SHACKLETON EXPEDITION.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 March 1916, Page 3

SHACKLETON EXPEDITION.

THE AURORA. TO ARRIVE ON FRIDAY, By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. The.commander of the Aurora has sent a wireless to Mr. Massey:— "I owe a deep debt of gratitude to idie Otago Harbor Board for its generous offer. I should appreciate the services of a tug on approaching land. I expect to arrive on the 31st. Will notify you of the ship's position at 8 p.m. to-morrow." TWO MONTHS' STORES LEFT. fteeeived March 2S, 10.55 p.m. (Copyright.) London, Mareli 28. The Aurora has wirelessed that there are two months' stores left at the hut at the point of the Aurora's district. Penguins and seals are expected to arrive early in April. FOOD SUPPLIES. WHAT SCOTT'S HUT CONTAINS. London, March 27. Mr Cherry Garrard (who was w.Gi the Scott erpedition) states that Scott's hut contains 34941b of biscuits, 7501b of pommican, 37001b of Hour, 13021b .it oatmeal 11821b of sugar, chocolate and cocoa, 147H1b of jam, and 22001b of other foods, including lard, margarine, and vegetables.

PREVIOUS EXPEDITIONS. SHACKLETON'S VENTURES. AMUNDSEN AND SCOTT. Sir Ernest .Shackleton lias already twice journeyed to the South Polar regions; the first time in 1901-4 under the late Captain Scott. In his second venture on to the .Antarctic Continent Sir Ernest Shackleton commanded tlio expedition, which set out in the Ximrod in .1907 and returned in 11)00 after he had himself penetrated to within 97 miles of the Pole. Sir Ernest Shaekleton's first Antarctic command Accomplished a great dea' during the years 11107-0?, and by dividing its forces was able not only to make a southern "record" of S.Sileg. 22 min., but also to re-locate the elusive Southern Magnetic Pole, which ppcaiT to oscillate over an immense n- v. The expedition was largely p.- .«d of trained observers in Mar' departments of science, and vw* üble meteorological, biological and ?<- ugical information was collected aiu. .-hecked. In his endeavor to reaeri He -mm Sir K Shackieton with his Botftli party followed a track which was 6' isequently followed by Captain Scott in his successful but iil-iated journey It was the first party of explorers' to ">e assisted in thi s part of the world l.s' ponies and motor-traction, but as the iiary of the southern party, whielr wat led by the commanding officer, shows, tits aelivi ties of the motor-sledge were strictilimited, the ponies were eaten, :md (in hard-pulling of the expedition hail in ).• performed by the old-fashioned nie.i: • power of the early explorers. After a 1 most arduous time spent- in the Ant arctic, the crew of the Nimrod returned to New Zealand on March 22, 1909. having left Lytteltou .on January l 1908.

EXPLORERS OF MANY NATIONS. Many previous expeditions have been directed to the inhospitable continent, the first of real importance being that of Captain Cook in 1773-4. In ISIU-21 the Russian, Captain von Bellingshausen, attained to 6!)deg. 53min,, but his .record was passed by Captain Ross' expedition in 1840-1, which discovered the great volcanoes Erebus and Terror, and readied 7Sdog. south latitude. Tlie honor of being the first to spend a winter in the Antarctic fell to the Belgian, Captain de Gerliiche, in the Belgica, 1S!)S; ! but Captain Scott's expedition in the 1 Discovery passed two consecutive winters during the expedition of 1901-3, I reaching a latitude of S2deg. 17min. lsouth. | A number of explorers were devoting their attention to the South Polar Continent during these years. The Grt'man expedition (1001-3)' in the Gauss discovered Kaiser William 11. Land; the Swedisli enterprise under Di\ Xordcnskjold, lost its ship, the Antarctic, in the ice, in 1003, but her crew were saved; the Scottish expedition under Dr. Bruce in the Scotia (1002-4) wintered in the South Orkneys; Dr Charcot .conducted two French explorations in the Francais, 1004-1;"), and the Ponquoi Pas, 100S--10; a Japanese venture under Lieutenant Shirase had to be abandoned in 1911, and a German expedition under Lieutenant Filclmer in the Deutschland began work in the same year. THE'POLE REACHED. The Norwegian expedition under Captain Amundsen was crowned with success, as that explorer actually reached the coveted goal and hoisted the Norwegian flag on December 10, 11)11. He afterwards .stated that he very nearly made up his mind to leave some tins of oil in a depot at the Pole. Had lie done so it is possible that Captain Scott, who found tlu; foreign flag flying there, would have been able to return to his ship, as in his diary he complains of the shortage ot fuel, which so hampered him. The last Antarctic expedition was that of Sir Douglas Mawson, which returned to Australia i|i February, 1014. The accomplishments of the most successful Antarctic explorers may lie thus stated:— Deg. \tin. Borchegrevinck, 1000 7S 50 Cook, 1773-5 71 10 Scott, 1002 82 17 Shaekleton, 1000 SS 23 Amundsen, Dec. 18, 1911 .... The Pole. Scott, Jan. 18, 11)12 The Pole.