ANTARCTIC JOTTINGS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 70, 12 March 1908, Page 4

ANTARCTIC JOTTINGS

k mt MMIIOD EXPEDITION. * K.\ I'KlilKN( KS IN THE FKUZEN SOUTH. it is probable that au attempt will be made by some members of tlie expedition to ascend Mount Erebus. It ;s -stated that the top of the volcano has not been reached oy any previou* explorers. " You -can't kill a Mauchurian pony by ordinary mean-)," says Mr. Duulop, the chief engineer of the Nimrod. "The two we lost we had to shoot to put tlie poor little beggars out ot their misery.' Oue of the crew received a pleasiut and unexpected surprise when the Nimrod was neariug Lyttelton wharf. Iu

eagerly scanning the crowd of people "who liad gathered to welcome the little vessel back, liis eyes alighted on his mother and sister whom he had last seen in England some six years before. "There they are,"' he remarked with some emotion. "They have come all tlie way out here to see me, and 1 cay tell you I feel a bit stuck in the throat about it." As shotting the intensity of the* cold in the Arctic regions, a painful exp-vi-ence of >lr. A. P. llarbord, second ofli-

cer of the Sinirod. may lie related. Mr. Harbord desired to attract tlie attention of '.lie crew one day mid put his whittle to Ills mouth. It immediately froze to his lips and tongue, and in wrenching it a\va\ pieces of the llesh were torn out.

On her voyage from Lvttelton to Antarctica and l»ack \Vc-t|w>rt coal 1 - chiefly u-vll by tin- Niinnnl. ami it is calculated that by doing ' her -j was increa-*'d t>y at least a knot and a halt as compared to the speed she developed on \W4sh coal (not of the best ■|iiality. however), which iva- used oil the ran out from Kngland. J lie supply of trial left with the expedition is calculated to allow of a daily consumption of 7cwt. up to January, I'.HH. "The be-t medicine Lieutenant

Sliackleton got after leaving Lyttelton," Mr. Dunlop ?tate«. " was to <ee the grand way the Maihliuriaii ponies div'd into the collar- when yoked up tu the sledjes for tile til-' time." - ""Row did the country look for motiving!" was a question asked one of the Ximrod's crew. "It didn't look too good." wa- tlie reply. "A- far as I could see the -tiCce-- of the expedition to the S)uth l'ole will depend on the

ponies, though the motor car may be all right when the ice linns. There is no danger of the petrol freezing; the only trouble experienced w in starting the motor. A blow lamp is required to

-tart tlw cylinder-. and after they are started they keep tin* oil warm." It is anticipated that au initial dillieulty. which may not be easily surmounted. will In* experienced wlieu an attoiujit is made to get the motor-car over the wide stretch of huminocky ice, beyond which the ice plain lies. A penguin is not often easy to kill. At l-a-t one member of the Nimrod's crew found that a particular bird lie thought he had killed hud a very tenacious hold oil life. He took what he thought was a dead penguin aboard, and was much surprised when it ga\e unmistakable signs of lieing alive. Several methods of despatching the bird were resorted to. and an attempt was made to chloroform it. A larger quantity of the drug than would have killed a dozen was administered without apparent effect. The biln eventuallv expired. probably a- the result of the cumulative effect- of the methods adonled. 1

Mr. L. A. Cotton, uli.. accompanied the expedition as as-i-tant to Professor David, of Sydney University, and who has returned for the purpose of resuming his -tudies, informed a new-paper representative that the pro!c--or was i'l excellent health ami had "roses on his cheek- when the Ximrod took her departure. He showed that he could do

as much hard work as anyone connected with the expedition, and could haul sledges with the best of them. All he requires is four hours' sleep, and when not agisting in the general work he was writing letter, to his wife or oil matters connected with the universitv and also new-paper article-.

llie -t*|tion at which Captain Scot 1 , and l)r. \\ il-on of the Di-covery expedition studied the habit- of Antarctic bird- wa- found by a party from the . Xmiio.l in a very peculiar way. One | »f tho-e compri-ing the party had previj oii-ly been -outli with ' aptain Scott'expedition. and lie uo ti,cd the bamboo pole Which had lieen the pole of the Ml lent in »1,i.-|, I aptain Scott a,id Dr. M il-.ujiad li\d. I hi. tl) t ) !( . disoveiv of the remainder of the t<-n'. and to the unearthing m- uu-iiowing qi' varimi. -tore- left Udiiud l,v the previous .... iip.mt ..i i|„. fni.' Among,! tli.-e were a i. l: bag. ,i piiniu--tn»e. tobacco. Mil.- of methylated -pirit-. tea. and a pair of boot-. It appeared a- if the camp had been left liurii."!!v. - New Zealand Time-.