THE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14507, 26 April 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.

SPECIMENS AND KINEMATO-

GRAPH FILMS.

their preparation in hand,

WELLINGTON. April 2. I he first ot the specimens obtained for the Colonial Museum in the Antarrf.iV came to hand to-day, They are the skin <tim also the skeleton of an .Emperor pen- ({■»"■ Mr Hamilton states that bones had been louud in Oainarn limestone forindicating a penguin twice the size of the large southr-m " Kmperor." s»milar relics had been discovered in tossiliferous rocks at Cape J'oulwind near estport. 3 1 ossil remains of large penguins apparently not of the same -o-nus as the ancient New Zeahmd ouoswere louml by Swedish explorers on the Antaictic mainland. Dr Marshall is working hard at- the development of (lie kilieuuttograph films taken on Khaekleton's expedition to (he Antxrciic. I saw some of the films to-day, and tliey are without doubt, excellent. The lihii.'i of the penguins are probably uniijne, ami should attract world-wide atli-ntion. The Wellington Club will give a dinner to Lieut, Shack-let,hi ( )n the 15th inst.. prior to his departure for .Sydney. Jl.v that time his work in New Zealand will be completed, the members of the club are enthusiastic over the niattci'. and tlio Prime .Minister ■ ill be asked as a guest. CONOR AT (I LATJO N 8 FROM SVDNJ3W CIIUISTCIIUIK/If, April 2. Lieut, fthackletoii received the following cuble this afternoon ;—"'i'he Lord Mayor of fydiii.'V, acting ior a crowded meeting of citizens in the Town Hall, assembled to honour Professor David, sends hearty congratulations to yourself and vonr brave comrades on your safe return" from an hbroic march south, and on vonr splendid achievements for the British Empire." BANQUET AT CfIEISTCIIURCII. CHRI&ICH[jICIf, April 4. the members of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury entertained Lientunn.nL Miacklcton, his shore mu-iv, and the oflicers of Hie Nimrod at a coiiiplimcmaiy liampict ( ,n .Saturday niglit. The fHnetion was :;[.tc!ui«! by a" nuinber of representative citizens, in addition to members of the institute. Mr Edgar I!. Wuife (president of iiic institute) 0 occupied the chair, and amount Uiom: present weio the Hon. D. IJudilo, repretenting the Government, Dishops ,] u ii„ s ; ,, lc i (irimc-s, ;,nd Mr G. M. Thomson. M,P. pivsidcul. of I lie New Zealand Philr,™'. phii.'al lnstituio. were received from the Governor, Sir J. ({, Ward, Mr G. Lanrcnsoii, M.]\, and otliprs. In proposing the tat of "The British Antarctic Expedition," the Chairman eulogised (lie work accomplished, eih! slated that tho institute had lormed the nucleus of a library ot. Aiiii'-ri tie literature, to which Lieutenant Shr.ckleion had presented several volumes as a mean r;lo of the Ninirod expedition. Mr '.Mav.ion would be associated with I)r Fair in determining the radio activity of certain rocks brought back by the, expedition, and Lieutenant Shackloton had asked a gentleman in Christchurcb [understood to be Mr Waite himself] to determine the fishes brought from Antarctica. Lieutenant Shackleton received an ovation on rising to respond, all present, rising anil cheering him to the echo. He thanked tnem on behalf of his comrades and himself for the enthusiastic reception and tor the feelings which he knew were ill the hearts of the whole of the people of New Zealand towards "this little expedition." Looking at what had been done, he always, felt dissatisfied, and feltthat he might have done more; but on that Polar plateau, with no grub inside them, and thinking of the long distance they had come, they looked at ihinffs and saw I hey could not go further, and so were forced to turn bad;. On the plateau there was none of the luxuries that made life pleasant, but they had struggled along more or less successfully. What bad been done had been accom- I plished not by one or two men, but by the co-operation of alt belonging to the expedition. Regarding the southern journey, he said that it was through the experience gained under Captain Scott, of the Discovery, that it had been possible ior them to go a bit further. He hoped that if the South Pole was reached it would be by a Britisher, and ho trusted that the work done by his expedition would be useful in the object sought to be attained. Captains Evans and Davis also responded. Notablo speeches were delivered by Bishop Grimes and Mr C. E. Bevan Brown. Other toasts included that of " Former Expeditions," proposed by Dr Farr and responded to by Dr Chilton and Reginald Ford, the latter of whom went on the Discovery. LIEUTENANT SIIACKLETON'S DEPARTURE. FINAL MESSAGK TO NEW ZEALAND. WELLINGTON, April 16. Lieutenant Shackleton left Wellington for Sydney in the Riverina this afternoon. The Prime Minister and Lady Ward, the Hon. Dr Fimlkiy and Mrs Vindlay, and a large number of friends went down to bid him farewell. The students of Victoria College assembled, and gave him round after round of cheers, as well as a Maori war-cry as a palling salute. Before leaving, Lieutenant Shackleton entrusted me with a farewell mcwage to tin people of the Dominion, as follows:—"tin the ev<* of my departure, I wish, from the bottom of my heart, io thank the people of New Zealand for the thousand-and-one kindnesses they have lihown lo me and to the members of-tho expedition. To the Government, of New Zealand, the Prime Minister and' members of his Cabinet, the Union Steam Ship Company, Captain Kvans, and Mr J. J. Kinsey." i owe a special debt of gratitude. It is particularly gratifying to me and to tho.rj who worked so loyally and bravely with me ill the interests of the expedition to find, not only my immediate friends, but also thousands of the people of the Dominion. taking such a keen and sympathetic interest in our doings and discoveries in the Far South. I can assure one and all that though the Homeland lies are now calling strongly to me across the intervening leagues of ocean, it is with "eiiuiue regret that I shall watch the shores of New Zealand failing in the luize of distance." LIEUTENANT SHACKLETON HONOURED. A LUNCHEON AND A BANQUET. r WELLINGTON. April 15. The Prime Minister anil the other members oi the Cabinet paid an appropriate compliment to Lieutenant Shackleton on the eve of bis departure from New Zealand to-day by entertaining him at a luncheon in the Grand Hotel The Prime Minister i(Sir Joseph Ward) presided, with the Hon. .1. Carroll in the vice-chair, and the quests present included other members of the Ministry, Mr Justice Williams. Mr Justice Denuislon. Mr .Justice Chapman, local members of both branches ot the Legislature, and a lew leading citizens. Alter the toast of " The King'' had been Honoured Sir Joseph Ward rose and asked those present lo drink the health of Lieutenant Shackleton. The Prime Minister referred to the magnificent aihievemi-nt of the expedition ami the difficulties that Lieutenant Shackleton had triumphed over from the inception of his great venture. Lieutenant Shackleton was leaving New Zealand for the Old Land to-morrow, and they desired to wish him good health and a safe return to those near and dear to him.—(Applause.) They all recognised the intrepidity shown by Lieutenant Shackleton and those associated with him —an example which was welt worthy of imitation by all who might come after them. New Zealand was proud that Lyttelton had been made the headquarters of the expedition, and that so many specimens from the expedition had been left behind in this country. Lieutenant Shackleton had overcome the difficulties of the expedition iu a way that commeiitletl itself to the hearts of the gcople

raian;.' 'he toast was received .:i ■ drunlv_witli musical Si" ■ Ward also referred HK.r.t . who was second in •th' dition, H|>(l wished r'' :,u future, and e.x----iV i '•«! i the ii'.'Xt aWempl • n"h j !v I'ols jdeuteiiant .1' :-M e more the leader j I .i: 1 ' igaiii the second Uvuu. who was received Willi o . tide a capital speech. II" referred in his usual modest way to the " liltle expedition," which bad received such warm support from New Zealand and Australia. He paid a handsome tribute to all those who had worked with him, and referred to the advantages gained as the result- of the previous expedition under Ihe command of Captain Scott. Later on. v.lien he came to exercise the privilege of the explorer of new lands who had dmwn b-.u-k liic veil a little more from the unknown and to name the new geographical features, he would see that the Dominion of New Zealand, which had helped so much, was not forgotten. " 1 cannot." be added. " sufficiently express my indebtedness to all those who have limi so kind to us. I can only say with Keats, that the dearth of human words and the roughness of human speech .prevents my adequate expression to my thoughts, but you can rest assured that when I am far away in my own home I shall often louk hack to New Zealand, where I have received so much kindness and hospitably, and loot: still farther south Io l-.rehns." Herald of returning suns to li-,;,;e wailing lands bet.-.v:. Beacon to our lionio-se3kiiig loot across th» southern snow. In the liortliiaaj, in the yc-a:s to be, Pale witilec'it first white sign Ever ,-lial! turn cm- thoughts to thee, And the ftlanuiur that is thine. Lk'ulenaiit Shacklolnn resumed his scat amid a hearty round of applause, and afier a brief spc.ech from Lieutenant Adams a very pleasant gathering came to an end. This evening Lieutenant Shacklclon was entertained at dinner by the members oi Ihe Welliiihloi) Club. There was an unusually lane attendance of members and their friends., and the utmost enthusiasm prevailed. Lieut-warn- iShackloton loft for Sydney on Friday. I