10th of Pebruay, aud a kind of twilight, not darkness, prevailed for several hours of the day. The colours on the snow-covered aud ice-tipped mountains during these few hours were something wonderful. You had every conceivable shade and tint on the mountain peaks. The glow of the descendingsun was marvellously beautiful. The col >, of course, became much greater when the sun disappeared. We found onr heavy pilot cloth suits and sea boots very satisfactory wearing apparel when these coudtions prevailed, and we never suffered much from cold. “Of course,” ho added humorously “you don’t got. time to get cold when you are working hard. The temperature on the average would bo about freezing, with occasional drops to 1G or IS deg. below, the cold was quite bearable, aud the prevailing wind was from tho southeast, and it can be very disagreeable indeed. To keep warm the main tiling was to have everything big and loose. The hand, can be kept very warm by wearing the ordinary wool mifcs. Yon have to look out particularly for your extremities, but a great deal of tho time you could work in your shirt sleeves. Personally I did not find the Antarctic summer anywhere in tho same street as the Canadian winter for severity. If, was just like the end of the Canadian winter, with more sunshine, but of course you have to face the cpld under loss comfortable conditions down in tho Antarctic. Everybody suffered more

or less from frostbite, but that was only to bo expected. Frost bite affected the linger tips mainly as they lost sensation, and the painful time came with returning sensitiveness. Antarctica is THE REaLM OF SILENCE. The silence is most remarkable almost_ painful, said Dr. Michel! ’ •especially if yon observe it in the mu hire of the night. Ebolang over ino vast illimitable expanse of ice, your eyes encounter nothing save perhaps a lonesome penguin, and f.u-re is not the slightest breath of round or motion to strike tire ear. ine continual daylight also gels on your nerves, as well as the silence, and rive only antidote is plenty of work. _After experiencing the Antlll(Tu; J‘ vary to understand how moiaaenoha gets hold of a man. It ;.hc daylight laic tires effect, how nwre!; mure so would the darkness?’ ’ .Lnoro was nor ranch time to do scientific work, freer v man being requircd for pressing duties. Dr Mitcheii said that, rh-.-ro was no plant i ? the animal life oiuCity seals and penguins. As much :iio.reuioaigicai work us possible was wove, and a number of so aml lags wore taa.-u, v.reh what result ire did not renew. .Frolcs.-ijj- David was the mow;, ciurerreiastic man at Jiis work ret Sou; over seen. ‘‘l think a great uu;ny of us would rather nave jure,! fo have wintered in the Ant-hicnc said the doctor, ” but, as l 1 L Y°. iU ’° - 00 -dog forward to tho j.tt i-mi: lrijj to sec wiiac success our r-oiurabr-;; have had. Tire lauding party were in rime fettle, and confident iii. success. Tho last sip lit wo mm re im-m was their dark figures r,li y ! ° topped tho jce-cliif ontlinr-d against too sky lino, when wo digued our ensign in FAREWELL. ”