THE ANTARCTIC EXPLORERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 321, 7 June 1911, Page 5

THE ANTARCTIC EXPLORERS.

I | CAPTAIN SCOTT'S EXPEPITJON. MULES SECURED FOR TBAiISPORZ, PLANS FOR THE FUTUEJ, '»• I By Telegraph-Press AasccttUo*. Ohriatchurch, Last Night. Mr. J. J. Kinsey, New Zealand representative of Captain British Antarctic expedition, made an interesting statement to-night in regard to obtaining mules for use as transport animals in the Antarctic regions, outside the useful scientific and exploring work which Captain Scott hopes to accomplish with the assistance of the members of the expedition. Everyone knows they are in the Antarctic with the hope of leaching the South Pole next season. The ponies, which landed at Cope Evans, were in good condition, considering what they had gone through, but, of course, being entirely dependent on this transport, should any ponies fail in the coming winter, Captain Scott would be handicapped and possibly miss his goal next season. In that event, it is his intention to make a second attempt the following season, provided fresh transport can be brought down next December. Captain Scott, before directing more ponies to be sent down, theroughly discussed the situation with Captain Oates, who suggested that mules would be better than ponies for their work, and that trained Indian transport mules would be ideal. Captain Oates and Mr. Means have both seen the wonderful work dom by mules in Northern India, and especp ally during the expedition to Thibet and there seems little doubt that these animals would do as well on the voyage and in the cold as ponies, and they could draw greater loads at a mors uniform pace. The Indian transport mules used by the Thibetan expedition did wonderful work on that occasion at great altitudes, and in very low tanperature when ponies, yaks and other animals broke down. With this end in view, Captain Scott wrote to Major-General Sir Doughs Haig, chief of headquarters staff of the army in India, Simla, when the Terra Nova left Cape Evans, and Mr. Kinsey has just received word from the secretary of the Army Department, 8iml», that seven mules have been selected, and are being trained to sledge work at a high altitude. Satisfactory shipping arrangements have been made with the Union Steam Ship Company, whose steamer, the Aparima, will bring the mules from Calcutta early in August Mr. Kinsey Is also negotiating with a firm at Vtodlvestock for a further supply of trained Siberian dogs. If the Pole is reached in the first season, Captain Scott, before returning north, hopes to land a party at some interesting spot, and to usefully employ the stores and transport equipment taken down by the vessel. Id a message cabled to England dealing with events in New Zealand, Mr. Kinsey stated that the Terra Nova Is now in better condition than she has been for many years. When she has completed her work in regard to off shore soundings north of New Zealand, he adds she will have supplied information that will greatly assist ships approaching the north of New Zealand from the westward. She will begin this important work in Jury, and will return to Lyttelton early in October to prepare for another voyage to the south, Touching on Mr. D. G. Lillies> work, Mr. Kinsey says: "During the vessel's stay here he had been closely engaged sorting species and re-pickling and preparing collections for transport to England for specialists to deal with. Several new species of invertebrates have been discovered, and large quantities of two species of ccphalodisous and possibly new rhabdopleura, both distant relations to the vertebrates, have been collected. Dredgings taken off new land recently discovered by Lieut. Pennell at North Victoria Land contained several new forms, including sea urchins, witfi paddle-shaped spines, and hairy bivalve molluscs. Satisfactory collections of water samples and transparent floating organisms have also been obtained."