The Dash for the South Pole. PARTLY BY MOTORS.

Progress, Volume II, Issue 7, 1 May 1907, Page 254

The Dash for the South Pole. PARTLY BY MOTORS.

Lieutenant Shackelton, who is to be shortly in Antarctic Latitudes making for the South Pole, has explained his plans. He says :—: — " For our attempt to reach the South Pole with sledges, we are taking Siberian ponies and a motor car. The ponies, of which there will be six or eight, are to be shipped to Lyttelton from North-east China. Their work will be to draw the sledges. We will take some dogs down with us but not for the journey to the Pole. A pony drags as much as eighteen dogs, and consumes only 111b of food per day, as against 361b of food required by eighteen dogs. You will see this means a great saving of food on the journey. " The motor car will be used as far as possible to relieve the ponies on the first stage of the dash for the Pole. It is level ground, and the motor, which has been specially designed for us by the Arrol-Johnston Company, of Paisley, should be able to negotiate it. Alcohol will be used instead of petrol, and special arrangements are to be made for keeping the engine hot. " The motor will drag a row of sledges, while the ponies walk on ahead. There will be only three men in the party — one driving the car and the other two travelling on ski. We ought to cover twenty-five miles a day in this fashion. The ponies would keep about two hours' journey ahead of the man in the car, and choose a route for him. Every 110 miles a sledge will be dropped with its load of provisions and a depot formed, so that there may be a line of retreat right from the very farthest south back to our winter quarters."