LIFE IN ANTARCTICA.
Ll-TTEKS i'KOM PUOEESSOU DM'ill 'Jill' following extnicls tin ill letter? from I'rotos-MU' David to hi* wile and family are published by Iho Sydney Daily Telegraph: - •'Lieutenant Shaekicton has pressed me very strongly to remain with him in winter quarter.- tor the whole of this I year, and take charge of the whole -jf f th'j scientific work except the biologi- ! cai. and take "charge also of the publication of the seienlilie results so far as relates to geology and meteorology. .... I'rom what he has seen of me now oil board rdiip, ho is eonlident that I conld .-taud climate oi' Antarctica all right. . . After thinking his olFor over carefully, 1 have decided to accept on condition that when 1 reach the (ireat Ice Barrier i frel I can stand theclimate. . . declarer
emphatically that lie thinks I can stand the cold belter than some of the younger members of the expedition. ... If
one gets ;i chance of going far -south aim" getting important original hcientilie work done, po.felfiiv even getting to the Pole, it should lie useful work, ami creditable to the University. Then there is the consideration that one is already risking time and health ani money, io say nuthiug of discomfort, and it dues seem a pity that one sliouid lie unabie to do moie tnan glance hurriediy at the many fascinating scieatific problems before us. Probably also my health may soon be benefited l«v a year of life in the fresh germless air, ami one would return much fitter for work than when one left Svdncv. 1
have only taken j'/- months' ordinary leave during my 17 years' work at the ' i'niveisity—the Funafuti leave was spe--1 cial leave—so that 1* am only taking ' half a term more leave than I am ac- > tually entitled lo legally. However, in ' view of the great seientilic importance ot tUc work to be done ill Antarctica. aiST ("t I can manage to do Home of it well) the gain to the reputation .if science at our University. I have little doubt that the Senate will see its way to condone the oileiKTc. Shackleton assures me that ive shall nil be quite comfortable, in the hut, and that the time will pass very tpiiekly —there will lie tso much to do ill preparing for the winter that ire shall only just be able to get the but up and the pony stables, "and motor garage, and magnetic ami meteorological huts up, when the sun will feavc us for the six months, aiKTlhere will lie so much to do in preparing for the spring sledging and the seientilic work during the winter that the long Polar night will bo gone almost before we have time lo think about It. Then there will be the work of runnfng out depots for provisions l'or man and ponies, and tbe final long run to the south will begin directly after. We should all return about the middle of January, l'JOil, in tfuie far Captain England to pick lis all up again and takejis back to Lvttel ton. ... I don't think 1 should be playing the game if I declined to go. . . From the point of view of doing useful work, it seems almost wicked to spend so much time and ris' so much in ord->r to get down to Antarctica, and then spend only a few days there. . . We have been delayed a week already Lv heavy gales, one moderate and two severe o'nes. . . At present the weather is calm and favorable, and we hope to reach the ice pack m a few days. . . January 15: Pack ice just sighted. . . i\'e have come suddenly and unexpectedly to the edge ot the iee pack, and the last boat will leave immediately. . . The temperature ot the sea is down to S.'ideg Fiilir. ... No one has ever navigated these waters before, so far as we know, and we may discover a new islanU a"t_anv moment. The weather is getting pretty cold, but it doesn't feel nearly as cold as Kosciusko at present. .... There is no night here now. In order to get to sleep one lias to put ones Rsad right under the liedelothef!, as it is quite a biTghl light even at midnight. We "shall now see the sun all the time, day and night, till the Polar winter sets in. . . ."
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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 50, 18 February 1908, Page 3
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725LIFE IN ANTARCTICA. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 50, 18 February 1908, Page 3
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