THE TERRA NOVA

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10503, 15 December 1911, Page 4

THE TERRA NOVA

READY FOR SEA. THE RELIEF VOYAGE. , ■ I ' (By Telegraph—Press Ass<kiatim.) . OHiRISTCHURCH, Last Night. The last day in port for the British Antarctic Expedition ihip, Terra Nova, was a busy one for all oil board. The store lists were all carefully checked off. to ensure that nothing had been omitted. ■ The cases of stores and gear were coming to hand all the morning, and were stowed away in convenient places, and the perishable food stuffs, including fresh meat, eggs j and fruit, were taken on board and placed in the ice house. Shortly befoi-e I 1 noon the - wenfr.along-, I side tlie Terra Nova with the mules | and dogs, and the harness and other, j equipment. . The mules were carried. | in pail's in huge boxes, ! and '. seemed • perfectly tame and tractable.. . The j seven mules and fourteen dogs are i all iii splendid condition., and appoai, to have benefited very considerably .by their stay on Quail Island, where they have been trained and exercised daily by Mr J. A. Dennistoun, who is going , south in ciharge of them. To the accompaniment of a chorus of yelps ai)il howls the dogs were quickly got on board and tethered by short chains to convenient stanchions. They exhibit- j ed great eagerness to get on board the ships, -and settled down quite contentedly. This afternoon they will be placed in their isea-going quarters on top of the ice house, which has been covered with tarpaulins to protest them from the weather. The mules were hoisted on board in the boxes, and (although one or two kicked in a somewhat excitable manner when being slung they were perfectly quiet whan being led into their stalls in the cosy little deck- houses. These houses have been divided by 'means' of moAC- j able rails, and the flooring has been covered with thick matting to afford the little beaists a foothold when the ship is rolling land labouring in heavy weather at sea. In half an hour the animals were all on board and secuied in their stalls. The work of squaring up the ship and stowing and lashing (all deck gear was completed this afternoon, and the Terra Nova is now quite ready to go to sea. A weathei forecast is being got from the Government Meteorologist, and the ship will sail at 6 a.m. to-morrow on her reuet voyage to the Antarctic.