Back from Antarctic

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 263, 28 March 1911, Page 5

Back from Antarctic

return of the iterra nova. - :b "ALL WELL." By Telegraph.—Press. Association. ' Christchurch, Last Night. Mr. J. J. Kinsey, representative here for Captain Scott's Antarctic expedition, to ; day received the following telegram from Half Moon Bay, Stewart Island: A "Just arrived; all well; fcope to arrive at Lyttelton on 31st.—Pennell." Lieut. Pennell, by whom the message ■was sent, was, with Lieut. Bowers, entrusted with the duty or C( are-surveying any lands that were seen during the Terra Nova's cruise in the ]., southern seas, after landging the east- gj southern seas, after landing the east- g Sound. : According to Captain Scott's plans he •was hopeful that the Terra Nova would 0( leave on this cruise about the third . 81 week in February. The intention wac q that the Terra Nova should investigate p the pack in the region of the Ballenj ti Island and proceed to the westward s ] through or to the south bf Shese • islands. "My hope is," -wrote Captain ti Scott, "that by again steering south sht d may throw some, light upon the coast- J line between Cape North and Adilie Land. I desire to reconnoitre the coast ] ( with a view to landing parties upon it f< on a future .occasion. These objects E will occupy the ship during March, after n which she will be directed to return to * New Zealand." , o It is understood that the Terra Nova t ■ comes idirect to Lyttelton. ; e •CAPTAIN SCOTT'S OFFICIAL REPORT., l n il ROUGH VOYAGE DOWN. t STORES LANDED SAFELY. I I PERILOUS EXPERIENCES. * h MEN AND ANIMALS IN GOOD o HEALTH. c h c (Special Report.—Copyright.) ] ( (•Per Press Association.) e Wellington, Last Night. I The Terra Nova arrived at Patter-, s son's Inlet, Stewart Island, this even-, n ing. The following is the first portion ij of the official report supplied I>y Cap- I tain Scott:— Three days out from New Zealand the fl ship, which was deeply laden, encoun- j. tercfl a heavy south-westerly gale, and v shipped much water. A part of the '. bulwafks were washed away, and started some deck cargo. The pumps were „ choked, and water got into the engine- j room, and we were forced to put the i fiTes ont and compelled to bale for many Q nours with buckets. The position was i( serious, when, fortunately, the weather 6 moderated. The pumps were cleared, r We lost two ponies, one dog', and a small r amount of deck cargo. The remaining f animals suffered badly, but have since c recovered. We proceeded south on i meridian 197 west, and entered the pack c -ice on the 9th December. When in latitude 65 we encountered PHENOMENALLY HEAVY ICE. We spent twenty-one days pushing through it with great difficulty, traversing 380 miles. This is the greatest extent of pack ice. yet recorded. We obtained interesting soundings and a series of sea temperatures off the edge of the continental shelf. We entered open ' water in Ross Sea on December 20, being forced thence west by a southerly gale. We sighted the Admiralty Mountains of Victoria Land, and reached Cape Cro- 1 zier on January 3. A heavy swell prevented our landing. After forcing our ■ way through the pack we found Mc- ; Murdo Sound exceptionally open, and decided to make OUR WINTER QUARTERS at Cape Evans, fourteen miles north of the Discovery station, and eight miles south of Cape Royds. We commenced landing our stores for the western party over a mile and a half of sea ice. The ponies, motor sledges, d/'gs and men were employed in the transporting work. All the stores were landed in a week. We had the misfortune to LOSE A MOTOR SLEDGE through a hole in the ice. A house was built and occupied. We also provided accommodation for our fifteen poniesand thirty dogs. This gave us a fortnight's work. It is a comfortable situation, and very convenient for scientific work. We have already obtained a RICH BIOLOGICAL COLLECTION. The weather is very changeable, strong winds prevailing. We had considerable difficulty in keeping the ship anchored to the ice. We were once driven on to a shoal, but refloated without damage. We are now departing from our depot on a sledge journey south, twelve men and eight ponies and two dogs comprising the party. We expect to be cut off from Cape Evans for two months, and hope to return over the new ice early in [ April. The ship proceeds to West Land, and the geological party will then go cast in accordance with the programme. The men and animals are in excellent health.